What do you think?
Rate this book
HAUNTED HOUSES [GHOSTS, VISITORS FROM THE DEAD, DEMONIC CURSES, TERRORS FROM THE by Richard and Nancy Osborn Winer
Ghosts, visitors from the dead. Demonic curses, terrors from the beyond and places off limits to the living!
237 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
2 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Richard Winer
13 books3 followersRichard Winer is an American author of non-fiction books dealing mainly with the supernatural or the paranormal. He is best known for his work on the Bermuda Triangle: The Devil's Triangle (1974, Bantam Books), The Devil's Triangle 2 (Bantam Books 1975), and From The Devil's Triangle to The Devil's Jaw (Bantam Books 1977). He also completed a TV film documentary on the Devil's Triangle
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 10, 2018
1st Read: November 23, 1998 - December 31, 1998
:January 1, 1999 - February 21, 1999 (*** Rating)
Some parts of this book were a struggle to get through! I found myself reading paragraphs or sentences out loud a few times, attempting to grasp what the authors were trying to convey. The book wasn't all bad. I found some of the places and ghosts they wrote of were quite compelling and informative. For me particularly, The Bell Witch, was one of the better. I was slightly familiar with that one because of the metal band, Mercyful Fate and their 1994 reunion EP "The Bell Witch", and the song of the same name.
2nd Read: December 28, 2017 - December 31, 2017 (*** Rating)
I) "INTRODUCTION" - December 28, 2017
II)"THE HAW BRANCH HAUNTING" - December 28, 2017
Quite intriguing of a place. I'd like to visit it and see if these things still happen.
III)"THE BELL WITCH-THE WITCH THAT IS REALLY A GHOST" - December 28, 2017
I still enjoy this one, I suppose for being a fan of metal music and knowing Mercyful Fate's song, "The Bell Witch", made it more familiar to me.
IV)"THE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE-THE HOUSE THAT FEAR BUILT" - December 28, 2017
Quite decent. Another place which would be cool to visit and perhaps...spend a night.
V)"THE WHALEY HOUSE-THE HOUSE ON THE HANGING GROUND" - December 29, 2017
This was alright.
VI)"EROTIC ENTITIES" - December 29, 2017
Ready for a cigarette after reading this!
VII)"GHOSTLY GREETINGS FROM THE GRAVEYARD" - December 29, 2017
Had some interesting tales in this one.
VIII)"THE PHANTOMS OF VIRGINIA" - December 29, 2017
Nothing really enthralling in this one.
IX)"NEW ORLEANS-THE MOST HOSTS OF GHOSTS" - December 29, 2017
Same sentiments as previous story.
X)"A MACHINE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD, AND A GREAT CURSE" - December 30-31, 2017
Would make an awesome horror movie.
XI)"PATRIOTIC SPIRITS, MILITARY GHOSTS" - December 31, 2017
Longest one in the book thus far. Had its moments.
XII)"THE ISLAND OF TEARS" - December 31, 2017
Would be a cool place to visit and experience.
XIII)"THE CORNSTALK CURSE" - December 31, 2017
Kept me interested.
XIV)"ON THE ROCK-ALCATRAZ" - December 31, 2017
Same sentiments as previous story.
XV)"THE WORLD'S LARGEST HAUNTED HOUSE-MIAMI'S BILTMORE HOTEL" - December 31, 2017
Quite decent of an unsolved crime story.
XVI)"A SONG AND DANCE AND DEATH" - December 31, 2017
Not too bad.
XVII)"THE CURSE OF JAMES DEAN'S DEATH CAR" - December 31, 2017
One of the better stories in this book.
One of the better books in my collection regarding the paranormal, ghosts, possessions, etc. I like that the stories were just that; stories. Other books (I've read) have a tendency to give a brief haunting, some only a paragraph or two, then another story begins. This book takes you along with the authors words by their research and experiences they've shared.
I will be giving this one away to a friend for her collection, as I know I'd never read it again.
