Book Review for The Ghosts of London

Title: The Ghosts of London---A Collection of Ghost Stories from the British Capital
By: Sean McLachlan
Published by the Charles River Editors
Amazon Purchase Information

Every couple of weeks or so, the mood hits me to fill up my Kindle with FREE ebooks. I'll go to the Amazon website, click on the Kindle Store, and then search the last 30 days of new releases, priced low to high! Over the years, I've found quite a few free ebooks on my favorite subjects---ghosts and hauntings!

However, the old adage is usually true: you get what you pay for. More often than not, these free ebooks are poorly written, factually inaccurate, or at least just really, really short. There are gems to be had, though, and The Ghosts of London is one of those gems!

I have several other ebooks from the Charles River Editors, mostly quick-history type books, and they've all been a great deal. They are well written, interesting, and long enough to actually be considered a book, lol. But The Ghosts of London, written by Sean McLachlan, is the best I've found so far.

This book isn't super long, but its got a great sampling of London's haunted history. You'll find some standby classics such as 50 Berkeley Square, which many know as the Most Haunted House in London. Of course, a few hauntings associated with the London Underground (subway system) are included, as are plenty of haunted pubs, churches, and other places of interest. There are also a few really strange stories included, namely the ghost of Sir Francis Bacon's FROZEN CHICKEN!!

Chapters are enhanced with photographs and illustrations, and there's a great bibliography at the end of the book. It's a quick, fun read, but its not overwhelmingly short like so many similar books tend to be. I'm not as up-to-date on my British hauntings as I'd like to be, so this was a great collection of stories to become familiar with.

Unfortunately, at the time of this review, the FREE promotion for this book has ended, and the price is up to $2.99. That's still a respectable price for the quality and quantity of information packed into this ebook. And, if you don't care for the ebook format, you can get this title in paperback as well, for about $10.

However, just keep your eyes open! Charles River Editors often offers their ebook titles for free during limited times, and they cover some really great subjects. I also managed to pick up a free copy of The Weird and Mysterious United States at the same time as The Ghosts of London! It's been added to the To-Be-Read pile and may end up as a future Book Review!

Happy reading, and happy haunting, everyone. Stay spooky!

FREE Kindle Books on Demonology

Demonology is a subject that many are interested in, and it continues to be as hot a topic today as it was 100 years ago. So, today's quickie blog is a list of three totally FREE ebooks on the subject of demonology. Have you read any of these?


1. Demonology and Devil-Lore, by Moncure Daniel Conway

According to the Cambridge Library Collection: "In this two-volume work, first published in 1879, Conway draws from examples across the world to discuss the origins and decline of beliefs in demons. In Volume 1, he classifies types of demon and argues that the various types are personifications of the main obstacles to 'primitive man'. In Volume 2, he discusses the role that the Devil plays in Christianity, and that similar figures play in other religions." Also available through Project Gutenberg

2. Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, by Sir Walter Scott

"The book takes the form of ten letters addressed to J.G. Lockhart, the epistolary mode permitting Scott to be both conversational in tone and discursive in method. In these, Scott surveys opinions respecting demonology and witchcraft from the Old Testament period to his own day. As a child of the Enlightenment, he adopts a rigorously rational approach to his subject. Supernatural visions are attributed to 'excited passion', to credulity, or to physical illness."--Source and More Info





3. The History of the Devil as Well Ancient as Modern in Two Parts, by Daniel DeFoe

This book is also known as The Political History of the Devil.  "The Political History of the Devil is a study of the devil by novelist, satirist and political journalist Daniel Defoe (1660?-1731). It was published in 1726 but this illustrated edition is from 1819. Defoe, a Protestant Dissenter, believed in the devil as a physical being at work in the world. The Political History of the Devil suggests that the devil appears on earth both in his own form and through inhabiting the bodies and minds of other beings. Defoe was strongly anti-Catholic and here he associates the devil with Catholicism, specifically with the Pope." Source and More Info

Occult Books

Happy National Occult Day!  I'm not sure where this celebration originated from or even why it is celebrated, but its a great excuse to once again share my love of reading with you all!

 Today's blog is just a short list of some of the FREE (yes, FREE) ebooks that are available on occult subjects.  The world of the occult is a huge one, encompassing many different ideas, but I've chosen to narrow down these literary choices to ones that specifically use the word 'occult' in the title.

These books are all now in the public domain (written in the late 1800s through early 1900s), so the FREE price point should remain constant.  The links below will take you to the Amazon website where you can easily download them for your Kindle.  However, if you do not own a Kindle device or a way to read Kindle books, all of the selections can be found for free on other websites as well, including Project Gutenberg, where they are available in a variety of formats to read on your PC, laptop, tablet, e-reader or phone.

Happy reading...and Happy National Occult Day!

1. An Outline of Occult Science by Rudolph Steiner.  This is a look at the psychic anatomy of man, and covers topics such as reincarnation, the transition from life to death, and the relationship between sleeping and waking consciousness.

2. Clairvoyance and Occult Powers by William Walker Atkinson.  Written under the pen name of Swami Panchadasi in 1916, this book contains 20 lessons on topics such as astral travel, psychic healing, and crystal gazing.

3. Studies in Occultism by H.P. Blavatsky. Topics covered include black magic in science, hypnotism, and noetics.

4. Occult Chemistry by C.W. Leadbeater.  This book proposes that the structure of the chemical elements can be assessed through clairvoyant observation with the microscopic vision of the third eye.

5. Mystic London; or Phases of Occult Life in Metropolis by Charles Davies is a collection of articles about late 19th century Spiritualism in London.  It defends the practice and beliefs of Spiritualism, arguing that they can co-exist peacefully with the beliefs and ideals of Christianity.

*If you have any other great recommendations, feel free to pop on over to Theresa's Haunted History Facebook and share!*

8 Classic Tales of Horror

Looking to add some intellectual savvy to your Halloween celebrations this year?  There are so many  awesome books, fiction and non-fiction, that make excellent spooky reading material for this time of year, but I've chosen to share some of my favorite examples of classical horror literature.  These tales, all written in the 1800s, have withstood the test of time and remain as creepy now as the day they were written.  Many of these are quick reads, either short stories or novellas, and ALL are available FREE in various formats for reading on your computer or ebook device.

If you have a favorite spooky book, perfect for the Halloween season, hop on over to Theresa's Haunted History Facebook and let me know what it is!

1. Turn of the Screw by Henry James--Published in 1898, this is perhaps one of my favorite novels by Henry James, despite its verbosity and complexity.  Don't let the language scare you off; this is truly a frightening tale of a governess trying to protect her young charges from the spirits who intend to do them harm....or is it?  The mystery of what is actually going on, whether it be in real life or in the governess' own mind makes for some creepy reading.

2. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde--Here's a short story, first appearing in print in 1887 and again in 1891 featuring a family that moves into a quintessential haunted house.  However, as hard as the ghost tries, the family, except for one young girl, chooses to ignore him.

3. Dracula--Published in 1897, this iconic work by Bram Stoker is the go-to guide for the vampire mythos and the creation of horror's most famous ghoul, Count Dracula!

4. Frankenstein--Mary Shelley's 1818 work is another iconic piece in the history of horror.  Written one summer during a challenge with some friends over who could write the scariest story, this tale of a doctor and his monstrous creation has been a Halloween favorite for close to 200 years.

5. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson--The ultimate tale of good vs. evil and the dual nature of every human being...just, pushed to the limits, lol.  Published in 1886, this classic tale will send shivers down your spine.

6. The Picture of Dorian Gray--Another Oscar Wilde favorite, published in 1890.  The Picture of Dorian Gray is a tale of what happens when vanity overrules a person's senses.  This story was apparently quite controversial in Britain when it was first published!

7. The Tell-Tale Heart--First published in 1843, the Tell-Tale Heart is a Poe classic...and you can't have a Halloween-themed literature list without mentioning Edgar Allen Poe!  Murder, insanity, and the incessant beating of that blasted heart come together to terrify you with this gothic thriller.

8. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving--Published in 1820, this short story has withstood the test of time; the tale of Ichabod Crane meeting the Headless Horseman is still as spooky as it was almost 200 years ago.

*Links updated on October 8, 2017*

Book Review: The Travellers' Guide to Hell

Title: The Travellers' Guide to Hell
Authors: Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls
Published: Tinselhouse (2014)
Amazon Kindle Purchase Info

The Travellers' Guide to Hell, by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls is available as of right now as a FREE Kindle download from Amazon, so if you're interested, jump on it now!  And I definitely suggest you do!  I absolutely loved this book, despite it not being exactly what I thought it was going to be...

It's advertised as being a fun little travel guide formatted book, taking you down through the depths of Hell itself.  I was expecting something very humorous and honestly, something that was probably going to be poorly written and not very factual.  However, I found just the opposite--almost.

