The Complete Book of Ghosts

by Paul Roland

I know this means two ghost books in a row as the featured book. This isn't a trend and this book won't stay for long, but I wanted to mention it. It's a quick read through some of the most fascinating stories and reports on record about ghost and spirit phenomena.

The book doesn't offer explanations, and isn't trying to make anyone a believer. It does vouch for the authenticity of the different phenomena, but the emphasis is on reading some good tales.

In short, it's a book that reminds us that we live in a world where events do occur that are beyond our grasp and point to other levels and dimensions of reality. The stories are entertaining, while at the same time making this point.

It's the kind of book that I wouldn't spend the money for it, but if I had a chance to read it, I would. I picked it up at the library.

Tom Z

Here's a review from Foulsham in the UK.

The theories of what happens when we die have fascinated us for centuries. This book provides concrete answers to the issues. Ghosts, spirits and the science of contacting the dead through séances has long enthralled us. The book includes a vast store of material on all these topics. Other topics include: famous haunted sites, famous ghost hunters through the ages and masses of spine-tingling case studies and stories. Atmospherically illustrated and with specially commissioned photographs by a well-known ghosthunting photographer.

Here is a second review. It's a little more grouchy, but it gives the story titles. I've not found its source yet.

Although the choice of the title for this book is horrible and misleading, "The Complete Book of Ghosts" has some interesting parts.

On the downside, I was disappointed with the fonts and artwork that were used in the book. They seemed to run contrary to the authors attempt to be taken seriously. Sadly, I believe that Roland blew his some of credibility with this poor choice of graphics.

Most of the stories were far too brief and the lacked objectivity. There was little to no effort taken to debunk the ghost stories. Less than one page was given to "frauds and fakes" and that read:

Sadly, the society's efforts to bring such evidence to the attention of the scientific establishment were fatally undermined by several well-publicized scandals involving fake mediums. These occurred just prior to, and in the years immediately after, publication of Census of Hallucinations and consequently public ardour towards spiritualism was dampened and the sceptics had further cause to doubt. Several SPR members were duped by hoaxers who exploited their eagerness to believe, leaving the reputation of the society irreparably damaged by the turn of the century.

I think a bit more needed to be said about the topic. I would have liked to have seen a better effort to reveal frauds and less on John Edward and his ilk.
On the plus side, the stories were interesting; although, they were a bit too brief. It was an easy and quick read. I enjoyed the section about the "Most Haunted" television series.

Contents
6 Introduction
8 Chapter 1
Belief in the soul
10 Cults of the dead
12 Sacred spirits
15 Spirits in the Scriptures
17 Ancient apparitions
18 Restless spirits
22 Chapter 2
The night side of nature
24 Willington Mill
27 The Fox sisters
30 The birth of spiritualism
32 A surplus of spirits
34 The haunting of Charles Dickens
36 Ghost lights
38 The ghost club
39 A ghostly intruder
40 Concern from beyond the grave
40 Suicide sighting
41 Last Will and Testament
43 A dispiriting response
44 Time-delayed proof
45 Frauds and fakes
46 Spectral soldiers
49 A ‘strange meeting’
51 The conversion of Conan Doyle
54 The phantom fayre
56 Mass materializations
58 Chapter 3
Living apparitions
60 The ‘stone tape’ theory
60 In two places at once
64 The absent MP
64 Phantom forerunners
65 Getting ahead of themselves
66 Thought forms
67 Crisis apparitions
69 Escaping worldly bonds
71 A ghost in the mirror
73 Projecting his own ghost
74 Inducing an out-of-body experience
76 The astral visit
76 A message from the other side
78 The psychologist and the spirit
80 Psychology and the paranormal
82 The haunted cottage
84 Out of this world
86 Crisis of faith
88 Voices from beyond
89 Recording EVP
90 The Pope’s parapsychologists
94 Chapter 4
Talking to the dead
96 Science and the spirit world
97 Our sixth sense
98 Convincing evidence
99 Positive benefits
101 Betty Shine
104 The psychic cleric
106 The soul rescuer
106 John Edward
109 Interpreting the spirits
110 The Ouija board
112 Chapter 5
The uninvited – possession
114 The Vennum case
117 Soul music
118 The artist within
119 The three Claras
120 The question of reincarnation
122 Chapter 6
Haunted houses
124 The Bloody Tower
127 The ghosts of Glamis
129 Pursued by dreams
130 Thirteen guests
132 Borley Rectory
134 The ghost-hunter’s book
137 Weird night in a haunted house
139 The White House
140 Alcatraz
142 The Edgar Allen Poe house
144 Toys “R” Us
146 Chapter 7
Spooky sites
148 Haunted hotel
150 The town too tough to die
153 Tombstone’s spooky sites
154 A glimpse into the past
156 Sense of foreboding
159 Published, and damned
160 The ghosts of Glastonbury
163 Ghosts of the London Underground
165 Ghost flight
166 Haunted Hollywood
171 Their final bow
174 Spooked celebrities
175 Life imitating art
177 Celebrity seance
178 Chapter 8
Ghost hunters
180 Harry Price – ghost hunter
183Most haunted
190 Is your house haunted?
191 How to see a ghost
194 Speaking with spirits
197 The ghost hunter’s tool kit
198 How to conduct a ghost hunt
203 Afterword
205
Bibliography/Picture Credits
206 Internet resources
206–8 Index
All in all, it was interesting, but could have been much better ..