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Tracking the Man-Beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies & More
A noted investigator of the paranormal explores the historical, geographical, and cultural reaches of various "manimals" and other humanoid entities-among them such monster men as Gigantopithecus and Neanderthals; hairy man-beasts like Sasquatch and the elusive de Loys' Ape; supernatural beings, including werewolves, vampires, and devil men; and supposedly spaceship-borne entities like Mothman and the Roswell humanoids. This book takes the reader on expeditions into wilderness areas, explores historical contexts, and brings folkloric and iconographic evidence to bear on a category of mysteries as old as humanity.
242 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2011
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About the author
Joe Nickell
66 books51 followersJoe Nickell was an American skeptic and investigator of the paranormal.
Nickell was a senior research fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and wrote regularly for their journal, Skeptical Inquirer. He was also an associate dean of the Center for Inquiry Institute. He was the author or editor of over 30 books.
Among his career highlights, Nickell helped expose the James Maybrick "Jack the Ripper Diary" as a hoax. In 2002, Nickell was one of a number of experts asked by scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. to evaluate the authenticity of the manuscript of Hannah Crafts' The Bondwoman's Narrative (1853–1860), possibly the first novel by an African-American woman. At the request of document dealer and historian Seth Keller, Nickell analyzed documentation in the dispute over the authorship of "The Night Before Christmas", ultimately supporting the Clement Clarke Moore claim.
Nickell was a senior research fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and wrote regularly for their journal, Skeptical Inquirer. He was also an associate dean of the Center for Inquiry Institute. He was the author or editor of over 30 books.
Among his career highlights, Nickell helped expose the James Maybrick "Jack the Ripper Diary" as a hoax. In 2002, Nickell was one of a number of experts asked by scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. to evaluate the authenticity of the manuscript of Hannah Crafts' The Bondwoman's Narrative (1853–1860), possibly the first novel by an African-American woman. At the request of document dealer and historian Seth Keller, Nickell analyzed documentation in the dispute over the authorship of "The Night Before Christmas", ultimately supporting the Clement Clarke Moore claim.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 22, 2025
Nickell – Tracking the Man-Beasts
Nickell is a first class researcher, but unfortunately a third class author. His prose is very dry, repetitive and really fails to suck you in. Each entry is incredibly episodic with no feeling of a common thread running through each, creating a wider and more deeper work. If I were to discover that these were a series of blog entries that had been collated with zero editorial input I wouldn't be surprised in the least.
This is a real shame, as there is much valuable information within this book.
Nickell is a first class researcher, but unfortunately a third class author. His prose is very dry, repetitive and really fails to suck you in. Each entry is incredibly episodic with no feeling of a common thread running through each, creating a wider and more deeper work. If I were to discover that these were a series of blog entries that had been collated with zero editorial input I wouldn't be surprised in the least.
This is a real shame, as there is much valuable information within this book.
July 5, 2011
I'm really torn on how many stars to give this one. It's an interesting read - each section/chapter gives a short background on the monster in questions, then briefly goes through the author's experience whether that be what he's heard or discovered (or, as is the case most of the time, how the hoax was pulled off) and finishes with a bibliography of his references. That being said, it's a little jarring - each chapter is very short and while it's well-written, it seems abrupt to change subjects so quickly. I would have given the book 5/5 stars if each chapter had been more fully expanded and rounded out. That being said, if you just want a quick glossing-over of some of the most famous monsters in culture today, this is a good read.
September 4, 2020
An excellent primer regarding cases of Big Foot/Yeti/Sasquatch, witches, werewolves, vampires, extra-terrestrials and pretty much every kind of humanoid "monster" that's been claimed to have existed. And of course, no such creatures have ever been found or proven to exist. I say this is a primer because of its length being a rather quick read and encompassing just about every kind of humanoid imaginable, there's only so much room for discussion and analysis. Should you find any of the creatures discussed interesting, there are numerous other publications (listed by Nickell in the bibliography) worth pursuing.
