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Beast: Werewolves, Serial Killers, and Man-Eaters: The Mystery of the Monsters of the Gévaudan
Using modern biology and history to investigate a series of grisly deaths in the countryside of 18th-century France.
Something unimaginable occurred from 1764 to 1767 in the remote highlands of south-central France. For three years, a real-life monster, or monsters, ravaged the region, slaughtering by some accounts more than 100 people, mostly women and children, and inflicting severe injuries upon many others. Alarmed rural communities—and their economies—were virtually held hostage by the marauder, and local officials and Louis XV deployed dragoons and crack wolf hunters from far-off Normandy and the King’s own court to destroy the menace. And with the creature’s reign of terror occurring at the advent of the modern newspaper, it can be said the ferocious attacks in the Gévaudan region were one of the world's first media sensations.
Despite extensive historical documentation about this awesome predator, no one seemed to know exactly what it was. Theories abounded: Was it an exotic animal, such as a hyena, that had escaped from a menagerie? A werewolf? A wolf-dog hybrid? A new species? Some kind of conspiracy? Or, as was proposed by the local bishop, was it a scourge of God? To this day, debates on the true nature of La Bête, “The Beast,” continue.
With historical illustrations, composite sketches by the author, on-the-scene modern-day photographs, autopsy analysis, and fictionalized accounts, Beast takes a fascinating look at all the evidence, using a mix of history and modern biology to advance a theory that could solve one of the most bizarre and unexplained killing sprees of all time: France’s infamous Beast of the Gévaudan.
Something unimaginable occurred from 1764 to 1767 in the remote highlands of south-central France. For three years, a real-life monster, or monsters, ravaged the region, slaughtering by some accounts more than 100 people, mostly women and children, and inflicting severe injuries upon many others. Alarmed rural communities—and their economies—were virtually held hostage by the marauder, and local officials and Louis XV deployed dragoons and crack wolf hunters from far-off Normandy and the King’s own court to destroy the menace. And with the creature’s reign of terror occurring at the advent of the modern newspaper, it can be said the ferocious attacks in the Gévaudan region were one of the world's first media sensations.
Despite extensive historical documentation about this awesome predator, no one seemed to know exactly what it was. Theories abounded: Was it an exotic animal, such as a hyena, that had escaped from a menagerie? A werewolf? A wolf-dog hybrid? A new species? Some kind of conspiracy? Or, as was proposed by the local bishop, was it a scourge of God? To this day, debates on the true nature of La Bête, “The Beast,” continue.
With historical illustrations, composite sketches by the author, on-the-scene modern-day photographs, autopsy analysis, and fictionalized accounts, Beast takes a fascinating look at all the evidence, using a mix of history and modern biology to advance a theory that could solve one of the most bizarre and unexplained killing sprees of all time: France’s infamous Beast of the Gévaudan.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2015
111 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 22, 2023
I watched The Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) shortly after it came out (I think I mentioned it in my dissertation), and I knew it was based on something that really happened (although the movie diverges wildly and happily from reality), so I was glad to find a book that was a history of the story behind the folklore that inspired TBotW.
I would have been more glad if it had been a better book.
The first part is an imaginative account of the rampages of la Bete, including my particular hobby horse, passages from the point of view of the victims. The second part is a discussion of what la Bete (or les Betes, for there were (at least) two of them) actually was. The subtitle promises "werewolves, serial killers, and man-eaters," but there's no substantive discussion of either werewolves or serial killers, since it's perfectly obvious from the accounts of survivors and, hello, the AUTOPSIES, that la Bete was neither of those things and Sanchez Romero & Schwalb knew that going in. I find the blatant PR move more than a little annoying, especially since they weren't substantive discussions, just sort of glancing through the history of things like porphyria and lycanthropy (which is a psychiatric phenomenon where people believe that and behave like they are wolves, up to and including cannibalism). It was more retelling of folklore than anything else.
The proper discussion of what la Bete was is repetitive and for all that they lay out tables and drawings of skulls and so on, it was hard to get any sense of acumen or incisiveness out of it. (The word I'm circling is sharp, that sense of the authors knowing exactly what they want to say and how to say it. Hear No Evil may or may not be out on the lunatic fringe, but it is very sharply written.) Their consensus is that la Bete premiere, the Chazes Wolf, was in fact a massive wolf, and la Bete deuxieme, the Tenazeyre Canid, was a wolf-dog hybrid.
This isn't a very long book, but there's a lot of padding in it.
I would have been more glad if it had been a better book.
The first part is an imaginative account of the rampages of la Bete, including my particular hobby horse, passages from the point of view of the victims. The second part is a discussion of what la Bete (or les Betes, for there were (at least) two of them) actually was. The subtitle promises "werewolves, serial killers, and man-eaters," but there's no substantive discussion of either werewolves or serial killers, since it's perfectly obvious from the accounts of survivors and, hello, the AUTOPSIES, that la Bete was neither of those things and Sanchez Romero & Schwalb knew that going in. I find the blatant PR move more than a little annoying, especially since they weren't substantive discussions, just sort of glancing through the history of things like porphyria and lycanthropy (which is a psychiatric phenomenon where people believe that and behave like they are wolves, up to and including cannibalism). It was more retelling of folklore than anything else.
