As a budding Folklorist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, I have derived great pleasure from, and relied heavily upon "Curious Myths of the Middle Ages." It supurbly outlines the basic myths themselves, while providing a highly rational and non-biased discussion upon their origins, relevance, and truthfullness.

It is highly entertaining, and to anyone who loves folklore and mythology, is like being let loose in a candy shop!

The chapter on The man in the moon inspired my website. Some real gems. In one chapter, the author proves convincingly that William Tell never existed, and then uses the same logic to prove that Napoleon was entirely mythical. More than just a collection of stories, this book shows how history and myth, reality and imagination are frequently interchangeable

A frightfully interesting thesis concerning lycanthropy. It deals with reactions to the phenomenon in classical civilisations, Norse mythology, as well as its trial. Lots of areas of this complex subject matter are exposed.

Sabine Baring-Gould spent a lifetime writing books on any subject he could find, totalling well over 100, but we might not have had this one if it weren't for a chance encounter with an unknown creature on a dark and foggy moor. One would expect a book full of righteous indignations about the power of god over evil (considering he was a priest), or one that gives in fully to the fantasy of the myth, but instead, Baring-gould recounts a history of the myth that is not only analytical and modern (he equates lycanthropy to mental afflictions and diseases like lupus) but always enthralling and intriguing. From the history of the words surrounding the myth to a detailed account of the truths surrounding the Marechal de Rais (the true Bluebeard) Baring-Gould proves with a resounding howl that the truth is stranger than fiction! This book is a must for fans of the macabre!

The first time I found The Book of Werewolves, I was doing research for a paper in English 102 during my second symester at the university I was attending. I was astonished how accuratly a man born in the early part of the 19th century had assessed the history of lycanthropy and discussed the mental instibility of those believing that they could alter their form from human to wolf. I spent years afterword searching for a copy of the text that I may keep for my own. Luckily, I was able to obtain a copy because it had finally returned to print. And when I found this sight and saw that criticisms were accepted for books available, I decided to take the time to tell anyone who has thought about obtaining this book that they should run, not walk, to the order area here and pick up a copy

I bought this book because it is written by the same man as "Onward Christian Soldiers", a hymn familiar to many Christians. I thought perhaps it would shed some light on the werewolf legend in conjunction with Christianity. Instead, it merely recounts horrific and brutal tales of werewolves--both legend and supposedly true accounts. The "true accounts" are of persons who believed themselves to be wolfs, or other animals, and not who actually changed into the animal. Very grisly.

I give it three stars because it is informative, it is a historic recounting of the myth, going back centuries to what was then contemporary (1880's), but be advised that it is very unsettling and absolutely NOT intended for children.