The Beast Within/a History of the Werewolf [Paperback]

Adam Douglas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994

Combining legend with popular culture, a retracing of werewolf evolution notes its mythological existence in countless ancient civilizations, tracks its role in the witch trials, and relates its presence in today's psychiatric wards. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Going beyond Hollywood's silly silver screen werewolf, Douglas recaptures the rich and varied legends of wolfpeople that have potently haunted generations through the ages. This comprehensive history benefits from the tools of anthropology, mythology, and psychology and begins in the paleolithic era when men dressed in wolf skins to gain predatory prowess. It continues into the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when suspected werewolves were burned at the stake and concludes with clinical accounts of modern lycanthropes. Although the work only teases at broad cultural analysis, it is very readable and a virtual encyclopedia of werewolf lore. Doyle Quiggle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038072264X
• ISBN-13: 978-0380722648
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,108,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Ready to Howl with Delight, September 24, 2000

By 

TylerTanner (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beast Within/a History of the Werewolf (Paperback)

This book is essential reading for anyone who likes unconventional history like I do. Adams takes you through examples of lycanthropy in all cultures and all signifigant time periods. No stone is left unturned. He even touches on a chapter on how feral children figure into the myth of the werewolf. Citing mythology, medieval history to current medical cases, this book is a delight to read. I highly recommend this to anyone. Historian and non-historian alike will find it nothing short of fascinating.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Reads like someone's doctoral thesis, June 22, 2000

By 

K. Carpenter "Mettle" (St. Petersburg, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beast Within/a History of the Werewolf (Hardcover)

I have to say that I have found this book to be interesting with regard to the large number of historical, mythical, folkloric and legendary references that Douglas employs. He definitely did his homework and it shows in every sentence of the book.

But therein lies the fault I find with the book. With the exception of a few brief moments where Douglas manages to smirk at himself, his writing style is largely (and annoyingly) pedantic. He approaches the subject seriously, but he takes it to the point of stuffiness.

I also found that a lot (and I mean A LOT) of the information Douglas spends page after page running into the ground had little or nothing to do with the subject of werewolves. His interest seemed much more focused on displaying his copious (albeit only indirectly relevant) research and knowledge than in writing a digestible book about werewolves.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reading, June 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beast Within/a History of the Werewolf (Paperback)

It is a shame that this title has gone out of print, whole so many terrible werewolf books remain in print. This mythological/folkloric/sociological study of the relation ship between man and werewolf is one of the most imformative books I've ever read.

I am hard pressed to find problems with this book, and I think you would be, too.