The Ghosts of Virginia, Vol. 11

No matter where you travel in the US, you can always find books about local and regional ghosts and other stories of the supernatural. I travel extensively, and I make a point of visiting bookstores, just to add such books to my collection. The quality of these books varies, so when I find an author with a flair for telling a good ghost story, I feel as though I've discovered a local gem. I must say that of all such books that I've purchased, Mr. Taylor's collections of Virginia ghost stories have been my favorites.Luckily for Mr. Taylor (and for me!), Virginia seems to be overrun with ghosts, and so he's had plenty to write about. I believe that, to date, his "Ghosts of Virginia" series is up to volume 8, and none of these volumes are slim by any means; a couple are quite robust. The one thing they have in common is that they are all extremely entertaining and well-written. We should thank Mr. Taylor for his efforts in compiling these stories, as he spends much time, money, and effort in rooting out the wealth of eerie tales and legends of this fabulous state. For my sake, I hope his efforts continue for years to come. So long as they do, I can assure him that I will continue to add his volumes to my bookshelves.

Recently, I had an aunt pass on from Cancer. Living in New Jersey, I had to travel to my birthplace, Suffolk, Va. several weekends in a row in the final stages and upon her passing. My co-author travelled with me, and we picked up a copy of this book at Shirley Plantation on our way on the first trip down. As I drove, my Co-author, Diana Sinclair, read each story aloud as we drove. I was so engrossed in the tale that I missed several turns along the way. We simply could not stop reading it. The book is well written, concise, complete with locations (We actually visited some of the sites) and informative in historical and geographical detail. An excellant read. In fact, we are going to Williamsburg this weekend, and we have volume two to keep us company....

L.B. Taylor,Jr. has a masterpiece in The Ghost Of Virginia. As a Virginian, I know about many of these true happenings. All through the book he provides pictures with loads of information. I would advise anyone who is interested in true ghosts tales to get this book.

Last year, I took a trip to Washington D.C. and eventually, Williamsburg. Before I review this book I must say to anyone who has never been to Williamsburg...GO! Anyone who has a remote interest in history and especially colonial times, the Colonial Williamsburg area will revive your interest. After visiting the main street and Basset Hall (an optional but must-see attraction, must make reservations) former home of John D. Rockefeller Jr. night fell. My family and I had seen several advertisements for the 'Ghost Tour' and being rather interested in the subject and a huge history buff, I jumped at the chance. Before embarking on the tour (no high heels ladies, my sister had to sit this one out) I stopped by the nearby bookstore and bought L.B. Taylor's fantastic books, The Ghosts of Williamsburg, and it's sequel, just having come out. Having little time to read them, I left on the tour. Let me just say that the tour seemed way too short and that the books provided me more than enough reading material and intrigue for the plane trip home and well after. L.B. Taylor's unique blend of historical and journalistic style make them very informative and interesting. It is rare to find an author who writes about the supernatural who also delves into the history books and the witnesses minds so well. I have recently decided to create a website and documentary about the ghosts of Virginia (most likely Williamsburg) as a sort of 'demo' for my media company. Will post a bit about that if it gets rolling. In other words...buy L.B.'s books if you visit any of the areas he has written about...you won't ever regret it.

Not only was this a fascinating book with excellent, "bone-chilling" ghost stories; there are wonderful, very well researched descriptions and history(s) of the areas where the stories take place. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in ghosts, or in Virginia's colorful past. I would also highly recommend reading some of Taylor's other books on Virginia ghosts.