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Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places

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Description

One of NPR’s Great Reads of 2016 “A lively assemblage and smart analysis of dozens of haunting stories…absorbing…[and] intellectually intriguing.” —The New York Times Book Review From the author of The Unidentified, an intellectual feast for fans of offbeat history that takes readers on a road trip through some of the country’s most infamously haunted places—and deep into the dark side of our history. Colin Dickey is on the trail of America’s ghosts. Crammed into old houses and hotels, abandoned prisons and empty hospitals, the spirits that linger continue to capture our collective imagination, but why? His own fascination piqued by a house hunt in Los Angeles that revealed derelict foreclosures and “zombie homes,” Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places. Some have established reputations as “the most haunted mansion in America,” or “the most haunted prison”; others, like the haunted Indian burial grounds in West Virginia, evoke memories from the past our collective nation tries to forget. With boundless curiosity, Dickey conjures the dead by focusing on questions of the living—how do we, the living, deal with stories about ghosts, and how do we inhabit and move through spaces that have been deemed, for whatever reason, haunted? Paying attention not only to the true facts behind a ghost story, but also to the ways in which changes to those facts are made—and why those changes are made—Dickey paints a version of American history left out of the textbooks, one of things left undone, crimes left unsolved. Spellbinding, scary, and wickedly insightful, Ghostland discovers the past we’re most afraid to speak of aloud in the bright light of day is the same past that tends to linger in the ghost stories we whisper in the dark. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books


Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 3, 2017


Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 00


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.4 inches


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Ghostland is a great place to visit!
Why are there ghosts? The answer to that depends on who you ask but, ultimately, ghosts exist because of history. One way or another the history of a place reveals it's ghosts. Colin Dickey understands that and, thru a series of essays about haunted places, explains how many of the ghost stories we may know derive from other factors separate from the location's history. I'm a firm believer that history can be used to "prove" hauntings. Dickey is skeptical about ghosts actually existing; I'm not but I am a firm believer in examining all we can about a place when looking for the ghosts said to haunt it. Many, many times it's history will prove the legend wrong. That's why this book is important. It reminds us, even the seasoned ghost enthusiasts, to be mindful of the past and not jump to conclusions or accept a legend at face value; you're often likely to be wrong. This book is a well-written, well-researched work but it is not a book of ghost stories. It is not designed to scare you; it is designed to make you think. It does that. Great book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2017 by S. O'Toole

  • Fantastic and well researched
I loved this book. I am a bit of a ghost story fanatic. I watch all the Haunted History shows on the Travel channel I can find. I have read numerous Ghost story books. I have even taken part in haunted tours described in the book, both on my own and as part of a group. I myself am a believer I have seen things I can’t explain. However I really enjoyed how he researched the real history of some of America’s most famous haunted destinations. I cannot believe how much we have been lied to about The Winchester Mystery House. The way he explained most hauntings really made sense. I also really liked the chapter on the new era of cyber hauntings. I received an email from my dead mother and it really chilled me to the bone. I know in m rational brain it was just something that hacked her account. But my non rational brain went to she was trying to send me a sign from beyond. Which is really what he was getting at in his book. Most ghosts and ghost stories are people turning a narrative into something that makes them feel better or benefits them more. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2020 by Michelle Burke

  • examination of ghost stories and haunted locales throughout America with the express intent of debunking the paranormal and bett
Ghostland is a not-spooky, but thoroughly entertaining, examination of ghost stories and haunted locales throughout America with the express intent of debunking the paranormal and better understanding how ghost stories reflect on our past and present. Given the book's dark cover and the timing of its release, it seems necessary to reiterate that there's nothing particularly creepy about this book. The author dug through family trees and historic records until he unearthed every inconsistency or blatant lie associated with famous ghost stories or well-known haunted locations. He actively debunks one ghost story after another. The author posits that ghost stories are malleable, changing throughout the years to accommodate society's various needs: "Paying attention to the way ghost stories change through the years -- and why those changes are made -- can tell us a great deal about how we face our fears and our anxieties. Even when these stories have a basis in fact and history, there's often significant embellishment and fabrication before they catch on in our imagination, and teasing out these alterations is key to understanding how ghosts shape our relationship to the past." In addition to stories of ghosts, the author examines several haunted locations, revealing details spanning from the evolution of their (sometimes) bizarre construction to their rise in popularity as a notorious haunt. "The more unusual the house," the author states, "the more likely it'll cause unease among its neighbors and the more we seem to require some kind of story to explain its construction." Additional locations explored include haunted bars and brothels, hotels and restaurants, asylums, graveyards, and more. Though it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the book, it sometimes feels as though the author drifts off on a tangent. For example, a chapter that begins by introducing a notoriously haunted house eventually segues to a discussion of Spiritualism, which ultimately leads to an examination of a woman's right to vote. These shifts in narrative are never a point of contention for the reader, because all of the information is well-researched and tied together seamlessly. "This is how ghost stories are born, after all: not from a complete story so much as from bits and pieces that don't quite add up, a kaleidoscope of menace and unease that coalesce in unpredictable ways." Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places is a skilfully crafted and compelling book that will appeal to fans of American history, trivia, haunted locales and ghosts. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2016 by Hannah

  • Welcome to Ghostland
If you grew up loving ghost stories as much as I did, you owe it to yourself to read this book. Reviewers claiming that Dickey is condescending or mean to ghost hunters are either mischaracterizing his approach or missing the point. Dickey has a wry affection for ghost hunters, but a pseudoscientific investigation of ghostly phenomena isn't what he's after. He's hunting for meaning, as we all are, and ghost stories are one of the ways we imbue this strange, messed-up, beautiful country with meaning. Dickey goes under the hood of some of America's most famous hauntings to examine what we really talk about when we talk about ghosts. What he uncovers is so much more: our attitudes towards death, of course, but also gender norms, race, mental illness, and, surprisingly, architecture. Written with a thoughtful historical-critical lens that's still good-natured and approachable, this book helped me recapture that thrill I felt reading about ghosts as a kid. America is a young country, relatively speaking, but it's haunted as hell. Reading this book will help you better understand why. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2023 by William

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