Savannah Spectres and Other Strange Tales (Paperback)

~ Margaret Wayt Debolt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Savannah and the Georgia coast, with its old plantations, huge ancient oaks hung with Spanish moss, and tales of pirates, wars, fevers, African voodoo, and other supernatural doings, has always been a legendary and tragically romantic place. In this book, antebellum estates, house museums, long-conquered forts, and restored townhouses are visited with a noted psychic investigator in order to learn what it is like to live and work in these places today. The result is some seventy stories, skillfully interwoven with the heritage of the area's colorful past, and illustrated with over thirty photos and sketches by local artists. Incidents of precognition, extrasensory perception, deja vu and possible reincarnation are included in this personal and highly readable account of a search for the deeper meaning of life and death through psychic experience.

Product Details

• Paperback: 295 pages
• Publisher: The Donning Company; Later Printing edition (January 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898652014
• ISBN-13: 978-0898652017
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #342,162 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the average impulse buy for tourists, March 16, 2001

By	Kimberlee Moulton (Barnesville, GA United States) - See all my reviews

As a lover of historical tales with a supernatural slant, I am always looking for well-written accounts and legends. Being from Georgia, I was especially interested in this collection of Savannah stories. This book contains the usual assortment of events and reports that are not verifiable (these are ghost stories, after all), but the historical background on most of the "haunts" made this better than the usual ghost story books designed to be impulse buys for tourists. I enjoyed that the author includes the otherworldy experiences of many average Savannah citizens, especially since she tends to dwell a bit on the psychic abilities of herself and a companion to illustrate some stories. The consistant inclusion of local, first-person versions of the events described and the research involved elevate this collection from tedious retelling to enjoyable reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Savannah Stinker, October 15, 2007

By	T. Leach "Jr." (Mid-West) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ok, I am a grown man. But I look a good tale, and I like regional "ghost" books because I have not found a lighter way to get a dose of regional history and insights into the lives of people living in an area across the decades. There are some good titles in the genre, and the greats will inject all of the flavor of the time and region into a local legend about, for example, a moaning house or a glowing ship or whatever. And, like every "good" book, the craftsmanship of the writer matters.
This book wasn't what I was looking for. There is some local Savannah history and flavor, but not enough. This is primarily a log of one woman's journey to find a ghost (she never does) with the help of her psychic sidekick. The writing is, for the most part, mere quotes of the various homeowners who submitted to be interviewed, most of whom fell into the "well, I don't believe in ghosts, but sometimes the toliet upstairs flushes all by itself" variety (sidebar - such a hygiene oriented ghost would be handy at airport lavatories and rest areas). Usually, said homeowner allowed the ghost-hunting duo to look around, a quest that typically yielded nothing more than the requesite cold spot or sense of a playful little girl from the other world.
Didn't like it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Savannah Ghost Stories, January 15, 2009

By	Amanda Bentley (Millwood, WV United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked this up at a bookstore on River Street in Savannah, Georgia. I have to say, that if your a fan of ghost story books, You'll love this one, it is one of my favorites