The proper discussion of what la Bete was is repetitive and for all that they lay out tables and drawings of skulls and so on, it was hard to get any sense of acumen or incisiveness out of it. (The word I'm circling is sharp, that sense of the authors knowing exactly what they want to say and how to say it. Hear No Evil may or may not be out on the lunatic fringe, but it is very sharply written.) Their consensus is that la Bete premiere, the Chazes Wolf, was in fact a massive wolf, and la Bete deuxieme, the Tenazeyre Canid, was a wolf-dog hybrid.
This isn't a very long book, but there's a lot of padding in it.
January 26, 2021
Found the topic of this book so extremely Interesting that I'll love it and rate it 5 stars even if it's not the best put together non fic out there. It's so interesting trying to figure out what the beast was and how it looked like and it's the kinds of mystery I love to gobble upp. It was readable and very engaging
January 22, 2019
Halfway through and see why this was on special for $1.99.
January 20, 2018
I... wish I could say I enjoyed this book. History, cryptids, what's not to like? But the author has a habit of writing imaginative scenes when no one knows what really happened, and that is a big downer for me.
In fairness, the events this book recounts were hundreds of years ago. Forensics hadn't even gotten much beyond blood trails, much less scene reconstruction. But still, there is something of a limit to how much I want to read of the thoughts of someone soon to be mauled by some variety of wildlife or a murderer when we can have no idea what those thoughts were. I don't like it in my true crime, and I don't like it here.
The politics of the time is the most interesting part of the book. It made me think I want to read more about that, skipping over the cryptid part. The maneuverings of people trying to take advantage of the suffering of poor people are nothing new, but in this case with the unknown nature of what was happening, it takes on an added pathos. That said, I found myself feeling that because the story of the events from the poor folks' points of view would not be told, I was glad for what we had that was actually historically documented.
It wasn't bad, exactly. It was more meh. Three of five stars.
In fairness, the events this book recounts were hundreds of years ago. Forensics hadn't even gotten much beyond blood trails, much less scene reconstruction. But still, there is something of a limit to how much I want to read of the thoughts of someone soon to be mauled by some variety of wildlife or a murderer when we can have no idea what those thoughts were. I don't like it in my true crime, and I don't like it here.
The politics of the time is the most interesting part of the book. It made me think I want to read more about that, skipping over the cryptid part. The maneuverings of people trying to take advantage of the suffering of poor people are nothing new, but in this case with the unknown nature of what was happening, it takes on an added pathos. That said, I found myself feeling that because the story of the events from the poor folks' points of view would not be told, I was glad for what we had that was actually historically documented.
It wasn't bad, exactly. It was more meh. Three of five stars.
November 7, 2024
Inexplicably and frustratingly dull, even though it's largely a description of horrific mutilations and deaths. Schwalb is unable to impart a sense of setting, which leaves events feeling like completely isolated newspaper clippings.
August 11, 2016
Beast: Werewolves, Serial Killers, and Man-Eaters
The Mystery of the Monsters of the Gevaudan
Author: Gustavo Sanchez Romero and S. R. Schwalb
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published In: New York City, NY
Date: 2016
Pgs: 316
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
In the late 1760s in south-central France, a real-life monster or monsters rampaged across the region. More than 100 people, men, women, and children, fell victim to these beasts. Wolfhunters, soldiers of the King, and members of the Court of Louis XV all were dispatched to the region to find and dispose of the monster. Exotic animal? Hyena? Werewolf? A new species? Scourge of God? Never captured, to this day, the true nature of the Beast is unknown.
This book composites the time and occurrences: historical illustrations, composite sketches, modern-day scene photographs, fictionalized accounts, newspaper reports, modern biology. Is there an answer? Can the most bizarre, unexplained killing spree of all time be solved:
France’s Beast of Gevaudan.
Genre:
Academics
Animal
Crime
History
Monster
Non-fiction
Occult
Paranormal
Science and nature
Serial Killer
True crime
Werewolf
Why this book:
Real live werewolf rampaging through 1700s France. Or a cannibalistic furry.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Feel:
Whatever it was that swept through the Gevaudan over those 4 years and more than 200 victims, possibly more unreported or misreported, I doubt it was a wolf...or not only a wolf.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The accounts are very fictionalized. Things described during the Beast attacks could not have been witnessed in many cases.
Hmm Moments:
Based on how the officiate spoke at her funeral, she was not the first victim. He spoke as if certain of the ferocious beast loose among the flocks on the nearby mountainsides. Refusing to give her last rites because the body was not immediately discovered was a dick move, considering that soldiers from the battlefield were administered full rites after death. A few months prior to this first recorded and official Beast attack, there was a young woman who was herding cattle who was stalked by a wolf that came directly for her, ignoring the cattle. The cattle, acting in a way that I guess European cattle of the era were more likely to act than a modern American herd, interceded to protect their caregiver as if she were one of the herd. After the Beast gave up its attack, she described it as “a wolf that was not a wolf.” Descriptions sound rabid. Rabies has been described as far back at 2300 BC in Egypt. Could have been in 1760s France easily.
After the first(?) victim, the body count rises quickly through the summer of 1764. Victims being described as throttled and half-eaten with their belongings scattered about. Some of them being attacked in broad daylight. I’m leaning away from a wolf. Today’s sensibilities guiding me, I’m leaning on this being a serial killer cannibal: attacking in daylight, ignoring easier prey, beelining for people. Or...you know...it was a werewolf.
