Ghosts: True Encounters from the World Beyond

by Hans Holzer

Renowned paranormal expert Hans Holzer's groundbreaking look at ghosts--including haunted places, famous specters, psychic photography, and more
Join paranormal expert and storyteller extraordinaire Hans Holzer as he explores ghostly manifestations of every variety and delves into the true nature of "the other side." In this groundbreaking book--featuring eye-opening photographs of ghostly apparitions and visitations--Holzer presents hundreds of case histories, tips on interpreting sounds and other signals from the beyond, and more.

Genres: Paranormal, Nonfiction, Ghosts, Horror, Ghost Stories, Short Stories, Supernatural

2176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Hans Holzer, whose investigations into the paranormal took him to haunted houses and other sites all over the world, wrote more than 140 books on ghosts, the afterlife, witchcraft, extraterrestrial beings, and other phenomena associated with the realm he called “the other side.” Among his famous subjects was the Long Island house that inspired The Amityville Horror book and film adaptations. Holzer studied at the University of Vienna, Austria, and at Columbia University, New York, earning a master’s degree in comparative religion. He taught parapsychology at the New York Institute of Technology. Holzer died in 2009.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another reviewer said this guy likes to "toot his own horn," and I agree 100%. I just wanted the ghost stories, dude, not your incessant ramblings and certainly not a resume of your minor accomplishment in the realm of psychic phenomena. Even though I agreed with some of his statements, he went about them in a very condescending way. The overall structure of the book needed some help and a little more organizing. The "proof" at the end isn't going to convince anyone, and I was very disappointed. Perhaps if you're an amateur ghost hunter or someone who is doing research on this topic, you will appreciate it more. Maybe it's not for the casual reader. The man presented some good ideas, theories, and findings, but it never quite made it to that point where you think, "Wow, this is amazing!"

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great fun, but it's so huge you can't exactly take it into the bathtub with you. It has the best classic ghost stories and investigations of Holzer's career. It's also so big, bulky, and heavy that it could double as a murder weapon.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

To put it simply, this book's 1000+ pages could just as well be reduced to 300 pages and nothing worthwhile would be lost. After all its infuriating repetitiveness - (all its many "true" cases which tell of exactly the same thing) - and the annoyingly arrogant ramblings of Hans Holzer, who loves to use exclamation marks and make witty comments more than anyone really should), you have a massive volume of mostly time-wasting tedium in your hands.

Although I don't want to write this off completely. Within its tiresome pages, there are also some really fascinating cases - such as suggestive evidence that America was discovered way earlier than people think it was; the true and surprising whereabouts of King Arthur's round table, and its links with The Holy Grail; the truly horrifying account of a Texan woman driven to insanity by demonic forces; and various other cases which, if true, are amazing and unsettling.
It's just a shame that the book is so large, and that its author seems like such an asshole.

[Juan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only worth reviewing to say... Stay away!!! Holzer is a poster boy for shameless self promoting, the writing is bad, the stories are trite and repeated throughout the book. I like ghost stories and have been collecting them from the people I have met... but almost all of the stories in Holzer's book ring hollow. I should mention, however, that I'm very skeptic to the "medium comes, says 'I feel a presence! It's a little girl, right now she is standing in that corner... she was murdered here!... blahblahblah...'" formula that Holzer repeats ad nauseam all over the book; just change "little girl" with "confederate soldier", "old lady", etc. and you'll have all of Holzer's ghost stories... a monumental dissapointment, which is right now collecting mold in one of my closets.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you need to know about ghosts from an author with first hand experience. This is one to grab and study.

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. It wasn't bad just okay.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hanz Holzer has always been an Idol, so i love this book, I've been reading it for years and years and will continue to read and treasure it till the day i die, This book is has everything and is great for a anyone interested in parapsychology in any form, its has great introductions and and case historys as well as a few storys thrown in the mix, This is not a novel or a book of spooky storys to keep you up late at night though so this is your warning, This is a book of collections of evidence history and manuiscripts about places that hanz has visited and the ghosts he has found while there so its more like a textbook to parapsychology then a book to sit down and enterian youself with whoever there are some real gems in here so if it you have any interets at all i would recommend picking it up... Also although im not sure i believe this story (and Hanz isnt sure either) but the Devil in Texas is likely the more scary creepy and epic ghost story i have ever read!!! and the fact that its supposed to be true only makes it that much worse so if you have a chance to pick up or borrow this book and want to be scared to death for weeks then read the Devil in texas!!!

