Customer Reviews

Haunted Savannah: The Official Guidebook to Savannah Haunted History Tour

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

James Caskey leads ghost tours in Savannah and from what I have found in this book he takes the extra time to research the stories that he tells both on his tour and in his book. After reading this book I really wish that I were physically able to handle walking tours because I would really love to go on Mr. Caskey's ghost walk. This man knows his stuff and he knows how to tell a story. On our next trip to Savannah I hope that my family can take his tour so that they can tell me all about it.

Savannah is a very old city and it has certainly faced its share of tragedy from wars to fires to disease, and tragedy often brings on ghosts. There is indeed a very spiritual feeling to this city and it is a place that I have come to love. As you sit in one of the beautiful squares or stroll down River Street the history, charm, atmosphere and yes the ghosts seem to be all around you. Those who have never visited this city don't know what they are missing. Because of the haunted reputation of Savannah there are numerous books to be found on the subject of the city and its ghosts but this book outshines all of the rest that I have come across so far.

Besides the author's talent as a narrator of stories it is the basic research and footwork that he has done that makes this book so special. These ghostly accounts are filled with first person and recent eyewitness accounts and that is what separates a book of ghost stories from a book filled with old legends that have very little basis in fact. As an added bonus Mr. Caskey has taken the time to debunk some of these very legends and point out that despite what you might hear on some less authentic tours some of the tales told are just not true. He has even gone to the trouble of searching through old records to determine the age of some of the haunted buildings in Savannah and has sought to verify various claims about where some of the haunting began. Very few authors of this type of book take this kind of historical approach and I found it very refreshing and interesting. He doesn't let the history overwhelm the ghost story and his history is correct and I respect and appreciate that.

If I were to recommend one book about the hauntings of Savannah to someone who was about to visit that lovely city or to someone who just liked a good ghost book this would be the one. It is exceptionally well written, highly interesting and well documented. There are a few stories that sort of stray from the subject but those stories are kept to a minimum and clearly reflect the author's love for his city. I am very impressed with this author and I hope that this isn't his last book. I will be on the lookout for more.

Although I had lived in Savannah for many years, I knew very little about the history of the city. While entertaining guests from out-of-town, we went on the Haunted Walking Tour which the author conducts downtown. We found Jamie and the tour to be entertaining and historically informative - so much so that I bought his book later that week. I was even more pleasantly surprised, as his style of writing is very engaging - not at all what I would expect from a history book. I have re-read it twice now, and continue to find it a good read.

This is a great book about haunted spots in Savannah and a history of the buildings and areas they inhabit. Take the walking tour of these places with the author's tour company when you visit. It's as entertaining as the book.

It would be an understatement to say that there are plenty of books about Savannah's hauntings. After all, it is reported by many to be one of the most haunted cities in the world, second in the Southeast only to New Orleans.Writing a book that stands out among the many is a challange, and one that Caskey met by combining the personal accounts of locals, the history of the city, and the locations of reported hauntings that can be accessed by visitors. As an added bonus, the contact information for the Cobblestone Tours is located in the back of the book. This tour company is considered by most locals as the most thorough and informative of the walking ghost tours in town.

July 27, 2011 Savannah, GA. At present there are 45 companies running ghost tours in Savannah's Historic District and the streets at night are literally mobbed with ghosthunters, and for good reason: Savannah is the most haunted city in the United States and one of the most haunted cities in the world, and for good reason: Every war ever fought on American soil was fought here, including the second bloodiest battle of the Revolution; four major fires have burned the whole town at one point or another; yellow fever epidemics, hurricanes...whatever tragedy can befall man has fallen on Savannah and her present is routinely interrupted by her haunted past. Yet there is only one book that succeeds in capturing the spirit of Savannah (pun intended) and it's Caskey's, which not only provides the single most informative guide to the town's most haunted locations but also provides a wealth of historical facts in support of reasons why these places are haunted in the first place. Travelers beware: While most tours of the town cover the same ground, only one book manages to get it right and it's this one. (Murray Silver, author and filmmaker, has produced and appeared in several television shows about the paranormal on PBS, GPTV, History Channel, and Sci-Fi Channel, including Ghost Adventures with Zac Bagans).

We were preparing to go to Savannah on vacation for two weeks. Our daughter loves ghosts and haunted places. We purchased this book which supplied us with a lot of stories and places to go to that we did not find on the internet or in the tour books. Great buy...thanks.

If ever I needed an excuse to visit Savannah, besides its historical streets and beautiful structures, this would be it! This book breaks the shiver barrier with a great big boom!

Mr. Caskey is a true ghost-hunter. Most welcome is the fact that he has interviewed virtually all of these contemporary eye-witnesses himself, most at the sites of the hauntings, making the stories even more eerie and credible. The author is an excellent narrator and knows how to tell a frightfully good story.

Mr. Caskey has really done the legwork involved in researching the historic sites he details in his book, giving a good feel for the places involved. His history is very interesting and well researched, and as for the wee bit of folklore included, Mr. Caskey is not afraid to debunk some of the vague but persistent legends of Savannah. Several of the tales included in the book, involving such varied subjects as pirates, gangsters, and (of course) haunted houses, are undocumented legends, but he identifies them as such, and has still spent a fair amount of legwork researching their origin and likelihood.

The last story, a personal account of the author's own experience, is the most eerie story of all. What he has witnessed in an Inn on Tybee Island will have you feeling around the corner for the light switch before sticking your head into a dark room and checking your cellar door to see if it is closed. Absolutely SPOOKY.

It is no wonder Savannah is known as one of the most haunted places in the US. Its storied history is overflowing with tragedy, tradition, and a host of interesting characters. The haunted locations just don't seem to end. Even though this book is more than satisfying, you'll wish it was even longer!

I love Savannah and part of its charm is its supernatural appeal. THis book is a great read and worth the time to read it. I have shared it with many friends who would be traveling to Savannah and all of them have the same reaction -- VERY GOOD READ!

We had never been to Savannah before and found this a decent primer to ghost tours there. It allowed us to self-explore the more accessible sites and assist with choosing tours that better fit our interests. There is no shortage of ghost tours there!

If you are into Ghost Adventures or Ghost Hunters and would like to know where some of the best haunts are, this book is for you. We are going to Savannah, the most haunted city in the U.S., and hope to experience some of these hauntings first hand.