When the regional administrator Etienne LaFont reported the attacks to his superior, Bishop of Mende Gabriel Florent de Choiseul Beaupre Count Gevaudan, he was surprised. The Count Bishop saw the Beast as a blessing and auspicious coming as it did on the heels of the Seven Years War, livestock plagues, and strange weather patterns. The Beast in the Bishop’s eyes would serve as a reminder to heed The Commandments. Instead of acting against the Beast, the Count Bishop would drag his feet and allow lower ranks to deal with the threat, even as the body count rose precipitously. Despite the Bishop’s attitude, LaFont enlisted the Count Morainges to hunt the Beast. And as time wore on and the number of victims multiplied, he was allowed to offer a reward and, then, add more prime hunters like Captain Jean-Baptiste Duhamel.
A rogue wolf without a pack that hunts in towns and cities?
The many claims that hunters had shot the wolf only to have it fall, rise, and carry on to escape don’t ring true.
The people of the Gevaudan in 1764 were advised to “fervent prayer and sincere conversion while awaiting a hero to present himself” as the wolf ranged, killed, and devoured its victims. The Church was getting its maximum mileage out of the Beast.
Many victims were killed, but as many or more were attacked but escaped. Some without a scratch, but some with wounds. Imagine the superstitious looks these people got as the idea that this was no ordinary wolf circulated in the towns and villages.
Many of the hunters claim to have sighted the Beast. IMO, they saw a wolf, not the Beast. Same with the supposed Beasts that were killed in the two victorious hunts...out of the hundreds undertaken.
The Chastels, one set of our hunters, were purported to have occult leanings. There may have been some shenanigans going on whether occult or not. There’s a fairly certain set of circumstantial evidence that points to the 2nd Beast killed as having been a trained animal. The elder Chastel sights the beast while holding his prayer book doing his morning ablutions. He calmly finishes his prayers and puts his book away. Then, raises his rifle and kills what is supposed to be a patiently waiting monster who has killed and devoured hundreds of people. ...right? This gives credence to the rumor that the Chastels trained at least this wolf to act in the way it did, possibly in conjunction with a Bishop who was using it as a way to drive the wavering back into the arms of the faithful.
Interesting that the day the 2nd Beast/wolf is killed, the Bishop of Mende passes away. Not saying that the Bishop of Mende Count Gevaudan was a wolfskin wearing, cannibal serial killer or that he was a werewolf...but...shrug.
The concept that the Beast may have been one or more recently returned veterans of the Seven Years War, suffering from PTSD, having taken up cannibalism as a way to survive holds merit. Considering some of the non-wolf like tendencies of the Beast, this would explain some things.
There is a discrepancy in the number of victims reported. This is fairly easily accounted for, but not so easy to make exact. There were attacks and deaths preceding the first official attack of La Bete Feroce. There were unrecorded attacks throughout the reign. Some were unlikely to report an attack on a family member when the Church has labeled the Beast as a Scourge from God and do not wish to bring that shame on themselves. And with the way the hunters were using victim’s cadavers as bait, some, no doubt, hid the victim’s bodies or claimed some other cause of death to officials. And as the text noted, “peasants do not keep diaries.” Additionally, not sure what language was spoken in the Gevaudan, but numerous mentions are made of reports being translated into French. Details could be lost or become muddied in this game of telephone.
WTF Moments:
The first image on the facing page of the Foreword is from a pamphlet entitled “La Bete du Gevaudan Identifiee.” The drawing on the cover of the pamphlet is a man in wolf fursuit with fangs. The image from today’s sensibilities comes across as both creepy and comical.
Reports were made of things heard in confessional, up the chain in the church hierarchy, not to local law enforcement, in this way the Church maintained control. The way the historical accounts read, the Bishops and father confessors didn’t want the Beast killed too quickly since it was driving the pious further into the Church’s embrace and the non-pious as well. Fear was a motivator as the Beast began killing the adult and the young, and in the city as well as the fields and mountain vales.
How big would a rogue wolf have to be to dismember a victim, tear their arm off in a few minutes time? Would a wolf decapitate their victim and carry the head off, leaving it somewhere to be found the next day?
It’s a royal crock that after the Royal Gunbearer and Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis, Francois Antoine, and his nephew, Rinchard, gamekeeper for the Duke of Orleans, killed a wolf that was either believed to be the Beast or purported to be the Beast so that the nobles involved could go home in September 1765 that when the killings started up again in December 1765 no one would report it to the court because the court-approved Beast had already been killed. The killings after September 1765 are much less well documented because those doing the reporting didn’t want to face royal displeasure. The king’s scepter must have been very small for there to be no room to be wrong. In 1765, they killed a wolf and chased the other wolves of its pack to their demise. I suspect that they did not kill the Beast. The similarities in the attacks and the fact that these types of attacks were never recorded before tells us that the Beast of December 1765 forward was the same beast. Its fondness for decapitating its prey tells us that if nothing else. But the hunts from later on would not feature nobles from across France, because the royals had put the suffering of the Gevaudan behind them.
While there are suspicious acts on the parts of those responsible for the hunts, the things that are telling to me are the Beast’s “almost” human crying out when shot at and attacked and when victims are discovered and their clothing is neatly piled beside the body or found in a shed nearby. Also, the purported to have hissed at cattle and herd animals to keep them out of the way as it went for its human prey. A hissing wolf...really?
If you try to visit the stuffed
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
The Brotherhood of the Wolf was based loosely on the Gevaudan Wolf. Every Little Red Riding Hood story or Big Bad Wolf story could have elements of the Gevaudan Wolf in them, but
______________________________________________________________________________
Last Page Sound:
I believe that there was a Beast in the Gevaudan in the 1760s. I do not believe it was a wolf. I believe it was a cannibalistic serial killer who undertook a reign of terror across the region and was never caught. I lean hard on this precept. I believe that La Bete Feroce was a serial killer or series of serial killers using a wolf motif and, perhaps, acting in concert with or under cover of a genuine wolf pack or packs that were actually menacing the Gevaudan region of France. The clothes in a pile exonerates the animals to my mind and puts this horror firmly at the feet of humans.
