13 Ghosts: Strange But True Ghost Stories

These thirteen supposedly true ghost stories are well-told, although the `proof' of each is skimmed over rather quickly by this author. Oh well, he's only got 86 pages. If you read lots of ghost stories, you may recognize many of these supernatural incidents, but they are worth re-reading. I've researched the origins of some of them, and include the information below: 1. "The Ghost Who Carried a Coffin"--Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava was a highly regarded diplomat in nineteenth-century England, and served Queen Victoria as both Governor General of Canada and Viceroy of India. The story of how a ghost saved his life was often told by Lord Dufferin, himself in his later years. Versions of it have also been published in "Supernatural Guides: Haunted Houses, Ghosts and Spectres" by Eric Maple and Lynn Myring, "Famous Ghost Stories" by Bennett Cerf, and the 1959 book "Strangely Enough" by C. B. Colby. An episode of `The Twilight Zone' called "Twenty-Two" was also inspired by Lord Dufferin's story. 2. "The Curse of the Mummy's Bone"--This story was originally extracted from the memoirs of Sir Alexander Hay Seton, whose wife, Zeyla stole a mummy's bone while on tour in Egypt in 1936. Not a great idea. 3. "The Phantom of the German Submarine"--UB65 has got to be the most infamous U-boat in naval history. Not even seven days into her construction, as the hull was being laid, UB65 `killed' her first man. Three more would die before she was launched into the depths of World War I. Then her crew began to die. This is a great story, but alas, I've seen the supernatural bits debunked elsewhere. Check out "Lost at Sea: Ghost Ships and Other Mysteries" by Michael Goss and George Behe for an even-handed account of UB65's tragic history. There are also several websites that weigh in on the natural and supernatural sides of her story (including an article by a diver who actually explored UB65's final resting place off of the coast of Cornwall). 4. "The Ghost of the Yorkshire Museum" 5. "The Ghost of the Irish Bride" 6. "The Ghost in the Brown Satin Dress" 7. "A Murder Solved by a Ghost" 8. "The Ghosts of the Tulip Staircase"--You can see Reverend Hardy's famous photograph of the ghosts at the Greenwich Maritime Museum at paranormal.about.com/library/blclassic_ghost_on_stairs.htm after you read about them in this story. 9. "The Airman Who Flew Back from the Dead" 10. "The Minister's Haunted House"--Borley Rectory has been called `the most haunted house in England.' In fact, a paranormal investigator named Harry Price published a book of that title in 1940. Even though the "Minister's Haunted House" burned down in 1939, it is still being investigated by psychically inclined researchers. 11. "The Ghost in the Rattling Chains"--This has got to be one of the oldest ghost stories on record and was first written down by Pliny the Younger in the first century A.D. 12. "The Ghost with the Bright Red Scar" 13. "

I bought this book to replace a library book my son lost in our home. I was very pleased with the condition of the book I ordered. It was in much better condition than the book my son lost. Right before we recieved the book in the mail, my son found the one he lost, so we sent the poor quality copy back to the school library and kept this copy for ourselves!!! I was very pleased.

The book is aimed at and written for children around the sixth grade level,but I think anyone who is interested in true ghost stories would enjoy this. Even though its written for that age group, the language isn't at all simplistic. Most of the ghost stories are from well in the past, but are all well documented.

I used to have this book when I was 8. It was my favorite. My favorite story was the 2nd story. I have alway been facinated by ghosts, and this book certainly kept me up at night reading. I would like to own this book again, and I hope that whoever does own it enjoys it as much as I did.