[Apothekari Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the definitive book on Ghosts and Hauntings. A wealth of information on the much scoffed at subject and a fun read for those into the subject matter. Holzer, refreshingly,[for authors in this genre anyway] seems to have no overriding agenda to push other than relaying his experiences in his nearly 50 years of investigations into hauntings. The tome is dense and imposing and is an easy read mentally but the physical size of the book limits the places one could be expected to read it. No beach going read, this. It is a wonderful capstone for the career of perhaps the most respected authority on the subject. If you are truly attracted to this area of paranormal research, it is simply a must own.

[Vali · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grew up with the 'paranormal' it seems like every house I've lived in for most of my years has been haunted to some degree or another. So I'm a firm believer in ghosts. So when I saw this huge book at a thrift store I grabbed it up thinking I would have hours and hours of reading entertainment. I was wrong. I read the first couple chapters straight through, then I flipped around through it. This book bores me. For one thing the author's writing style just doesn't grip me. Add in his egoist attitude and 'interviews' with spirits through 'mediums'. Sorry, I'm a believer but not so much so for an author who was apparently a part of the Amityville hoax.
I left this book unfinished and in the milk crate for discarded books to be donated.

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tales of hauntings but some do seem like a load of ........

[Maryse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember seeing this sitting on the Booksale shelf with its prominent one-word title, and feeling my mouth water when I saw how thick it is. I was not familiar with Hans Holzer before I bought this, but the book is clearly a testament to his life's work in dealing with the unknown. It's practically an encyclopedia of his experiences and ghostly encounters -- some of them credible, others a tad too out there for me. What is interesting, though, is the patience he takes to be as scientific as possible. In most of pieces, he details his protocol and he claims to do his research after the psychic/medium has finished her reading. Still, there's no way one can prove that he followed a strict scientific method or not, and in the end it all depends on whether or not the reader wants to believe him.

It's still an entertaining read, if you don't take Holzer seriously. Some of the stories are relatively new to me (like the Mayerling ghost, The Octagon ghosts, etc) and a number of them have truly scared me out of sleeping alone in my bedroom at night. My cousin, who also loves supernatural stories, has made a habit of reading it every time she visits me. Worth every penny in my book

[Lyndsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be honest when I say, I don't think I have read every story in this book: It's huge, darn near the size of a phone book in thickness, and slightly smaller in size. I really like this book because it's chalked full with ghost stories,some only a half a page, others multiple pages. I finally grabbed a highlighter and highlighted the titles of the stories I read, because there are so many! There is a section on famous ghosts, haunted houses, poltergeists, some very terrifying. I love this book because you can open it to any page read a story. put it down and do the same again, you can go all over the place without fear of missing prior info!

[Rebecca Albert]

It's the longest book ever. I am reading it in fits and starts. Hans Holzer wrote it back in the 60's & 70's and there is one story in there about Woodrow Wilson's Ghost predicting the Fall of the Berlin Wall through one of Han Holzer's mediums. I'll probably be done reading it in 2009 because it's the size of an Encyclopedia Brittanica.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for true students of the paranormal. This is not a book for the casual interested person who will find it boring or dry. Paranormal investigation is a serious undertaking and not the sideshow that many of the current 'wanna-bes' on TV put on for the general public. Mr. Holzer is a wrold-renown paranormal investigator with many books to his credit.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made it a third through. Stupid drivel about a ghost hunter and his medium. If you don't believe him you're a misinformed idiot. Read his other books if you need proof of how right he is. Nothing spooky. Barely even any fun stories re the ghost sightings by others. Also repetitious. Yawn. Life is too short to read bad books.

[Mom Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed stories of the paranormal. This book was extremely interesting for any one who has interest in paranormal activity. No explanations for occurences just the experiences of people and of his visits to the haunted places.

[Christy Corbeil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I used as a Christian would use a Bible. it came with me everywhere. It is what got me educated in the world of the paranormal and I will forever be greatful to it and anything written by Hanz Holzer.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy ghost stories & this book was not a disappointment. This is one of my all time favorites.