:January 1, 1999 - February 21, 1999 (*** Rating)
Some parts of this book were a struggle to get through! I found myself reading paragraphs or sentences out loud a few times, attempting to grasp what the authors were trying to convey. The book wasn't all bad. I found some of the places and ghosts they wrote of were quite compelling and informative. For me particularly, The Bell Witch, was one of the better. I was slightly familiar with that one because of the metal band, Mercyful Fate and their 1994 reunion EP "The Bell Witch", and the song of the same name.
2nd Read: December 28, 2017 - December 31, 2017 (*** Rating)
I) "INTRODUCTION" - December 28, 2017
II)"THE HAW BRANCH HAUNTING" - December 28, 2017
Quite intriguing of a place. I'd like to visit it and see if these things still happen.
III)"THE BELL WITCH-THE WITCH THAT IS REALLY A GHOST" - December 28, 2017
I still enjoy this one, I suppose for being a fan of metal music and knowing Mercyful Fate's song, "The Bell Witch", made it more familiar to me.
IV)"THE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE-THE HOUSE THAT FEAR BUILT" - December 28, 2017
Quite decent. Another place which would be cool to visit and perhaps...spend a night.
V)"THE WHALEY HOUSE-THE HOUSE ON THE HANGING GROUND" - December 29, 2017
This was alright.
VI)"EROTIC ENTITIES" - December 29, 2017
Ready for a cigarette after reading this!
VII)"GHOSTLY GREETINGS FROM THE GRAVEYARD" - December 29, 2017
Had some interesting tales in this one.
VIII)"THE PHANTOMS OF VIRGINIA" - December 29, 2017
Nothing really enthralling in this one.
IX)"NEW ORLEANS-THE MOST HOSTS OF GHOSTS" - December 29, 2017
Same sentiments as previous story.
X)"A MACHINE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD, AND A GREAT CURSE" - December 30-31, 2017
Would make an awesome horror movie.
XI)"PATRIOTIC SPIRITS, MILITARY GHOSTS" - December 31, 2017
Longest one in the book thus far. Had its moments.
XII)"THE ISLAND OF TEARS" - December 31, 2017
Would be a cool place to visit and experience.
XIII)"THE CORNSTALK CURSE" - December 31, 2017
Kept me interested.
XIV)"ON THE ROCK-ALCATRAZ" - December 31, 2017
Same sentiments as previous story.
XV)"THE WORLD'S LARGEST HAUNTED HOUSE-MIAMI'S BILTMORE HOTEL" - December 31, 2017
Quite decent of an unsolved crime story.
XVI)"A SONG AND DANCE AND DEATH" - December 31, 2017
Not too bad.
XVII)"THE CURSE OF JAMES DEAN'S DEATH CAR" - December 31, 2017
One of the better stories in this book.
One of the better books in my collection regarding the paranormal, ghosts, possessions, etc. I like that the stories were just that; stories. Other books (I've read) have a tendency to give a brief haunting, some only a paragraph or two, then another story begins. This book takes you along with the authors words by their research and experiences they've shared.
I will be giving this one away to a friend for her collection, as I know I'd never read it again.
May 29, 2012
More of a book on the history of haunted places rather than recounting the actual hauntings. In one chapter about Alcatraz, we get eight pages of history relating how the prison came to be, certain high-profile prisoners, and the conditions prisoners endured, and then a mere two-and-a-half pages describing the actual haunting. At times, the book feels overwritten; especially when describing the authors' interviewees. "He shifted restlessly, as if his very soul was burdened by the question. I pressed him for more information and he relented with a sorrowful sigh." Often, a chapter will end at a moment purely for dramatic effect when there is obviously more information that could be given. "After the earthquake, where the house once stood, was now a gaping hole. The house had disappeared!" Sometimes they'll even repeat information just a few paragraphs apart. In at least one chapter, it felt like they were desperately trying to tie in other tragedies to make a curse much more impressive. "Eight years later, a bridge collapsed 150 miles west of this haunted castle! Six months after that, 84 miles southwest of the castle, a factory explosion!"
If you're looking for a spooky recounting of ghost sightings and otherworldly noises, you'll certainly get some of that but you'll have to slog through a lot of pre-haunting history, poorly written passages, and more than a couple chapters about stupid jinxes. Not really worth the effort.