The book tries to scientifically pin the Beast on the wolf. Other Beasts of Europe are shown to have probably been big cats. However neither big cats or wolves are known for undressing and stacking their victims clothing either after eating them or before. Though mentioned, short shrift is given to the idea of serial killer(s) being behind the majority of the attacks of La Bete Feroce.
Author Assessment:
I would definitely give other books by these authors a look.
Editorial Assessment:
The editing was fine.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
really good book
Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library - South Campus
Irving, TX
Dewey Decimal System:
001.944
SAN
Would recommend to:
genre fans, historians
______________________________________________________________________________
The Mystery of the Monsters of the Gevaudan
Author: Gustavo Sanchez Romero and S. R. Schwalb
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published In: New York City, NY
Date: 2016
Pgs: 316
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
In the late 1760s in south-central France, a real-life monster or monsters rampaged across the region. More than 100 people, men, women, and children, fell victim to these beasts. Wolfhunters, soldiers of the King, and members of the Court of Louis XV all were dispatched to the region to find and dispose of the monster. Exotic animal? Hyena? Werewolf? A new species? Scourge of God? Never captured, to this day, the true nature of the Beast is unknown.
This book composites the time and occurrences: historical illustrations, composite sketches, modern-day scene photographs, fictionalized accounts, newspaper reports, modern biology. Is there an answer? Can the most bizarre, unexplained killing spree of all time be solved:
France’s Beast of Gevaudan.
Genre:
Academics
Animal
Crime
History
Monster
Non-fiction
Occult
Paranormal
Science and nature
Serial Killer
True crime
Werewolf
Why this book:
Real live werewolf rampaging through 1700s France. Or a cannibalistic furry.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Feel:
Whatever it was that swept through the Gevaudan over those 4 years and more than 200 victims, possibly more unreported or misreported, I doubt it was a wolf...or not only a wolf.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The accounts are very fictionalized. Things described during the Beast attacks could not have been witnessed in many cases.
Hmm Moments:
Based on how the officiate spoke at her funeral, she was not the first victim. He spoke as if certain of the ferocious beast loose among the flocks on the nearby mountainsides. Refusing to give her last rites because the body was not immediately discovered was a dick move, considering that soldiers from the battlefield were administered full rites after death. A few months prior to this first recorded and official Beast attack, there was a young woman who was herding cattle who was stalked by a wolf that came directly for her, ignoring the cattle. The cattle, acting in a way that I guess European cattle of the era were more likely to act than a modern American herd, interceded to protect their caregiver as if she were one of the herd. After the Beast gave up its attack, she described it as “a wolf that was not a wolf.” Descriptions sound rabid. Rabies has been described as far back at 2300 BC in Egypt. Could have been in 1760s France easily.
After the first(?) victim, the body count rises quickly through the summer of 1764. Victims being described as throttled and half-eaten with their belongings scattered about. Some of them being attacked in broad daylight. I’m leaning away from a wolf. Today’s sensibilities guiding me, I’m leaning on this being a serial killer cannibal: attacking in daylight, ignoring easier prey, beelining for people. Or...you know...it was a werewolf.
When the regional administrator Etienne LaFont reported the attacks to his superior, Bishop of Mende Gabriel Florent de Choiseul Beaupre Count Gevaudan, he was surprised. The Count Bishop saw the Beast as a blessing and auspicious coming as it did on the heels of the Seven Years War, livestock plagues, and strange weather patterns. The Beast in the Bishop’s eyes would serve as a reminder to heed The Commandments. Instead of acting against the Beast, the Count Bishop would drag his feet and allow lower ranks to deal with the threat, even as the body count rose precipitously. Despite the Bishop’s attitude, LaFont enlisted the Count Morainges to hunt the Beast. And as time wore on and the number of victims multiplied, he was allowed to offer a reward and, then, add more prime hunters like Captain Jean-Baptiste Duhamel.
A rogue wolf without a pack that hunts in towns and cities?
The many claims that hunters had shot the wolf only to have it fall, rise, and carry on to escape don’t ring true.
The people of the Gevaudan in 1764 were advised to “fervent prayer and sincere conversion while awaiting a hero to present himself” as the wolf ranged, killed, and devoured its victims. The Church was getting its maximum mileage out of the Beast.
Many victims were killed, but as many or more were attacked but escaped. Some without a scratch, but some with wounds. Imagine the superstitious looks these people got as the idea that this was no ordinary wolf circulated in the towns and villages.
Many of the hunters claim to have sighted the Beast. IMO, they saw a wolf, not the Beast. Same with the supposed Beasts that were killed in the two victorious hunts...out of the hundreds undertaken.
The Chastels, one set of our hunters, were purported to have occult leanings. There may have been some shenanigans going on whether occult or not. There’s a fairly certain set of circumstantial evidence that points to the 2nd Beast killed as having been a trained animal. The elder Chastel sights the beast while holding his prayer book doing his morning ablutions. He calmly finishes his prayers and puts his book away. Then, raises his rifle and kills what is supposed to be a patiently waiting monster who has killed and devoured hundreds of people. ...right? This gives credence to the rumor that the Chastels trained at least this wolf to act in the way it did, possibly in conjunction with a Bishop who was using it as a way to drive the wavering back into the arms of the faithful.
