'Westwood and Simpson evoke an England terrified by screaming skulls, tantalized by hidden treasure and spooked by the unearthly clanging of bells'

Shiver at the story of the malevolent apparition of 50 Berkeley Square no one has survived seeing. Listen for the tapping cane, when Jeremy Bentham's mummified body walks through the corridors of University College. Watch out for the Roman centurion who still patrols the causeway linking Mersea Island to Essex. Shudder at the ghosts of kings and queens that keep returning to their old home at Windsor. Beware the black dog of Shap Fell: a sighting presages fatal accidents.England's history echoes with stories of unquiet spirits and hauntings, of headless highwaymen and grey ladies, of premonitions of death and indelible blood-stains. Here, county by county and place by place, Jennifer Westwood and Jacqueline Simpson gather together all the most interesting supernatural tales from The Lore of the Land. From a ghostly army marching across Cumbria to landlords' appeals against rates (because no one will rent their haunted house), from the phantom hitchhiker of the Blackwall Tunnel to Francis Drake's drum summoning him when England is in danger, these fascinating and unforgettable stories are part of our legendary past - and present.

Haunts can be family affairs, with regular appearances to many generations. Occasionally the spirits are accepted, like visiting cousins, and places laid for them at table, but more often they are unlucky omens, like the Radiant Boy of Knebworth House, Hertfordshire. Warnings of approaching death can however be acts of kindness, as in the case of the Duchess of Mazarine who returned to assure her friend that there was indeed an afterlife - as she would soon find out for herself (see St James's Palace, London and Middlesex). While such ghosts tell the future, others seem doomed to repeat the past. Phantom armies have been seen after certain battles, fighting over the same campaigns for years after the event (see for instance Edgehill, Warwickshire).

2008-06-03 Excellent resource

It is a shame the reviewer above trashes the book because of one perceived inaccuracy. There must be a hidden agenda there. In general the Penguin Book of Ghosts is a highly enjoyable, accessible and carefully researched book on a fascinating subject. It was written by two of the most trusted experts on the subject. Yes, it is somewhat distilled from the much larger, broader tome The Lore of the Land, which should mean it appeals to readers who are interested particularly in ghosts rather than folk tales, legends, oral history and other related items. England is probably the most haunted place in the world, and this little gem of a book is the perfect place to look for information on its less tangible residents.