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Hauntings

A Book of Ghosts and Where to Find Them Across 25 Eerie British Locations

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

For longer than recorded history there have been tales of spirits and of places where our hackles rise and our skin turns cold.

Bestselling historian Neil Oliver travels the British Isles on a deliciously spine-chilling tour that spans several centuries and explores more than 20 sites - castles, vicarages and towers, lonely shorelines and forgotten battlefields - to unpick their stories..

Oliver invokes his family's history alongside that of kings and queens past as he probes why our emotions and senses are heightened in certain locations where the separation between dimensions seems gossamer thin. Our landscape is riven with these places, creaking from the weight of the secrets they hold, the echoes of tragedy and dark deeds . From Inverness to Devon, Co Dublin to Norfolk, Hauntings casts an enjoyably eerie glow with stories that, told generation after generation, are inextricable from place - and considers why they matter.

©2023 Neil Oliver (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Europe Great Britain Travel Writing & Commentary Paranormal Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

Neil Oliver is such a very good writer. Haunted is a wonderful book: part history, part rumination on life, and, of course a haunting book about ghosts, both apparitions reportedly seen and heard, but also the lingering memories, shadows and spirits of those from the past. This is a beautifully written, fascinating, deeply moving and thought-provoking book that lingers in the mind long after the last page has been read. (James Holland)
A proper page-turner. Neil Oliver blends personal reflections with vivid stories, rooted in the culture and history of these islands - a fascinating tangle of witches and mermaids, drowned fishers and dead warriors, ghostly planes, spectral horses and the 'thin places' where this world touches the Otherworld. (Christopher Somerville, Walking Correspondent for The Times and author of Walking the Bones of Britain)

Wonderfully evocative. One of the most enjoyable books on the paranormal I've read. Neil Oliver creates a bucket list of places to visit, perfect for both paranormal investigators and history buffs alike.
I was particularly impressed with the way in which Oliver explores the fragility of life and death and our idea of what a ghost actually is.

(Nick Tyler, author of Haunted Yorkshire)
Book of the Week: Oliver's book offers just as many rational explanations for sightings as it does sightings themselves ... he wears his historian's hat to good effect. (Mark Mason)
All stars
Most relevant
An interesting mix of paranormal storytelling and history read by a voice I could listen to for hours!

For lovers of great storytelling!

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I’m so glad Neil Oliver read his own book it made it so personal and moving, and as well as the ghost stories the history aspect was really interesting too. As someone who has experienced some unexplainable occurrences myself the book made me think of my own childhood and wonder if?. Great book which I will listen to again and highly recommend:)

So Good!

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Thought the entire piece was a work of art and it brought history alive by interweaving the human condition and the way we’re connected to all those who come before us and all those who will follow. Very moving at times. Narration really excellent. Your life will be richer if you listen to or read this book.

Intelligent, beautifully written, moving

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Very much enjoyed this audiobook. I now want to go to all the places the author writes about! Excellently read - love the accent - and it was quite moving in parts.

Excellent mix of history, geography, ghosts and the author’s own personal story

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Loved this — an eclectic mix of much explored exhibits threaded through with Oliver’s memories of his late father and both their experiences of thinner places,

He’s a very fine storyteller and an accomplished broadcaster not afraid to ask the difficult questions. Listening to him read his own words here is an absolute delight.

Beautifully woven together

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