Ghosts from the Coast (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Built in 1874, Currituck Beach Lighthouse has been a comfort to mariners along the dark and hazardous forty miles of coast that lie between Cape..." (more)
Key Phrases: haunted room, gray man, South Carolina, Civil War, Fort Macon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

With her Ghosts from the Coast, Nancy Roberts proves once again that she is the preeminent author of true ghost stories in the American South. (Michael Norman, coauthor of Haunted Heartland and Haunted America)

Product Description

Acclaimed storyteller Nancy Roberts takes the reader on a haunted tour of coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in this engaging new collection of thirty-three ghost stories and legends.

In North Carolina, we hear of the restless spirit who troubles visitors to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the phantom ship that, though lost in a storm at sea, sailed into Beaufort Harbor for a final farewell. South Carolina provides the backdrop for tales such as that of the Union soldier killed at Charleston's Fort Sumter--more than a century later, a tourist is startled to discover the eerie, blue-coated figure of the soldier standing next to him. And in Georgia, we encounter ghostly pirates doomed to sail the creeks and inlets of St. Simons Island forever without rest, as well as rambunctious child spirits who roll pool balls down the hallways of a Savannah bed and breakfast, just as they did when their family lived in the house following the Civil War.

These new tales and classic legends, all collected firsthand by the author, reveal a thrilling undercurrent to some of the southern coast's most popular destinations.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (December 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080784991X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807849910
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,145,067 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Fair but with inaccuraccies, May 31, 2005

By	Vermeer17 "Jamie" (Savannah GA) - See all my reviews

Nancy Roberts is a good storyteller, but where 'Ghosts from the Coast' runs into trouble is with the history of the area. The story about Moon River Brewing Company ('Mystery at Moon River') is a typical example. She states that pirates walked the streets of Savannah, a statement which is more myth than fact anyway, but she goes on to claim that Edward Teach, Calico Jack Rackham, and Captain Charles Vane were once in Savannah. Well, Edward Teach (also called Blackbeard) died in 1718, and Savannah wasn't founded until 1733. Rackham was hanged in 1720, the same year Vane died. So the history of the area does not support her story.

In another instance, she talks of slaves at the Olde Harbor Inn (also in Savannah). But the structure was built in 1892, and slavery had ended with the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865. The construction with beams on River Street also wasn't built out of salvaged wood from sailing vessels, at least not in that time period, which is another claim in the book. The seaport was established enough by 1892 for enormous heart pine beams & rafters to make up the majority of building materials, and they are obviously milled expressly for that purpose.

Nancy Roberts is not a historian, but then again she doesn't claim to be one, either. She is a very good storyteller, with a whole host of books to her credit. But the historical innaccuracies will bother those readers out there with a grasp of history and a craving for a correctly-told story set in a specific time period.

4.0 out of 5 stars Three Coasts of Ghosts, November 29, 2001

By	Robert Busko (Waynesville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Ghosts from the Coast (Hardcover)

I have been a fan of Nancy Roberts for quite a few years. This latest book of hers is a great addition to her body of work. Covering ghosts in three states (coasts) North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, Nancy Roberts is her spine tingling best. Whether mean ole pirate ghosts haunting a tavern in Savannah, or a tragic lover endlessly driving his coach on the annivesary of his death, the collection of stories is truly varied. You'll want to read this book with others around you.