My favorite was the brief discussion of the 1955 Hopkinsville, Kentucky case of a family supposedly being "attacked" by little green men. The family shot at faces peering in their windows, one on the roof, one in the tree, etc. It's always been an interesting case. Turns out the solution was more than likely an earthly one.
Recommended as a starter for people getting into the subject matter of Man-Beasts.
My favorite was the brief discussion of the 1955 Hopkinsville, Kentucky case of a family supposedly being "attacked" by little green men. The family shot at faces peering in their windows, one on the roof, one in the tree, etc. It's always been an interesting case. Turns out the solution was more than likely an earthly one.
Recommended as a starter for people getting into the subject matter of Man-Beasts.
February 9, 2025
Joe Nickell is smarter than everyone else apparently. According to him every eyewitness to any cryptid is easily dismissed. For being an “investigator” he seems to cling onto to the first thought and sticks to it no matter what. Very arrogant and narrow minded. Very poorly written book. According to him all alien sightings are owls, has he ever seen an owl in the wild? It baffles me he would think someone could mistake an alien for a great horned owl. They may be 24” in length but seeing them in the woods at night, there is no chance you’re going to mistake that for anything close to man sized it’s comical. I wish I could give 0 stars. Will be avoiding all his other books like the plague.
November 6, 2019
Super boring... It really would have been a fast read and is probably a good beginner/reference book for this subject, but I just couldn't be bothered to finish it. Most of the info consisted of article clippings & the whole book just felt like a compilation of "proof" detailing the difference between the various creatures. I made it about 1/2 way through before skimming the rest and deciding that I had devoted enough time to it.
May 28, 2025
Good Book! It doesn’t buy into the idea of the monsters, the UFO and the zombies being real and provides good explanation for those…
Of course, the Truth is out there and your mileage might vary but for me, it was an enjoyable read…
Of course, the Truth is out there and your mileage might vary but for me, it was an enjoyable read…
September 19, 2012
I checked this book out on impulse when I spotted it in the amusingly unmarked paranormal section at the library, across from the sci-fi books I was browsing. I used to love to read books about paranormal creatures, cryptids, aliens and the like when I was a kid, so I figured I'd try another one, as an adult.
The chapters in this book are very brief, and do not go into any great deal of depth about any of the creatures discussed. They feel more like overviews of the creatures in preparation for a real chapter than an actual whole chapter. None of them left me feeling very satisfied.
The author seems not to believe in any of the creatures presented in the book, so it thankfully avoids the overeager tone I remember from my childhood, where authors were more than happy to dismiss any possible flaws in the stories they presented.
Unfortunately, the author also seems to be very full of himself as well. He includes references throughout the book, and references his own books more than any others. It may well be that his previous work is the best authority on the subjects, but it comes across rather poorly. At one point, he even expresses disdain of another author who neglected to consult his article in the Skeptical Inquirer magazine on a particular story.
The author includes several photos throughout the book, and I only comment on them because they all seem a little off. Every one of them, it seems as if the author is merely on vacation, and is taking pictures of his adventures as a tourist. The overall effect is a little odd.
In the end, the book is shallow, and feels like little more than an ad for his other books in some cases. If he's written so extensively on each subject before, surely it wouldn't have killed him to include more detail in this book, rather than a brief one-sentence reference to the fact he's discussed it before. I'd say to avoid it, unless you've already read every other book on the subject and simply have to read more, or you're already a great fan of Joe Nickell.
The chapters in this book are very brief, and do not go into any great deal of depth about any of the creatures discussed. They feel more like overviews of the creatures in preparation for a real chapter than an actual whole chapter. None of them left me feeling very satisfied.
The author seems not to believe in any of the creatures presented in the book, so it thankfully avoids the overeager tone I remember from my childhood, where authors were more than happy to dismiss any possible flaws in the stories they presented.
Unfortunately, the author also seems to be very full of himself as well. He includes references throughout the book, and references his own books more than any others. It may well be that his previous work is the best authority on the subjects, but it comes across rather poorly. At one point, he even expresses disdain of another author who neglected to consult his article in the Skeptical Inquirer magazine on a particular story.