This is still a comical look at Hell, from its history to its geography to its inhabitants and literally everything else you could think of.  However, its a very well-written and well-researched comprehensive, and even scholarly, look at the perceptions of Hell.  The idea of Hell is explored across history and across different cultures, bringing in references from a variety of literary and uh, "first-hand" accounts.  It actually loses a little bit of the actual "travel guide" formatting, but that fact is quickly forgotten, thanks to all the awesome information crammed into this book.  I especially found the information on the Chinese version of Hell and Gilligan's Island as an allegory of Hell, to be especially intriguing...so head's up:  I might be blogging about those later on!

And, like all the other books I review here, this is a title that I do recommend for paranormal researchers.  So many times we hear that religion has absolutely no place in paranormal research...and that's true, but only to a point.  We cannot allow our own faith or belief system to interfere with an objective and scientific study of the truth.

 However, for those groups and individuals working directly with clients, its crucial to have an understanding of how different religions and different cultures view the afterlife, and that includes opinions and even the mythology of what we know as Hell in order to relate to those clients and give them the best possible investigation possible based on their needs.  If you have to learn about Hell, then it makes sense to have a little fun with it, and get a comprehensive cross-culture view all in one FREE ebook!

Book Review for The Headless Horror: Strange and Ghostly Ohio Tales

Title: The Headless Horror: Strange and Ghostly Ohio Tales
Author: Chris Woodyard
Published: January 2013 by Kestrel Publications
Amazon Information (available in Kindle Format and paperback)

As a paranormal researcher, investigator and blogger sometimes working in Ohio, I absolutely fell in love with the idea of this book. Written by my favorite paranormal Ohio author, Chris Woodyard, The Headless Horror was packed full of vintage newspaper articles from the 1800s and into the early 1900s on a variety of paranormal subjects. Tales of ghosts, hauntings, UFOs, Fortean phenomena, ghostly pranks, and much more came from all corners of the state and were presented in their original format. Where applicable, the author has added additional commentary and research to explain more fully the events discussed.

In my own work, I spend many hours poring over old newspaper articles but I've never been so lucky as to stumble across so many paranormally themed articles as Woodyard has managed. The sheer bulk of original articles combined with the extra research makes this book a great resource for anyone doing any type of paranormal investigation of the Buckeye State.

This is also an interesting book for anyone interested in history, as it provides a firsthand account of so many fun, historical tidbits, such as the methods of grave robbers and the methods to stop them. For some, however, this book might be somewhat of a dry read...the original language of articles written by 19th century journalists isn't always the fluid, straight to the point language that people of this century appreciate. And, due to the nature of the work, its format doesn't have the same easy flow as a narrative; its a little choppy in some places, making it an ideal work to read in chunks.

Overall though, I give this a solid two thumbs up!  It's also come to my attention that this particular title is actually the second in a series featuring these vintage newspaper articles!  Oh, and if you were wondering about the title...the "headless horror" mentioned is in reference to the famous Pearl Bryan decapitation that shocked the Cincinnati area and those who have visited Bobby Mackey's will especially appreciate.

Bonus!

Looking for more information on Pearl Bryan's murder?  Want FREE information on Pearl Bryan's murder?  Here's the link for a FREE Kindle download of the original publication on this horrific story that is so familiar to so many paranormal investigators:

The Mysterious Murder of Pearl Bryan or: The Headless Horror

Edited to Add:  Interestingly, I just looked up the Amazon reviews for the Chris Woodyard book, and apparently I was channeling another reviewer!  

FREE Vampire eBooks!

Welcome to a BONUS Vampire Week blog!  I'll be posting today's regularly scheduled blog this evening as a Friday Night Funny, but until then, I wanted to drop in and share a few FREE vampire-related ebooks being offered on Kindle through Amazon.

There isn't a huge selection of FREE material when it comes to really informative non-fiction pieces.  There is, however a TON of paranormal romances starring vampires.  I've listed a few choices that fall somewhere in between that are available right now at no charge for Kindle.  Please, if you have any further FREE recommendations, share them in the comment section.  Happy Reading!

The Vampire Cookbook
Looking for some elegantly spooky recipes for a vampire-themed or Halloween party?  This book offers a complete dinner's worth of ideas, from cocktails to dessert and everything in between.  No blood needed, of course.

Varney the Vampire, or The Feast of Blood
This is a classic from 1847, meaning it predates even Bram Stoker's Dracula!  A must read for anyone interested in vampire folklore from a literary point of view

Dracula
This one needs no description, but you might also be interested in Dracula's Guest, a collection of short stories by Bram Stoker that supposedly give a little more insight into the character of Dracula.  I personally haven't read it yet *hangs head in shame*

101 Tips for Traveling with a Vampire
A cute, satirical comedy on how to make the most out of traveling with a...well, vampire.

Totally awesome image from Nirav Photography