If you're looking for a spooky recounting of ghost sightings and otherworldly noises, you'll certainly get some of that but you'll have to slog through a lot of pre-haunting history, poorly written passages, and more than a couple chapters about stupid jinxes. Not really worth the effort.
December 17, 2019
This really had some good possibilities.
It becomes clear early on. The authors have done a lot of research.
Problem with that being.
That is how most of the book reads.
As a clinical, almost book report style. Of telling the stories.
The details given. With little else to them.
Many of the chapters, short. With not much to give the reader.
Any kind of spooky or supernatural vibe to it.
Some better than others.
Yet some points. Seems just about to get ready to drop some really good occurences in.
Then just wraps up, moving on to the next chapter/ story.
The author mainly retelling, things that have happened to other people.
Some conjectures made.
Some events impressive.
While others, so and so a guard. Happened to get a bad feeling, when working at night.
That would be that entire witnesses input.
The final two celebrity involved stories.
Author takes liberty, to do some storytelling.
That may or may not. Be how the actual main person felt or acted.
No way to even know that.
It does give some background and good research.
On some of the more well known hauntings of the time.
Mixed feelings on this one.
Factual and from real places and documented events.
The way it is told, though. Makes it easy to read at night as during the day.
Not many chills, with these haunted tales.
It becomes clear early on. The authors have done a lot of research.
Problem with that being.
That is how most of the book reads.
As a clinical, almost book report style. Of telling the stories.
The details given. With little else to them.
Many of the chapters, short. With not much to give the reader.
Any kind of spooky or supernatural vibe to it.
Some better than others.
Yet some points. Seems just about to get ready to drop some really good occurences in.
Then just wraps up, moving on to the next chapter/ story.
The author mainly retelling, things that have happened to other people.
Some conjectures made.
Some events impressive.
While others, so and so a guard. Happened to get a bad feeling, when working at night.
That would be that entire witnesses input.
The final two celebrity involved stories.
Author takes liberty, to do some storytelling.
That may or may not. Be how the actual main person felt or acted.
No way to even know that.
It does give some background and good research.
On some of the more well known hauntings of the time.
Mixed feelings on this one.
Factual and from real places and documented events.
The way it is told, though. Makes it easy to read at night as during the day.
Not many chills, with these haunted tales.
May 25, 2024
ACCOUNTS OF SIXTEEN HAUNTED HOUSES
The Introduction to this 1979 book states, “Nearly every community in the United States can claim at least one haunted house. Some have more than one. There is the small town of Casadega in central Florida with a permanent population of fewer than two hundred people which has no less than six haunted houses. In most places the citizenry, except for a few knowledgeable individuals, is totally unaware of the fact that macabre dwellings are standing in their midst… Most spirits or entities prefer to remain undiscovered and can be contacted by only the most talented mediums. However, many ghostly inhabitants can make living persons feel their presence. Some spirits can remain visible as apparitions. Others are only heard. Many remain invisible, although their actions can be seen. Members of this group are usually referred to as poltergeists. There are incidents where entities can be felt by spiritual energies such as hot spots or cold areas. But in whatever form they take, most ghosts are harmless to the living. Some ghosts even have a sex drive and make erotic overtures to the living.
“There are exceptions, however. Incidents of ghosts harming the living are rare, but they do occur. Happenings of horror, destruction and even death have been documented. These abominations have occurred in old English manor houses and castles on the Rhine as well as right here in the United States. Some of these eerie hauntings are the result of maledictions or curses when a spirit lingers to watch his blasphemous wish of evil take place. Many readers will scoff at the existence of ghosts. However, many great people such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were convinced that ghostly entities are real. In fact, at the time of his death, Thomas Edison was working on a machine with which to communicate with the dead.”