Interesting that the day the 2nd Beast/wolf is killed, the Bishop of Mende passes away. Not saying that the Bishop of Mende Count Gevaudan was a wolfskin wearing, cannibal serial killer or that he was a werewolf...but...shrug.
The concept that the Beast may have been one or more recently returned veterans of the Seven Years War, suffering from PTSD, having taken up cannibalism as a way to survive holds merit. Considering some of the non-wolf like tendencies of the Beast, this would explain some things.
There is a discrepancy in the number of victims reported. This is fairly easily accounted for, but not so easy to make exact. There were attacks and deaths preceding the first official attack of La Bete Feroce. There were unrecorded attacks throughout the reign. Some were unlikely to report an attack on a family member when the Church has labeled the Beast as a Scourge from God and do not wish to bring that shame on themselves. And with the way the hunters were using victim’s cadavers as bait, some, no doubt, hid the victim’s bodies or claimed some other cause of death to officials. And as the text noted, “peasants do not keep diaries.” Additionally, not sure what language was spoken in the Gevaudan, but numerous mentions are made of reports being translated into French. Details could be lost or become muddied in this game of telephone.
WTF Moments:
The first image on the facing page of the Foreword is from a pamphlet entitled “La Bete du Gevaudan Identifiee.” The drawing on the cover of the pamphlet is a man in wolf fursuit with fangs. The image from today’s sensibilities comes across as both creepy and comical.
Reports were made of things heard in confessional, up the chain in the church hierarchy, not to local law enforcement, in this way the Church maintained control. The way the historical accounts read, the Bishops and father confessors didn’t want the Beast killed too quickly since it was driving the pious further into the Church’s embrace and the non-pious as well. Fear was a motivator as the Beast began killing the adult and the young, and in the city as well as the fields and mountain vales.
How big would a rogue wolf have to be to dismember a victim, tear their arm off in a few minutes time? Would a wolf decapitate their victim and carry the head off, leaving it somewhere to be found the next day?
It’s a royal crock that after the Royal Gunbearer and Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis, Francois Antoine, and his nephew, Rinchard, gamekeeper for the Duke of Orleans, killed a wolf that was either believed to be the Beast or purported to be the Beast so that the nobles involved could go home in September 1765 that when the killings started up again in December 1765 no one would report it to the court because the court-approved Beast had already been killed. The killings after September 1765 are much less well documented because those doing the reporting didn’t want to face royal displeasure. The king’s scepter must have been very small for there to be no room to be wrong. In 1765, they killed a wolf and chased the other wolves of its pack to their demise. I suspect that they did not kill the Beast. The similarities in the attacks and the fact that these types of attacks were never recorded before tells us that the Beast of December 1765 forward was the same beast. Its fondness for decapitating its prey tells us that if nothing else. But the hunts from later on would not feature nobles from across France, because the royals had put the suffering of the Gevaudan behind them.
While there are suspicious acts on the parts of those responsible for the hunts, the things that are telling to me are the Beast’s “almost” human crying out when shot at and attacked and when victims are discovered and their clothing is neatly piled beside the body or found in a shed nearby. Also, the purported to have hissed at cattle and herd animals to keep them out of the way as it went for its human prey. A hissing wolf...really?
If you try to visit the stuffed
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
The Brotherhood of the Wolf was based loosely on the Gevaudan Wolf. Every Little Red Riding Hood story or Big Bad Wolf story could have elements of the Gevaudan Wolf in them, but
______________________________________________________________________________
Last Page Sound:
I believe that there was a Beast in the Gevaudan in the 1760s. I do not believe it was a wolf. I believe it was a cannibalistic serial killer who undertook a reign of terror across the region and was never caught. I lean hard on this precept. I believe that La Bete Feroce was a serial killer or series of serial killers using a wolf motif and, perhaps, acting in concert with or under cover of a genuine wolf pack or packs that were actually menacing the Gevaudan region of France. The clothes in a pile exonerates the animals to my mind and puts this horror firmly at the feet of humans.
The book tries to scientifically pin the Beast on the wolf. Other Beasts of Europe are shown to have probably been big cats. However neither big cats or wolves are known for undressing and stacking their victims clothing either after eating them or before. Though mentioned, short shrift is given to the idea of serial killer(s) being behind the majority of the attacks of La Bete Feroce.
Author Assessment:
I would definitely give other books by these authors a look.
Editorial Assessment:
The editing was fine.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
really good book
Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library - South Campus
Irving, TX
Dewey Decimal System:
001.944
SAN
Would recommend to:
genre fans, historians
______________________________________________________________________________
December 2, 2024
Well, while there was some interesting stuff in the first half, I wasn't happy about how some of it had been written to give it more action and drama. Felt like a way to get a cheap thrill.
Regardless, all that went out the window in the second half. Dry, dry, dry. Where the first half occasionally eschewed straight facts for excitement, the second half eliminated everything but facts, and they often restated the same points over and over again.
I learned some stuff, and for that, I'll give it two stars, but I was also bludgeoned over the head with far too many facts about hyenas, and wolves, and large felines.
Regardless, all that went out the window in the second half. Dry, dry, dry. Where the first half occasionally eschewed straight facts for excitement, the second half eliminated everything but facts, and they often restated the same points over and over again.
I learned some stuff, and for that, I'll give it two stars, but I was also bludgeoned over the head with far too many facts about hyenas, and wolves, and large felines.