The author includes several photos throughout the book, and I only comment on them because they all seem a little off. Every one of them, it seems as if the author is merely on vacation, and is taking pictures of his adventures as a tourist. The overall effect is a little odd.
In the end, the book is shallow, and feels like little more than an ad for his other books in some cases. If he's written so extensively on each subject before, surely it wouldn't have killed him to include more detail in this book, rather than a brief one-sentence reference to the fact he's discussed it before. I'd say to avoid it, unless you've already read every other book on the subject and simply have to read more, or you're already a great fan of Joe Nickell.
September 28, 2016
I picked up Tracking the Man-Beasts on a whim some time ago, expecting it to be at best, a collection of folkloric monster stories, and at worst, an entertaining bucket of hogwash. What I got was an insightful and highly critical examination/debunking of various monster myths, their origins, and the truth behind them. I have to say, I'm quite content with this.
Nickell touches upon a huge array of cryptids, lycanthropes, and ghouls in these scant 220-odd pages, from werewolves, to zombies, to the mothman. And for the time he has to spend on each, the accounts are illuminating, factual, and a lot of fun to read...the problem is, I was usually left wanting more. There are nearly two dozen types of fictitious beasts covered here (if you count variations on a theme for some), which means there isn't a whole lot of room to go into depth. Nickell has clearly done his research, but some sections felt criminally short--and really, that's what kept this from being a 5-star book for me.
Still, if nothing else, Tracking the Man-Beasts serves as a great primer for further research. And Nickell himself does provide a wealth of other sources to pursue, for those of us who might find our interests piqued. I can still easily recommend this book, as it's a quick read, with a lot of information. But it's very much a "jack of all trades" situation, with regards to the sheer breadth of the subject matter.
Nickell touches upon a huge array of cryptids, lycanthropes, and ghouls in these scant 220-odd pages, from werewolves, to zombies, to the mothman. And for the time he has to spend on each, the accounts are illuminating, factual, and a lot of fun to read...the problem is, I was usually left wanting more. There are nearly two dozen types of fictitious beasts covered here (if you count variations on a theme for some), which means there isn't a whole lot of room to go into depth. Nickell has clearly done his research, but some sections felt criminally short--and really, that's what kept this from being a 5-star book for me.
Still, if nothing else, Tracking the Man-Beasts serves as a great primer for further research. And Nickell himself does provide a wealth of other sources to pursue, for those of us who might find our interests piqued. I can still easily recommend this book, as it's a quick read, with a lot of information. But it's very much a "jack of all trades" situation, with regards to the sheer breadth of the subject matter.
September 5, 2011
No one compares as a paranormal investigator to Joe Nickell. In this book he lays out many of the various man-beasts human kind has come up with, both modern and ancient. It's a good overview and shows the history and evolutionary transformation of the mythic creatures over time. While it does a good job as a general overview, I would not have minded a little more length to the book with some of the more specific details on certain investigations.
At least I got to meet the author briefly and have him sign my copy!
At least I got to meet the author briefly and have him sign my copy!
December 7, 2011
I was thinking this was going to be more of an encyclopedic record of various "man-beasts", not necessarily a refutation of their existence. Also Nickell's frequent references to his previous writing got a little annoying. It made me wonder why he wrote this book at all.
May 4, 2013
This book is well researched and well-written--it's just a shame that the author couldn't have shelled out a little cash to have someone do the photography for him. The photos are black and white and poor resolution which takes away from the book as a whole.
August 25, 2011
Using MLA formatting for references makes the read difficult. I found this book fascinating albeit a little shallow.
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December 11, 2011Two and a half stars.
November 5, 2014
If you regularly read the Skeptical Inquirer magazine most of this is review. If you havent this work looks at quite a wide variety of strange legendary creatures an folklore in the making.
February 12, 2015
Refreshing to read a skeptical approach to these modern myths. Easy to read but at times the author comes over a bit mean. Would have been better with more in depth information.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews