A History of Ghosts

The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts and Ghostbusters

By: Peter H. Aykroyd

Narrated by: Jeremy Gage, Dan Aykroyd

Peter Aykroyd spent his childhood watching his family’s parlor séances through the crack of a basement door. Here, for the first time, Aykroyd tells the strange and delightful story that inspired his son, Dan, to make the mega-hit Ghostbusters.

Part history, part family legend, A History of Ghosts starts in 1848 in upstate New York, where the spiritualist craze first began. Aykroyd introduces the listener to notable mediums while telling the story of the development of spiritualism, interweaving a personal history marked by a fascination with ghosts and spirits with the larger narrative about the role the paranormal has played in our culture. Such legendary figures as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini appear - and vanish.

Everyone loves a good ghost story. Successful TV shows such as Medium and Ghost Hunters are proof that our national obsession with ghosts is here to stay. Millions of Americans believe in the paranormal—and even skeptics have heard a bump in the night and suspected it might be something supernatural.

©2009 Peter H. Aykroyd (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Less a Ghostbusters also-ran than a knowing, historical origin story, this is a smart consideration of the paranormal and a curious artifact of the Aykroyd legacy." ( Publishers Weekly)

History of mediums

It’s called history of ghost, but that’s a very small part. This book is better described as a deep study of the spiritual movement of the early 1900’s and the people and places that played a part in it. I expected more talk of ghost and was a bit disappointed. Overall it’s worth a listen.

Perfect companion piece for Ghostbusters Fans

Well written explanation of how the concepts of paranormal research and phenomena came into the public consciousness. Worth a read for Ghostbusters fans for sure.

Extremely interesting!

I enjoyed this book very much! I almost listened to it in one sitting. If you have interest in the history of such things, this book is a wealth of knowledge! I was surprised at some of the names i recognized! And it is not a one sided view. The author writes on the investigations and proven frauds of the times, as well as things they could not explain away. It was fun to Google some of the names and seeing some of the photographs and art that were proclaimed paranormal.

Wonderful read that I could not put down.

I was not sure what to expect. Books like this can sound like a pushy evangelical or snake oils salesman. The history of ghosts was written with an open heart, with humor in places and the details, historical references and list of events that left me now wanting to further research more on my own. in the end it leaves the reader to their own devices but with images and information that with ponder in your mind for a lifetime.

Interesting research, but rather dry

Literally the reading of notes and diaries. Honest, not sensational accounts of 1920's seances.