June 29, 2020
The most authoritative account of the Beast of Gevaudan I've come across. An excellent book which reads like both a movie and a documentary. It gives lots of good, unbiased speculation on the Beast's identity and refrains from picking sides amongst the men and women involved in the events. Schwalb and Romero have inspired me to write a film treatment about the Beast's reign of terror between 1764 and 1767.
November 23, 2023
I think I just finally got to a point in this audiobook that I turned up the speed and let it play while I wasn’t always so focused. Lying here (because I should be sleeping for early shift) I’m fairly certain I’m getting all of the “beasts” all confused. Real beasts? Mythical monsters? I have no idea. It did go way back in time though so that was cool. Maybe I’d listen to it again if I could stay focused on the narrator.
October 9, 2023
It deals with a timeless mystery, and is therefore entertaining and enjoyable, but the writing and the editing are a distraction.
January 8, 2022
The appeal of this book is the mysterious story of the Beast of Gevaudan (France), a real life canid beast that terrorized the people of the French countryside in the lates 1700s. Astonishingly, the tale of terror is based on real life events and tons of research by the authors Romero and Schwalb. The first part of the book retells the many attacks between 1764 to 1767. Some of the descriptions are told in the first person, others the third and still others are barely a paragraph long. It is interesting, but off putting with the many voices and occasional brevity of some parts and extraneous detail in others. Obviously, this may be because there were two authors, but it was strange. The second part focuses on the attempt by the authors to solve the mystery as to what the Beast actually was. And while they do come to a conclusion (although hardly definitive but that isn’t their fault), there was a ton of repetition which just dragged things on. I’m not sure how many times the reader has to be reminded of how large the creature was including the actual measurements from the original autopsy reports. Again and again and again, ideas are mentioned over and over. I appreciate the scrupulous detail, but I don’t need to read it four times. I felt it took away from what was a very good mystery to begin with.
March 4, 2024
I love wolves, though I tend to appreciate most animals. It might be early memories of wolf attacks in the 90s Belgian countryside, but I've been at least vaguely familiar with the 18th century beast of Gévaudan of southern France since that time. I've recently been re-captivated (so punny) by this event, and as such has inspired yet another short story for my next collection.
This book offers a multilayered approach to the subject that makes it a page turner. With that said, from the first I heard of the case, I was and remain convinced that it was not a wolf/wolves nor anything local—even if some 'side' incidents involved them (it was a 3-year occurrence, after all.) The locals repeatedly said as much; hence naming it 'beast.'
Perfectly enough, I was more than halfway through the book and a bit over the list of potential culprits, when a (obviously divinely sanctioned!) search led me to what I believe is the one and final answer on the beast's identity. So while that is not present in this book, it's a well-rounded look into the case, and sad reminder of its role in fueling negative stereotypes of wolves.
This book offers a multilayered approach to the subject that makes it a page turner. With that said, from the first I heard of the case, I was and remain convinced that it was not a wolf/wolves nor anything local—even if some 'side' incidents involved them (it was a 3-year occurrence, after all.) The locals repeatedly said as much; hence naming it 'beast.'
Perfectly enough, I was more than halfway through the book and a bit over the list of potential culprits, when a (obviously divinely sanctioned!) search led me to what I believe is the one and final answer on the beast's identity. So while that is not present in this book, it's a well-rounded look into the case, and sad reminder of its role in fueling negative stereotypes of wolves.
August 12, 2018
So the book is split into two parts, which I really liked. The first is a narrative retelling of the event and the second is the dive into the investigation of what the creature could have been. This was a great way to introduce the events to the reader. I'm not a big fan of narrative fiction (I much prefer books like this to be "just the facts, ma'am") so the first section was just okay, but the author really dives deep into the science behind what possibly could've killed almost 100 people in the second section. He leaves no stone unturned. This historical event is fascinating and this book is a great way to learn about it.
January 3, 2022
In the foothills and plains of the Margeride mountains, France, between 1764 and 1767, it is estimated between 130 to over 200 men, women, and especially children - were killed by a marauding animal. It's identity has never been known for sure, but it's rampage is recorded in real-life history. Since then, what has become known as the Beast of Gevaudan has seeped into novels, movies, and folklore. This book tries to uncover the facts shrouded by the fiction, and sets out the case in a logical, linear series of investigations and explanations.
This is easily one of the most detailed books I've read on the mystery surrounding the Beast. Not only does it cover the historical accounts, but it also provides a detailed analysis of the many explanations that have been put forward over the years. From likely candidates of species, to which conspiracy theories hold weight (and those that don't), this book touches on each with fair scrutiny.
My only criticism of the book is that in some places, the lists of dates, prominent people, potential species, and so forth read a little too textbook like. These are handy as a reference material - but would be better left to an appendix rather than interspersed among the reading material. It also made keeping track of these aspects a little more difficult. But the depth of the research and the all encompassing coverage highlights details even those most familiar with the case will find new and of interest.
This is easily one of the most detailed books I've read on the mystery surrounding the Beast. Not only does it cover the historical accounts, but it also provides a detailed analysis of the many explanations that have been put forward over the years. From likely candidates of species, to which conspiracy theories hold weight (and those that don't), this book touches on each with fair scrutiny.
My only criticism of the book is that in some places, the lists of dates, prominent people, potential species, and so forth read a little too textbook like. These are handy as a reference material - but would be better left to an appendix rather than interspersed among the reading material. It also made keeping track of these aspects a little more difficult. But the depth of the research and the all encompassing coverage highlights details even those most familiar with the case will find new and of interest.