[Rose]

I'm a sceptic (queue condescending lecture from the author) but I still find ghost stories interesting but god this author is an insufferable arrogant bore

[Spookylady · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re ever interested in reading about ghosts and the paranormal, Hans Holzer’s books are a great bet. Holzer wrote 138 books on the supernatural and occult for the popular market as well as several plays, musicals, films, and documentaries and hosted a television show. He is a renowned parapsychologist.

His extensive involvement in researching the supernatural has included investigating the Amityville Horror and some of the most prominent haunted locations around the world. Holzer is famous for creating the term “the other side of life.”

I received the book Ghosts – True Encounters With the World Beyond as a Christmas gift in 1997, the year it was published. It is a massive tome and heavy to boot. The pages are almost a standard 8.5 x 11 like a regular sheet of paper, but it’s two inches thick! Ghosts has 768 pages of creepy ghost stories and spooky photographs. From the ghost of actress Jean Harlow to apparitions at the White House, Holzer has compiled stories of ghosts from coast to coast and everywhere in between.

The book is divided into twelve chapters. They are:

The Nature of Life and Death
What Every Would-Be Ghost Hunter Should Know
Ghosts and the Word of the Living
What Exactly is a Ghost?
Famous Ghosts (includes stories of Mary, Queen of Scots; Jean Harlow and Carole Lombard)
This House is Haunted (stories of haunted houses and buildings from around the world)
Haunted Places (includes the haunted organ at Yale University and the San Francisco ghost bride)
Haunted People
Stay-Behinds
Poltergeists
Ghosts That Aren’t (bilocation, astral projection, out-of-body experiences, etc.)
Psychic Photography – The Visual Proof
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The one picture in this book that makes me feel cold chills is the one of the three cowled monks at Winchester Cathedral in Canterbury, England. Every time I see it I can’t believe it. It’s probably one of the most impressive images I’ve ever seen. Though the skeptic in me says it could have been faked, it doesn’t seem to matter. It is still super creepy.

I highly recommend this book. I have enjoyed it and referenced back to it many times since I got it.

Holzer's daughter, Alexandra Holzer, is carrying on her father’s work.

[Leta B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of Hans Holzer's many ghostly investigations assisted by mediums. Some are located in famous places featuring famous ghosts, some are in homes owned by average middle class Americans and some are so truly disturbing that they "haunt" me to this day. Many of the stories will cause you to question what really happens in the afterlife and vow to have no unfinished business on your deathbed! I recommend reading this late into the night during a thunderstorm with creaky floorboards and squeaky door hinges..... you won't be disappointed!

[Ligaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the third Hans Holzer book I've tried to slog through. It will be my last. His writing is horrible, the photographs are questionable, and the book layout and organization is mind-numbing. Perhaps there was no editor who would take on this project? As a person who has experienced paranormal activity, I am a believer, but Holzer's writing does not further the cause with his self-serving narratives and rambling descriptions and assumptions. 700+ pages could easily be halved. Pass on this book.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book "Ghosts: True Encounters from the World Beyond" is huge in hardcover; one would think that for a book of such size you are bound to find amazing ghost stories, yet this was not the case (in my perception anyway). Instead I perceived it to be a great deal of dialogue that rambled and was not very academically insightful.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author is so very earnest; subject is so very full of baloney. Fun read if you're trying to populate the North American continent with ghosts, though. Don't try to read it through; just dip in and nibble.

[Jim Romo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried and I tried to like this book but it's an impossible task. I have never been more disappointed in a book. If this author is presented as knowledgeable and an authority on ghosts; I can't imagine what those designations can be attesting to signify.

[Reader ByNight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing. I like to be intrigued. More!

[Paschalis]

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[EVELYN ANN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book years ago and I enjoyed all the fact finding stories and research he put into it. It's a HUGE book and took me a very long time to complete it, but happy I did. #HappyReading ❤

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read! I really enjoyed looking up some of these places as they are today. Full of great experiences, stories, and just all-around amazing.

[Hadley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was looking for. But I did sort of read it for fun. My rating is how fun it was to read.