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This 1995 edition provides a brief history of the QUEEN MARY, including incidents that occurred aboard many believe led to some of its hauntings; primary accounts by people who witnessed its phenomena; the transcript of a séance; photos; and diagrams and sketches to illustrate some of its accounts. This book also has appendixes listing references, selected ghost movies, and "what to do if you see a ghost."
At the ship's pool side, "a young, attractive woman in a miniskirt, is sometimes viewed walking down the stairs leading to the pool, and then vanishing behind a pillar." One employee claims to feel cold spots in the kitchen where there are no drafts or ventilation and another sees a plate fly across the cafeteria. While stopping in the captain's cabin, one tour guest starts feeling seasick--as if the ship is at sea--a sensation that passes as soon as she leaves the room.
Hauntings of major traveling vessels are fairly common. Long voyages and major journeys are frequently stressful to travelers and strong emotions are usually what brings the dead back. Another ship, also permanently docked (but in the docks of the San Francisco Bay Area), where ghosts have been sighted is the USS HORNET. When Flight 401 crashed killing 101 people, Eastern Airlines salvaged undamaged parts of the plane as is the custom in the industry. Apparently, some of the crew's spirits embedded on those parts later reused and have alerted their living counterparts to dangers that helped them save lives.
The number of uncanny encounters on the QUEEN MARY are almost expected when one considers its long years of passenger service were also interrupted for military use during World War II. It transported many enemy POWs during the conflict. Water also affects psychic energy. Learning of the cases in detail is compelling for anyone intrigued by the subject.
The worst criticism this reviewer can make against this book is its poor graphic design and the way it organizes its text. While some publishing traditions become obsolete with modern technology, there are some conventions that confuse the conveying of information when violated. For instance, serif typefaces are more comfortable for long-term reading and recto pages should have odd page numbers. Author biographies and selling info for other books the house sells are usually found at the back of the volume so they don't break the flow of content in the front.
Although this volume is slim, a table of contents would be helpful. It also tends to awkwardly parcel its data. Instead of reporting a fatal incident and all the phenomena that related to it in one place, it separates and classifies the tidbits by on-board deaths and "identified" spirits, verbatim primary accounts from visitors on the ship, then the employee accounts. Although this collection of facts come from different primary sources, sometimes it's a bit repetitive and disorientating bouncing back and forth between the different cases.
For anyone interested in a intensive study on the hauntings aboard the QUEEN MARY, overlook this book's clumsy presentation. A GUIDE TO THE HAUNTED QUEEN MARY is otherwise a fine, in-depth study of a magnificent historical monument's paranormal activity.
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ALL'S FAIR- takes place during the World's Fair of 1933. The story follows Spike and Dru as they maim. Slash, and slay their way through the glitter and lights of the Fair. They also encounter hideous demons from another dimension and highly skilled assassins out for blood.
THE QUEEN OF HEARTS- As the pair travel to Sunnydale to be near the Hellmouth, the star-crossed lovers stop in St. Louis to do a bit of gambling and cause major mayhem on a riverboat casino. But, their blissful vacation is cut short by river demons.
PAINT THE TOWN RED- this story takes place shortly after Spike and Dru leave Sunnydale at the end of Buffy's second season. Dru's renewed love for Angel drives a wedge between the lovers. The end result is both of them trying to hurt the other as much as possible- which is a whole lot! With James Marsters helping with the writing, and Ryan Sook's artwork, this is by far the best story of all four.
WHO MADE WHO- tells the tale of Spike and Dru's final break up in Brazil. This is an epilog to Buffy's season three episode " Lover's Walk".
The only downside to this graphic is the artwork. Highly stylized, it's a deterant to fans who like Spike for his rugged good looks.
Still, if you like Buffy, Dru, or Spike and can find a copy of this graphic, than by all means buy it!
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If you enjoy this kind of thing (and I do), use this very handy book to add some interest and variety to a trip or just find new ''haunts'' in your own city. Most haunted places are also historic or older buildings, so you get an extra treat in seeing some unique architecture. So even if haunted isn't your thing, but historic is, this is a great book.
Be sure to call first to verify hours and if the building is still standing. Unfortunately, one highly haunted tavern in Houston was bulldozed to make room for a modern bookstore. When traveling to any city in Texas, I will always consult this book for unique and special places to enjoy food or a beer.
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The chapters are written by different people that supposedly have specialized in the chapter's area. There is little effort to make the chapters even remotely interesting. Instead they write in such a way to either bore or confuse their reader. They do nothing to make someone want to look up the books listed in the bibliographies.
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