June 30, 2020
Listened to the audio for book research since audiobooks are great for multitasking, and at 7 hours in length (less since I listened at 1.2X speed), it was a quick way to judge if this would offer usable information for my project. It does, but going forward I think the physical copy is the stronger format for my purposes. I appreciate the audio for being well narrated and for expanding the book's potential audience, but the physical copy has diagrams, photographs, and data tables not represented in the audio that offer additional supporting information. The particular strength of the book itself is that it covers a wide range of explanations for the events that took place in the Gevaudan and surrounding regions of France in the years 1764-1767, where dozens of local people were being attacked and killed by an unidentified animal or animals. It also mentions additional resources that I plan to look up. In the end, it's a good place to get a foundational knowledge of the story of the "Beast of Gevaudan", and acts as a springboard to additional research materials. I think I would rate the audio at 3 stars, and the physical text with it's additional data tables, diagrams, etc. at 3.5 to 4 stars.
October 6, 2024
I bought this for like a dollar on Book Bub years ago and after a few false starts, finally made it through. It's an interesting story recounting a series of horror attacks in the French countryside in the late 1700s that have been attributed to wolves, hyenas, people dressed as wolves, and literal werewolves over the centuries. The problem is that the book's structure makes it more of a chore to read than it should be. The first third of the book is a narrative of the period in question with graphic portrayals of the attacks and subsequent efforts to identify the animal responsible for them. The author uses a lot of fictional techniques such as invented dialogue and descriptions of events no one could have been privy to. I didn't love it, but it worked well enough as a way of moving the plot forward. Once this section ends, however, the final two-thirds of the book is devoted to a lot of speculation and dry scientific inquiry with tables and charts about French weather and comparisons of animal bite patterns. Had these two elements been integrated into a book that moves back and forth between narrative and science, Beast would have been much more successful. Even so, it's decent enough. Glad to have finally finished it.
November 30, 2024
There is an interesting book in here, but unfortunately it is encased in repetitive descriptions of things nobody needs explained to them (what a tiger looks like, for instance) and other extraneous information that the author does not convincingly tie into the subject.
It is clear by the end of the book that the carnage was the work of a wolf and/or a wolf/dog hybrid, and most of the long digressions have been irrelevant. I was primed to like this book but I'm afraid in the end, most of it was a slog. It read like a term paper that has not quite met the word count and been heavily padded to meet a length requirement.
As a note- the first part of the book contains multiple detailed fictionalized accounts of some of the deaths as they may have potentially been experienced by the victims. I personally don't really enjoy this kind of mixing of fiction and non-fiction- the author chooses to attribute very specific feelings and motivations to real people than can of course never actually be known, and that feels off in a non-fiction book. In comparison to the dry, dry accounts of all the physical characteristics of large cats and canids in the world, however, it was the best and most engaging part.
It is clear by the end of the book that the carnage was the work of a wolf and/or a wolf/dog hybrid, and most of the long digressions have been irrelevant. I was primed to like this book but I'm afraid in the end, most of it was a slog. It read like a term paper that has not quite met the word count and been heavily padded to meet a length requirement.
As a note- the first part of the book contains multiple detailed fictionalized accounts of some of the deaths as they may have potentially been experienced by the victims. I personally don't really enjoy this kind of mixing of fiction and non-fiction- the author chooses to attribute very specific feelings and motivations to real people than can of course never actually be known, and that feels off in a non-fiction book. In comparison to the dry, dry accounts of all the physical characteristics of large cats and canids in the world, however, it was the best and most engaging part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2022
I didn't know much about the events in Gevaudan before reading this book and the first half was thoroughly intriguing as Schwalb recounted the years of terror felt across the countryside and all the efforts made to find and kill the beast that caused it. This led on to the second half where Schwalb endeavors to explain what happened and what animal may have been the culprit, because as is typical in such cases the animals that were caught and killed have been destroyed. This section starts off okay and gives an objective and scientific view of the possible options but then it gets a bit repetitive, going over some of the same information a few times with no real purpose or progress. The summary tables and illustrations in this section are good, particularly as Schwalb filters down to the likely culprit but this does get lost a bit in the repetition, which is a bit of a shame as a lot of work has clearly gone into this to bring it all together. Still it was a good read and on the whole very insightful.
June 9, 2023
I'm being generous with 3 stars because the subject matter is new and interesting to me. I didn't know anything about the Beast of the Gevaudan before this, so my macabre self is loving this. so intriguing and morbid! it also made me realize that the media has always been sensational and humankind is humankind in the 1700s French peasantry or in 2020s USA.
in terms of writing, it's really lacking, from a few different perspectives. I'm not sure if he was writing to present the facts of the case and solve it like a detective... or present it as history. But then he'd add in these little narratives about what might have happened to the victims before they were attacked... imagining actions and conversations. i wanted to say to him, "just the facts, please."
another thing that consistently bothers me in books: dont assume the reader is an idiot. Every time he used a French or ecclesiastical word or phrase he'd put in parenthesis what it meant. I think we can figure out what oui and duc and tithe mean. and if we can't, we know where to find out, non? (no?)
in terms of writing, it's really lacking, from a few different perspectives. I'm not sure if he was writing to present the facts of the case and solve it like a detective... or present it as history. But then he'd add in these little narratives about what might have happened to the victims before they were attacked... imagining actions and conversations. i wanted to say to him, "just the facts, please."
another thing that consistently bothers me in books: dont assume the reader is an idiot. Every time he used a French or ecclesiastical word or phrase he'd put in parenthesis what it meant. I think we can figure out what oui and duc and tithe mean. and if we can't, we know where to find out, non? (no?)
