Illustrated with atmospheric photographs and supported by extracts from original documents, this guide will appeal to anyone with an interest in things that go bump in the night. The sites covered are open to the public.

Intrepid ghost-hunter Richard Jones reveals the most haunted houses in Britain and Ireland and uncovers the most spectre-infested dwellings in the land. Packed with spooky photographs this book sends shivers down your spine.

'It's enthralling stuff, mixing the scholarly with the accessible and placing storytelling right at the heart of the human experience.' - History Revealed 'A fascinating journey' - Yorkshire Post 'Marvellous...Finkel is an expert in Mesopotamian cultures at the British Museum, and is one of the most clever, and nicest, of people it has ever been my pleasure to encounter...A fascinating journey' - The Scotsman There are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th century gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older... The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies takes us back to the very beginning. A world-renowned authority on cuneiform, the form of writing on clay tablets which dates back to 3400BC, Irving Finkel has embarked upon an ancient ghost hunt, scouring these tablets to unlock the secrets of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians to breathe new life into the first ghost stories ever written. In The First Ghosts, he uncovers an extraordinarily rich seam of ancient spirit wisdom which has remained hidden for nearly 4000 years, covering practical details of how to live with ghosts, how to get rid of them and bring them back, and how to avoid becoming one, as well as exploring more philosophical questions: what are ghosts, why does the idea of them remain so powerful despite the lack of concrete evidence, and what do they tell us about being human?

The Great War haunted the British Empire. Shell shocked soldiers relived the war’s trauma through waking nightmares consisting of mutilated and grotesque figures. Modernist writers released memoirs condemning the war as a profane and disenchanting experience. Yet British and Dominion soldiers and their families also read prophecies about the coming new millennium, experimented with séances, and claimed to see the ghosts of their loved ones in dreams and in photographs. On the battlefields, they had premonitions and attributed their survival to angelic, psychic, or spiritual forces. For many, the war was an enchanting experience that offered proof of another world and the transcendental properties of the mind. Between 1914 and 1939, an array of ghosts lived in the minds of British subjects as they navigated the shocking toll that death in modern war exerted in their communities.

Britain is full of ghost stories and legends. Explore creepy castles and mysterious mansions. Join the tour of terror and find out where to see the most famous ghosts and ghouls up and down the land! And decide whether you believe in ghosts - or if you think they're just made up for spooky fireside stories... Non-fiction is an excellent way to foster an interest in new subjects. This set of ten WOW! Facts presents a variety of unusual subjects such as hip hop stars, haunted houses, Formula 1, psychological experiments and lesser-known dinosaurs. And as enthusiasm grows for new interests, so doors are opened in terms of comprehension and reading ability too. Every book in this hi-lo set is aimed at readers of 10-14, but who have a reading age closer to 9-9.5.