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!*