They recount one interesting story, “Mrs. June A. Reading, director of the Whaley House, is a bright and attractive woman, and a most cooperative and knowledgeable lade. She greeted us cordially and spent hours reviewing various episodes of a psychic nature that had transpired at the Whaley House… ‘It’s interesting that sounds are manifest here more often than images. Regis Philbin, a gentleman from a local television station, once saw the apparition of a woman. A lady’s face materialized out of an energy mass which he thought was the likeness of Anna Whaley, Thomas’s Whayley’s wife. There’s an area in the study that seems to be an energy source or battery for producing psychical phenomena. There are cold spots in the study and in the kitchen toward the black of the house. At times the cold spots are so apparent that visitors become alarmed and comment on them… The night Regis saw the apparition, he was seated in the parlor, and I remember him saying the energy form developed in the study. One cold spot was on one side of the desk and another luminous energy mass was on the wall. It didn’t do anything but move back and forth---expanding and contracting. When the light was right, it could easily be seen and it always hovered around Mr. Whaley’s desk. We watched the mass for a long period and it never moved away from the desk, nor did it form into figure.” (Pg. 51, 55-56)
This book may interest those wanting brief accounts of a variety of ‘haunted houses.’
The Introduction to this 1979 book states, “Nearly every community in the United States can claim at least one haunted house. Some have more than one. There is the small town of Casadega in central Florida with a permanent population of fewer than two hundred people which has no less than six haunted houses. In most places the citizenry, except for a few knowledgeable individuals, is totally unaware of the fact that macabre dwellings are standing in their midst… Most spirits or entities prefer to remain undiscovered and can be contacted by only the most talented mediums. However, many ghostly inhabitants can make living persons feel their presence. Some spirits can remain visible as apparitions. Others are only heard. Many remain invisible, although their actions can be seen. Members of this group are usually referred to as poltergeists. There are incidents where entities can be felt by spiritual energies such as hot spots or cold areas. But in whatever form they take, most ghosts are harmless to the living. Some ghosts even have a sex drive and make erotic overtures to the living.
“There are exceptions, however. Incidents of ghosts harming the living are rare, but they do occur. Happenings of horror, destruction and even death have been documented. These abominations have occurred in old English manor houses and castles on the Rhine as well as right here in the United States. Some of these eerie hauntings are the result of maledictions or curses when a spirit lingers to watch his blasphemous wish of evil take place. Many readers will scoff at the existence of ghosts. However, many great people such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were convinced that ghostly entities are real. In fact, at the time of his death, Thomas Edison was working on a machine with which to communicate with the dead.”
They recount one interesting story, “Mrs. June A. Reading, director of the Whaley House, is a bright and attractive woman, and a most cooperative and knowledgeable lade. She greeted us cordially and spent hours reviewing various episodes of a psychic nature that had transpired at the Whaley House… ‘It’s interesting that sounds are manifest here more often than images. Regis Philbin, a gentleman from a local television station, once saw the apparition of a woman. A lady’s face materialized out of an energy mass which he thought was the likeness of Anna Whaley, Thomas’s Whayley’s wife. There’s an area in the study that seems to be an energy source or battery for producing psychical phenomena. There are cold spots in the study and in the kitchen toward the black of the house. At times the cold spots are so apparent that visitors become alarmed and comment on them… The night Regis saw the apparition, he was seated in the parlor, and I remember him saying the energy form developed in the study. One cold spot was on one side of the desk and another luminous energy mass was on the wall. It didn’t do anything but move back and forth---expanding and contracting. When the light was right, it could easily be seen and it always hovered around Mr. Whaley’s desk. We watched the mass for a long period and it never moved away from the desk, nor did it form into figure.” (Pg. 51, 55-56)
This book may interest those wanting brief accounts of a variety of ‘haunted houses.’
May 4, 2023
Wow, what a collection of haunted houses. Starting with a mysterious picture to the Bell witch (evil witch torturing a whole family), the Winchester Mystery House, The Whaley House up to erotic entities (e.g. sex with a ghost and a crucifix used as a chastity belt). We continue here with ghostly greetings from the graveyard (Forest Lawn in Florida), meet the phantoms of Virginia in Fredericksburg, go to New Orleans, wonder about a machine to communicate with the dead (by Edison), even have a close encounter with patriotic spirits and military ghosts (e.g. Lincoln and Lee). There is the Island of Tears, The Cornstalk Curse, Alcatraz (Capone strumming on a banjo), the world's largest haunted house (Miami's Biltmore Hotel), Billie Holiday and in the last chapter The Curse on James Dean's Car (Little Bastard, i.e. the Porsche Spyder). Great research, great lores and an absolutely uncanny atmosphere here the authors are able to create. This book fully delivers! Also liked the fine photo section in the book. Highly recommended stuff that concentrates on haunted places in the USA!
