Ghoul Britannia

by Andrew Martin

INCLUDES THE THREE BEST GHOST STORIES EVER Everyone knows someone who has seen a ghost - Who among us, lying in bed at night, listening to the noises of the house - that spooky creak in the stairs, the clock ticking away emptily in the hall - has not experienced a momentary chill, that first tremor of fear? In Ghoul Britannia, Andrew Martin takes a journey through the darkest corners of our sub-conscious. He visits haunted homes, talks to sensitives and believers, listens to tales and asks what meaning lies buried deep within the most famous ghost stories.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Paranormal, British Literature, Supernatural, Ghosts

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK book about ghost stories but, really nothing new. What would be far more interesting would be a look at why some places have ghosts and others don't. You hear plenty of haunted ruined nunneries and bare ruined choirs but you don't hear about ghosts near Stalin's labour camps or Hitler's concentration camps, not even at the concentration camps the British set up in South Africa. If the level of misery can lead to ghosts haunting places like these sites should be saturated in the restless spirits of the cruelly killed. Why are aristocrats more likely to wander round when they died in unfortunate ways. The poor and powerless have always lived and died in miserable circumstances - our streets should be choked with the souls of the millions who died after living lives of excruciating misery. Why is it always some overprivileged lady in white floating about over a lost love. A book that answers questions like that is one I would like to read.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about ghost stories both true and untrue. Liked the section which dealt with Dickens, Le Fanu and M.R.James, who I agree have written some of the creepiest stories.
Andrew also deals with the history of belief in ghosts, mediums, the paranormal societies and some famous cases in the media. 50 Berkeley square is mentioned, it's now a book shop but was it ever haunted. We've all lived in places where there is an empty dilapidated house, the house everyone thinks is haunted. It's interesting to watch these places come to life when they're bought and done up. The house 3 doors from mine is empty and has been for 5 years, added to that the house like mine is 260 years old and so it's seen a lot. Do wonder if it as empty as it looks.

[James Tidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghoul Britannia is a wry look at the haunted isle of Britain. Andrew Martin goes to cursed houses, talks to psychics and believers, and gives a fairly decent chapter on spiritualism. Some of Martin's questions are why do ghosts appear in libraries; why do they appear at the end of beds; what do ghosts like to wear; and ponders why should we feel nervous on a foggy moonlit night. Martin explores why despite being a nation of utter cynics, we just can't seem to ignore things that go bump in the night.

[Kayli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An expansive, scholastic approach to the ghoulish activities across the British Isles. Andrew Martin writes with the stereotypical British dry sense of humor and his wit had me giggling as he shared his opinions on ghosts, skepticism, and what makes a "good" ghost story. This book is peppered with book, movie and travel recommendations across the ages (as early as the 1800s) and geographical locations. I truly feel like I got an even amount of information about Ireland (both Northern and Ireland), Wales, and Scotland as I did England, which feels like no small feat. This includes authors (men and women) and stories material from those reasons. I also loved that he explored 1900s skepticism and séances since I didn't know that much about them. We also get a little ghost story to see us out, which I enjoyed. Definitely a four out of five stars and I recommend to anyone who enjoys ghosts in literature, traveling or wants a scholarly approach to the supernatural. So glad I picked this up!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times the dry writing style was stale and hard to read, particularly the last story which I ended up skipping through to get to the point. However, I love ghost stories and history and this book delivered both.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin looks at the history of ghost stories in Britain and shares anecdotes from friends and himself about paranormal experiences. This was a good book to dip in and out of and I found it quite entertaining.

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, however it didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to have given it 3 and a half. Martin writes well and I enjoyed the book but it didn't scare me. The only thing that jumped was the writing - from subject to subject and location to location, not always in a logical way.

[Damien · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting fictional stories

[Susan]

Enjoyable book of cosy ghostliness!👻