Customer Reviews

The Field Guide to North American Hauntings: Everything You Need to Know About Encountering Over 100 Ghosts, Phantoms, and Spectral Entities

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

An entertaining book but one that struck me as absurd at times. Blackman tended to rate a large number of spirits as dangerous and kept warning that headless ghosts might well take the head of a mortal to replace their own missing head. The most off the wall section of the book is a survey form which one is to use to question any ghost he might meet. I don't know about anyone else but should I meet a ghost I don't suspect I will take the time to ask it to fill out a short survey for me.

Remember that episode from the old Dick Van Dyke show where the comedy team gets together to persuade Rob to do ridiculous things over the phone? They finally push Rob too far when they tell him to scream like a chicken. The jig is up, as they say when Rob finally "gets it" and says, "Hey, you guys....wait a minute!" The laugh track roars. Everyone confesses and Rob has egg on his face because he was suckered right along for most of the episode. That's the feeling one gets after reading the first ten pages of this book and encountering such classic bits as:

"As with the Hull House, you can search for ghosts at the Lalaurie site from outside: simply stand in the shadow of the building and listen intently for screams of any kind."

"Do not chase the Palatine Light or follow it out to sea, as many oceanic ghost lights have a tendency to lead the curious to their deaths."

"Any phantom missing any part of its anatomy is potentially dangerous, largely because these ghosts are extremely preoccupied with regaining whatever it is that they have lost."

If you think you have a ghost in your house, the author suggests:

"Give the ghost a room. Set aside a portion of the house specifically for use as the ghost's private quarters..."

"Set Limits. Let the ghost know what you will or will not tolerate...."

"Include the ghost during family functions... On holidays...have a little gift for the spirit..."

And don't forget to scream like a chicken! Yes, these comprise just a sampling of Blackman's avuncular dolings out for anyone dense enough to take them seriously. Moreover, if you encounter a ghost, the author suggests some things you might want to ask it, like:

" What do you enjoy most about being a ghost?"

"Have you ever attacked anyone using your ghostly powers?"

"Do you enjoy frightening people?"

"Do you know what a 'ghost' is?"

And on and on. (One question that the author forgets to add to the list is "Do ghosts go to the bathroom in the other world?" It would not be out of place.)

Now this kind of cuteness would be tolerable in a child's book, but this book bills itself as a "Field Guide"--as in an exhaustive, serious, even scientific guide to this or that biologic, botanic, or geologic manifestation. Given that those more rigorous parameters remain unfilled, what we miss most is the sudden eruption of a laugh track at the appropriate moments while reading this book. (But of course, ever-resourceful ghost hunters could always make their own.)

The stories themselves are simple rehashings of the same material that other writers have done to death. In other words, expect no new primary information on the hauntings the author discusses.

Blackman does have the courtesy to include a bibliography at the end of the book, but all of the books he lists are rehashes themselves.

So, ok. What's good about this book? The cover art by Kamil Vojnar is really impressive. (For that I've given this book 3 stars.)

What's the scariest thing about this book? Random House publishes it as a book for adults. Remember that Random House began as a publisher for William Faulkner, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce and other great writers of the twentieth century. This fact alone is enough to give anyone the creeps when thumbing through these "haunted" pages.

Not only does the author claim that the Amityville Horror is absolutely true (both George Lutz and the AH author, Jay Anston, claimed it was a hoax to raise money to save George's failing business interests), he also goes on to give false "facts" about the legend of the Bell Witch of Tennessee. I only read those two stories in this book and that was enough for me.

Do yourself a favor and look for haunted facts elsewhere.

If it were an option, I would rate this book NO stars

I enjoyed the book very much, great information on locations of alleged hauntings around the US, lists the more well know locations. Also tips on ghost hunting. The book was great, but the authors opinions seemed unrealistic and exagerated on his ideas about ghosts and hauntings. A good book to read overall!! Recommend it!

This book is formatted to make ghost hunting easy. Not only did I enjoy reading the histories on each of the haunted sites, but I liked the "ratings" of each haunting as well. Maybe I'll visit those places labeled with three or more tombstones! Whether or not you believe in ghosts, it makes for fun and informative reading! Happy Hunting!

This book was rather good. I actually found some things local to me and I live in the middle of no where. I liked this book. Covered a lot of areas of the U.S. and was pretty well written. I enjoyed this book.

Absolutely hilarious.
For example, from "Appendix B: Sample Questionnaire for Ghosts"
Are you frequently tired, weak or cold?
Have you ever walked through a wall by accident or felt invisible? Does this seem strange to you?
What do you like least about being a ghost?
. . . and for those spirits unaware of their state of existence . . .
I believe that you are a ghost. How does that make you feel?
Can you prove that you are alive?

Priceless.

Sorry true haunting ghost story fans out there, this book ain't
IT! Author uses a very dumbing down writing approach, which
makes you feel like a complete idiot for believing this stuff
in the first place. The scariest thing about this book is the
fact that somebody actually printed it. Save your money!

I actually threw this book away,something I almost never do. This author drags together every half-baked story anyone has ever written down and presents it,with no evidence or eyewitness statements, as it is.Do you believe that a pack of evil ghost-dogs prowl highway 666 in New Mexico? Neither do I-but they're here in this "collection." Anyone reading this review could have written a book that would be at least as good as this one. Don't spend any money on this book! Try to find a good book instead

This "field guide" provides and entertaining narrative summary of the strange doings in several of America's reputed most haunted sites. The work is devoid of references to source material from which the tales were gathered though. This fact combined with the sometimes extraordinary claims of activity in well-traveled and known areas makes the book less compelling as a documentary work.

Organized into self-contained chapters with handy ratings of the probability of encountering the ghosts of each area should one visit, the book is an entertaining browser.