This book examines the social history of ghosts from the medieval period to the present. Belief in them has been manipulated for political and religious purposes, generated social panics and scandals, been a perennial source of literary inspiration and learned investigation. Underpinning Davies' approach is the awareness that for all the intellectual and scientific advances of the last five centuries the belief in ghosts continues to be vibrant and socially relevant. Understanding the history of ghosts helps explain why we continue to feel haunted by the people of the past.
Industry Reviews
'A general, accessible history of ghosts and ghosts beliefs is much-needed, particularly one like this which manages to be empathetic to the beliefs involved while rescuing the topic from the enthusiasts of the 'ghost-hunting' fraternity. The quality of the writing is a major bonus: Davies wears his erudition lightly, and weaves it into accessible and often witty prose. This book manages the difficult feat of representing a real advance in scholarship, while appealing to a wider general readership. It's an admirable achievement.' - Peter Marshall, University of Warwick, UK 'A fascinating and authoritative cultural history, packed with illuminating stories. From medieval revenants and headless horsemen to the sensational hauntings at Cock Lane and Borley Rectory, all England's ghosts are here. With great skill and sensitivity, Owen Davies takes these strange tales at face value in order to peer into the obscure mental world of our ancestors. It is a fine achievement.' - Malcolm Gaskill, University of East Anglia, UK 'Owen Davies has produced the most comprehensive, lively and perceptive cultural history of English ghosts ever written. It is an amazingly broad survey, which covers every angle that I might have expected, and plenty that I did not: painstakingly researched, imaginative, and generous to all involved in his case-studies.' - Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol, UK 'I enjoyed Owen Davies' book enormously. He has written a remarkably detailed account of largely English ghosts and ghostly phenomena in an intelligent, fascinating, and very readable narrative which answers most of the questions one is likely to ask about them. I commend it as one of the best books I have read on the subject' - Peter Maxwell-Stuart, University of St Andrews 'A provocative and splendidly, comprehensively researched new book.' - Laurie Taylor, Thinking Allowed, BBC Radio 4 'What is a ghost? Owen Davies suggests that no single definition can cover revenants, angels, devils, fairies, will-o'-the-wisps, or demonic cadavers. The context in which ghosts appear is influenced by contemporary philosophy, religion and science. So, the Reformation in England eradicated the worship of saints and reduced the relevance of angels, leaving ghosts 'the sole manifest representatives of the afterlife for most Anglicans'. Davies is no debunker: with the best rational will in this world (and in the next) he considers the phenomena from the Dark Ages to our own New Age.' - Iain Finlayson, The Times 'Rather than simply focusing on reported manifestations of ghosts through the ages, Owen Davies's meticulously researched work puts the events in context, investigating not only the origin of such reports, but also how they're spun or rationalised, based often upon the social climate of the time...Hardcore followers...will find this a treasure trove of information and insight.' - Beyond Magazine '...this is exactly what the world needs: a fresh, original and thorough analysis of the torrent of ghost stories that have been with us since probably the beginnings of language...As the book is both informative and enlightening, I've no hesitation in recommending it.' - Bob Rickard, Fortean Times 'This is a well-written and researched book that gives an interesting overview of the common beliefs about ghosts from the Middle Ages to the 18th century...Recommended.' - The Cauldron 'In his exhaustive, intelligent and impeccably researched new book, The Haunted:A Social History of Ghosts, Owen Davies entertainingly delineates the sheer scope of the phenomenon - from medieval superstition to nineteenth-century spiritualism to the present-day abundance of psychics who haunt the murkier channels of digital television.' - Jon Barnes, Times Literary Supplement 'Davies packs his book with a wealth of detail and constantly referes to contemporary documents, but the wider scope makes for a more interesting read, with the reader able to follow various strands down through the years.' - Peter Tennant, Black Static No. 4 'Over the last few years scholars in the humanities have begun to take historical narratives featuring ghosts seriously and Davies makes a significant contribution to the emerging debates on the subject. In summing up the book I cannot better the view of P.G. Maxwell-Stuart given on the back of the dust jacket, "intelligent, fascinating and very readable.' - John Newton, Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 'Davies' book is an impressive achievement, particularly in its handling of the intellectual and cultural dimensions of ghost-beliefs.' - Thomas Kselman, Journal of Contemporary History