June 22, 2025
This book begins with a rather fanciful section describing the attacks of the “beast” in the Gévaudan region as seen through the eyes of the local people at the time. It’s very speculative as it even describes in detail what the victims were thinking and seeing shortly before the animal clamped onto their necks, which is obviously something no one can know.
The account goes on to work its way through the folklore that might explain how the people saw the creature, then goes on to list a number of candidates for what the beast could have been, including human serial killers. This section reminded me somewhat of books I read about Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster when I was a kid. There’s a bit at the end that seems to ask for conservation and understanding of wild predators in Europe, which I have all the sympathy in the world for.
Somehow, large portions of this book failed to engage me, and it didn’t really come to any actual conclusions concerning the identity of the beast. I guess we’ll never know for sure.
The account goes on to work its way through the folklore that might explain how the people saw the creature, then goes on to list a number of candidates for what the beast could have been, including human serial killers. This section reminded me somewhat of books I read about Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster when I was a kid. There’s a bit at the end that seems to ask for conservation and understanding of wild predators in Europe, which I have all the sympathy in the world for.
Somehow, large portions of this book failed to engage me, and it didn’t really come to any actual conclusions concerning the identity of the beast. I guess we’ll never know for sure.
June 7, 2025
A fascinating exploration of the history and context of 'The Beast of Gévaudan' with a wide-ranging examination of possible explanations and suspects.
Starting with a narrative history, this book then moves onto exploring all of the possible candidates for 'The Beast' (ranging from native animals to exotic animals to serial killers to supernatural suspects).
It is a little sprawling at times, but I really respect the effort made to understand the period, the location and the historical and geographical context. It's something which is often forgotten by others when trying to delve into the mystery of 'The Beast'.
I also found the book's conclusion about the identity of 'The Beast(s)' pretty convincing (more so than Karl-Hans Taake's).
Not a perfect book, but an absolute must read for anyone wanting to look into The Beast of Gévaudan.
Starting with a narrative history, this book then moves onto exploring all of the possible candidates for 'The Beast' (ranging from native animals to exotic animals to serial killers to supernatural suspects).
It is a little sprawling at times, but I really respect the effort made to understand the period, the location and the historical and geographical context. It's something which is often forgotten by others when trying to delve into the mystery of 'The Beast'.
I also found the book's conclusion about the identity of 'The Beast(s)' pretty convincing (more so than Karl-Hans Taake's).
Not a perfect book, but an absolute must read for anyone wanting to look into The Beast of Gévaudan.
May 29, 2020
An interesting read that meanders a bit towards the end. A lot of time was spent enforcing the hybrid dog theory over and over and not exploring the promises of werewolves and serial killers. Maneating hybrid dogs definitely seems to be the author's solution to the mystery despite the introduction saying it doesn't really aim to solve the mystery. Otherwise very interesting, I just think it could have expanded other concepts and theories.
February 4, 2022
This was repetitive at times and definitely trying to get the readers to take it more seriously than what the reader is expecting. If that makes sense. There are some golden nuggets of information here but at times the text is bogged down by poor structure, repetition and the statements 'as has been previously discussed' and 'this will be discussed further in future chapters'.
I think this needed a bit more editing. But mostly we'll researched and thorough.
I think this needed a bit more editing. But mostly we'll researched and thorough.
November 27, 2018
An excellent and easy reading account of the legend of the Beast of the Gevaudan, not as scholarly or detailed as Jay Smith's book (which I read before this one), and taking some fictional liberties, but it still contains a great deal of detail and goes into a lot of speculation regarding the identity of the mysterious 'La Bete'. Very much recommended for Fortean enthusiasts.
April 25, 2022
From 1764 to 1767 the infamous Beast of the Gévaudan terrorised that region of France, savagely killing and wounding hundreds - but ever since, debate has continued about what, or who, the Beast or Beasts were.
This engrossing overview recounts the Beast's reign of terror, and a startling array of theories about its possible origins and existence.
This engrossing overview recounts the Beast's reign of terror, and a startling array of theories about its possible origins and existence.
July 5, 2022
I enjoyed Beast as an introduction to the Beast of Gevaudan incident. Schwalb provides a good overview of the topic, although the use of imagined POVs from the victims and the Beast itself were an odd way to do so. The speculation on what the Beast was is also incredibly interesting, if a bit far fetched and fantastical at times.
February 27, 2024
I loved this book. It chronicles the crimes and the eyewitness accounts for the extraordinary murders of the Beast of Gevaudan and then analyzes the murders and the theories about the creature(s) that committed them before offering a possible and plausible explanation of its own. Well worth the time and the Audible credit.
April 3, 2022
Lots of repeating and definitely a bias towards one particular answer. Other hypotheses are mentioned and passed over. Written more by a lover of wolves than an actual piece on the Beast. Honestly, one of the "sources" of why a certain answer may be right is a novel. A fictional novel.
August 29, 2017
Far too much dialog for a history novel, even for narrative nonfiction. It felt more like irresponsible journalism and putting words into people's mouths rather than historical reenactment.
May 9, 2018
A very thorough and thoughtful examination of the historic events. Rather repetitive at times, but presents a helpful in-depth overview of the locale's social conditions.
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