-27%

American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW — Folk Magic

American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW — photo 1

American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW — photo 2

American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW — photo 3

📖 Have you read this book?

Your review can inspire others to read it

🌿 Folk Magic −27%

American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW

Name: American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW
Price: 69.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781578598359

✍️ Michael A Kozlowski, Richard Estep

Reader Score

4.4

(1 review)

$69.95 ~~$96.00~~ Save $26.05 (27%)

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This captivating collection invites you on an unparalleled ghostly tour across the United States, unearthing unsettling true tales from every single state. From the infamous portals to the subtly haunted, Kozlowski meticulously catalogs a full spectrum of paranormal manifestations. Prepare to traverse possessed houses, ancient burial grounds, eerie highways, and even modern establishments, each brimming with spectral visitors. It's an essential read for anyone fascinated by the enduring presence of the unexplained in our everyday world, offering a comprehensive, state-by-state look at American ghostlore.

Kozlowski, Michael A; , Estep, Richard

🌿

Folk Magic

Praise for this book

“When it comes to books on ghosts and the paranormal, they really can be hit or miss. Whether fiction or non-fiction, the author has to be a good storyteller for the book to work. Author Michael A. Kozlowski is one of those good, no, make that great, storytellers. ... This spellbinding collection of ghost stories, haunted places, and first person encounters is guaranteed to add a lot to your Halloween season. ... This book is hard to put to down ...”

— David's Basement of the Bizarre

“In American Ghost Stories, author Michael Kozlowski will take you on a journey through every state, claiming true tales of hauntings. Haunted highways, homes, and hotels are believed to exist all over this country, and Kozlowski has taken the time and effort to research a story from each state. ... For all those paranormal fans out, pick up this book and start planning your next road trip.”

— San Francisco Book Review

“... the book contains one ghost story per state ... Kozlowski tries to cover a broad range of tropes, time periods, and types of hauntings. He shares the context and his personal experiences related to each story, and includes photos for each tale. Kozlowski's writing is engagingly folksy ...”

— Booklist Online

🏛 Visible Ink Press 📅 2023 📖 272 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781578598359

Fun Fact

This collection excels in its ambitious scope, offering a truly comprehensive look at American hauntings from Alaska to Florida. It's a fantastic entry point for those curious about paranormal phenomena, providing a rich tapestry of narratives without getting bogged down in overly academic analysis. While it doesn't delve deeply into the 'why' or 'how' of hauntings, those seeking compelling, accessible tales will be thoroughly satisfied. It stands as a vibrant, accessible gazetteer for the spectral wonders of the United States.

📝 Description: American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States - PGW

Take an eerie road trip! A chilling collection of true ghost stories spanning every state in the United States with a full range of ghostly manifestations and haunted locations! From séances to shiny graveyards, take a ghostly journey across the United States. Visit the highways and byways of the supernatural across the country and in each state in the union. American Ghost Stories: True Tales from All 50 States tours possessed houses, unearthly burial sites, forbidding farms, sinister forests, school bathrooms, and all manner of places haunted by spectral visitors, including ... Sullivan, Maine, and Nelly Butler, America's "first ghost." Wilder, Kentucky, and Bobby Mackey's Music World, which was originally built as a slaughterhouse and then served at various times as a honky-tonk, bingo hall, biker bar, and cocktail lounge before becoming a direct portal to Hell. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and The Pfister Hotel, where every U. S. president since William McKinley stayed--as did Elvis Presley--and its weird noises, flickering lights, malfunctioning electronics, and moving objects. Exeter, Rhode Island, and Mercy Lena Brown, the vampire ghost that was caught on a YouTube video. San Jose, California, and the maze-like Winchester House, which was allegedly designed to confuse ghosts that haunted the original owner ... and have continued to haunt people ever since. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the Skirvin Hotel, the historic Art Deco hotel, former speakeasy, and location of several gunfights that is haunted full time by Effie, a Prohibition-era chambermaid. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the numerous sightings at the Betsy Ross House. Huntsville, Alabama, and the Maple Hill Cemetery, the internment site for governors, U. S. senators, representatives, and soldiers that is the site of ... a playground! Tularosa Basin, New Mexico, and Pavla Blanca, the woman in white roaming the dunes of the White Sand National Monument. And many more paranormal experiences, poltergeists, residual hauntings, curses, witches, prisons, bridges, mental institutions of an America plagued with spirits, phantoms and ghosts! More than merely a collection of 50 true ghost stories, American Ghost Stories puts you in the middle of the eerie action with captivating stories that would be at home at any midnight campfire. The only difference is that these stories aren't urban legends or fantasies meant to scare you. These stories live right next door to every one of us. We suggest you don't read them when you are home alone and the lights begin to flicker!

📑 What's inside

About the Author
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. Southwest Shockers
2. Pacific Panic
3. Restless Rockies
4. Paranormal Plains
5. Midwest Malevolence
6. Shadowy Southeast
7. Deep South Dread
8. Mid-Atlantic Mysteries
9. New England Nightmares
10. Otherworldly Outliers
Further Reading
Index

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

While this book offers a thorough survey of American ghostlore, it may disappoint readers seeking deep academic analysis or literary sophistication in their horror. The state-by-state format prioritizes breadth over depth, resulting in entries that are often brief and anecdotal rather than immersive narratives. It is best suited for casual enthusiasts looking for quick, chilling facts rather than serious scholars of the occult. Those expecting complex plots or rigorous historical verification might find the content too simplistic or repetitive. However, as a reference guide to the sheer volume of reported hauntings across fifty states, it succeeds in its ambitious scope, provided one approaches it with low expectations for literary weight.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers with a deep fascination for the intersection of American geography and paranormal phenomena will find this collection uniquely engaging. It serves as an essential companion for those who appreciate the subtle, often overlooked spectral presences that linger in everyday landscapes across the nation. By offering a comprehensive, state-by-state perspective, the book appeals to travelers, history buffs, and esoteric enthusiasts alike. It provides a structured yet chilling exploration of possessed houses, ancient burial grounds, and eerie highways, satisfying a desire to understand how the unexplained permeates our modern world. This is not merely a collection of scares, but a curated journey through the nation's spectral identity, offering comfort in the shared cultural experience of haunting.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

If you're drawn to the unexplained, crave authentic accounts of spectral encounters, or simply enjoy a good chilling tale rooted in local history, this book is for you. Armchair travelers and paranormal enthusiasts alike will find themselves captivated by America's haunted byways.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

While this book offers a thorough survey of American ghostlore, it may disappoint readers seeking deep academic analysis or literary sophistication in their horror. The state-by-state format prioritizes breadth over depth, resulting in entries that are often brief and anecdotal rather than immersive narratives. It is best suited for casual enthusiasts looking for quick, chilling facts rather than serious scholars of the occult. Those expecting complex plots or rigorous historical verification might find the content too simplistic or repetitive. However, as a reference guide to the sheer volume of reported hauntings across fifty states, it succeeds in its ambitious scope, provided one approaches it with low expectations for literary weight.

❓ Frequently asked questions

The book presents these as 'true tales' based on reported accounts and local legends, compiled to offer a comprehensive look at American ghost experiences. It invites readers to explore the evidence and draw their own conclusions about the veracity of each chilling narrative.

Expect a diverse array of haunted sites: from infamous historical buildings like hotels and former slaughterhouses, to more intimate settings like residential homes, schools, and even seemingly mundane highways and remote burial grounds, demonstrating that the veil can thin anywhere.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Geographical Hauntings

The book masterfully maps the supernatural across the entire American landscape, ensuring that no state is left untouched by spectral activity. It delves into how the unique history and geography of various regions contribute to their distinct ghostly narratives, from the rugged coastlines of Maine to the sprawling farmlands of the Midwest, each location offering its own brand of chilling lore.

Manifestation Diversity

Beyond simple apparitions, this work explores a rich tapestry of paranormal phenomena. Readers will encounter everything from classic poltergeist activity and disembodied voices to electronic disturbances and recorded spectral encounters. It highlights the vast and often unpredictable ways the ethereal realm interacts with our physical world, showcasing the full range of inexplicable occurrences reported nationwide.

American Folklore & Legend

More than just ghost stories, this compilation positions these tales within the broader context of American cultural identity. It examines how local legends and historical events intertwine with the paranormal, creating a vibrant, living tapestry of folklore that reflects the nation's diverse past and collective unconscious. The book reveals how these 'true tales' shape our understanding of place and history.

📜 Historical context

This work stands firmly in the tradition of American regional ghost story collections, echoing the efforts of folklorists who documented local legends for generations. It updates this venerable genre by presenting 'true tales' from all fifty states, reflecting a modern fascination with verifiable paranormal activity while honoring the enduring power of local ghostlore that has shaped American culture since colonial times.

📚 Glossary

Spectral visitor
Haunting
Séance

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on a local ghost story from your own area. How does it compare to the tales presented in this book regarding its origins, manifestations, or enduring cultural impact?
Consider the idea of a 'true' ghost story. What criteria would you use to evaluate the authenticity of a paranormal account, and how do your criteria align with your personal beliefs about the supernatural?
If you could visit one location from this book, which would it be and why? What questions would you hope to answer, or what experience would you seek?