October 21, 2020
2.5, rounded to 3
I read this in 1979 when I was 9, and it was SO SCARY.
40 years later, it's far more a history lesson on each 'haunted' place than an actual report on any hauntings that might be occurring there. Nonetheless, there are a few gems: definitely the seance in the Biltmore Hotel, and the painting that morphed from charcoal to colour were sweetly creepy.
Other than that, it was hard to pay rapt attention.
Ah, well. It still fits well with the season.
I read this in 1979 when I was 9, and it was SO SCARY.
40 years later, it's far more a history lesson on each 'haunted' place than an actual report on any hauntings that might be occurring there. Nonetheless, there are a few gems: definitely the seance in the Biltmore Hotel, and the painting that morphed from charcoal to colour were sweetly creepy.
Other than that, it was hard to pay rapt attention.
Ah, well. It still fits well with the season.
March 30, 2024
This book is chockfull of ghost stories I’ve never heard before and interesting bits of history and lore. Also, the séance in this is really quite interesting and I wouldn’t mind reading more stuff like that.
October 29, 2018
A good used find,includes interesting historical tidbits and background info on the locations.
October 27, 2025
Adequate seasonal fare. Some sections were more captivating than others.
September 29, 2021
I sought out this book after reading another book by a haunted house investigator who mentioned this as one of the books he read as a kid. Knowing this book was published in 1979, when investigating the paranormal was a much different thing than it is today, allowed me to enjoy the book despite much of it being presented in a way that doesn't seem reliable to paranormal fans today.
Today we put a lot more emphasis on recording data from haunted houses scientifically. We have many different types of machines that evaluate energy or temperature in a house, or pick up ghostly voices or images. We have cameras and video equipment. We put a lot of emphasis on capturing proof that we can submit to others for validation.
In the 1970's, paranormal investigation was more about recording the experiences that people have had in certain haunted locations. And that's exactly what this book is. It's a collection of stories and hearsay that the authors have collected from each location they examin, along with a few of their own personal experiences when they went to the sites during their researching.
It's not a big surprise that some of the experiences they write in this book were later found to be factually incorrect (as was mentioned in the previous book I read). That's just human nature. Many haunted houses have stories that have changed and become more and more exaggerated over the decades, and honestly, some haunted houses have 'histories' that have no basis in reality at all.
The most interesting part of the book, to me, was when the two authors stayed overnight in the Biltmore Hotel with a party of five mediums, and the mediums worked together to recount the violence that occurred in the building, without knowing the history of it beforehand. This chapter was done as a transcript of the night, recorded by Winer. It stood out from the other chapters because there was a lot more personal involvement from the writers, as opposed to the other chapters which were mostly a collection of stories of the history of each location.
Today we put a lot more emphasis on recording data from haunted houses scientifically. We have many different types of machines that evaluate energy or temperature in a house, or pick up ghostly voices or images. We have cameras and video equipment. We put a lot of emphasis on capturing proof that we can submit to others for validation.
In the 1970's, paranormal investigation was more about recording the experiences that people have had in certain haunted locations. And that's exactly what this book is. It's a collection of stories and hearsay that the authors have collected from each location they examin, along with a few of their own personal experiences when they went to the sites during their researching.
It's not a big surprise that some of the experiences they write in this book were later found to be factually incorrect (as was mentioned in the previous book I read). That's just human nature. Many haunted houses have stories that have changed and become more and more exaggerated over the decades, and honestly, some haunted houses have 'histories' that have no basis in reality at all.
The most interesting part of the book, to me, was when the two authors stayed overnight in the Biltmore Hotel with a party of five mediums, and the mediums worked together to recount the violence that occurred in the building, without knowing the history of it beforehand. This chapter was done as a transcript of the night, recorded by Winer. It stood out from the other chapters because there was a lot more personal involvement from the writers, as opposed to the other chapters which were mostly a collection of stories of the history of each location.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews