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Preview
  • Hauntings

  • A Book of Ghosts and Where to Find Them Across 25 Eerie British Locations
  • By: Neil Oliver
  • Narrated by: Neil Oliver
  • Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (80 ratings)

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Hauntings

By: Neil Oliver
Narrated by: Neil Oliver
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

For longer than recorded history there have been tales of spirits and of places where our hackles rise and our skin turns cold.

Bestselling historian Neil Oliver travels the British Isles on a deliciously spine-chilling tour that spans several centuries and explores more than 20 sites - castles, vicarages and towers, lonely shorelines and forgotten battlefields - to unpick their stories...

Oliver invokes his family's history alongside that of kings and queens past as he probes why our emotions and senses are heightened in certain locations where the separation between dimensions seems gossamer thin. Our landscape is riven with these places, creaking from the weight of the secrets they hold, the echoes of tragedy and dark deeds . From Inverness to Devon, Co Dublin to Norfolk, Hauntings casts an enjoyably eerie glow with stories that, told generation after generation, are inextricable from place - and considers why they matter.

©2023 Neil Oliver (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

"A proper page-turner. Neil Oliver blends personal reflections with vivid stories, rooted in the culture and history of these islands - a fascinating tangle of witches and mermaids, drowned fishers and dead warriors, ghostly planes, spectral horses and the 'thin places' where this world touches the Otherworld." (Christopher Somerville, Walking Correspondent for The Times and author of Walking the Bones of Britain)

"Wonderfully evocative. One of the most enjoyable books on the paranormal I've read. Neil Oliver creates a bucket list of places to visit, perfect for both paranormal investigators and history buffs alike. I was particularly impressed with the way in which Oliver explores the fragility of life and death and our idea of what a ghost actually is." (Nick Tyler, author of Haunted Yorkshire)

What listeners say about Hauntings

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beautiful

this has to be my favourite book by neil oliver, and it's always great when the author reads it, as how they knew it when writing. It is hauntingly beautiful, also sad in places, and yet hopeful in others, it evokes beginnings and endings. The history, the folk tales, the myth and stories within are all fascinating and I couldn't stop listening.

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Beautifully woven together

Loved this — an eclectic mix of much explored exhibits threaded through with Oliver’s memories of his late father and both their experiences of thinner places,

He’s a very fine storyteller and an accomplished broadcaster not afraid to ask the difficult questions. Listening to him read his own words here is an absolute delight.

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awesome

really really good, not just a load of random ghost tales you also get so much hiatory about each subject. would highly recommend

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A rich Scottish accent

Fascinating thoughts and stories told in a rich Scottish accent. I found myself thinking of things my grandfather told me and the belief he's still with me now.

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Words from the heart and soul

This is a brilliant book it’s got all that you need to satisfy your curiosity and understanding of haunted British isles.
I listened to this whilst working as it seem to spur me on .Neil’s passion for the subject flows through from start to finish.

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So Good!

I’m so glad Neil Oliver read his own book it made it so personal and moving, and as well as the ghost stories the history aspect was really interesting too. As someone who has experienced some unexplainable occurrences myself the book made me think of my own childhood and wonder if?. Great book which I will listen to again and highly recommend:)

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Intelligent, beautifully written, moving

Thought the entire piece was a work of art and it brought history alive by interweaving the human condition and the way we’re connected to all those who come before us and all those who will follow. Very moving at times. Narration really excellent. Your life will be richer if you listen to or read this book.

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Beautiful and poetic

This is an astounding and very original take on ghosts and hauntings, beautifully interwoven with history, location, science and family. Listening to this wonderfully engaging, melodic reading by the author, I've been amazed at the breadth of history, poetry and literature in his account. I've been touched by the empathy he shows for tragic events of the past, never taking sides, but leaving the possibility of mystery intact. This is a truly wonderful book that combines top-notch writing and research with deep emotion, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. What an achievement!

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For lovers of great storytelling!

An interesting mix of paranormal storytelling and history read by a voice I could listen to for hours!

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Wonderful

So interesting I’ve always loved his tv series however this is my first book. I have been saddened in recent years and feared one of our Scot’s legends had turned to the dark side. This book is both fascinating intriguing and Neil has an emotional and almost poetic way of reading it.

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