Book Review: Horrible Hauntings

Horrible Hauntings by Shirin Yim Bridges, illustrated by William Maughan, Goosebottom Books, Foster City, CA., 2012.

This is basically a ghost story book.  It is interesting to read about ghosts, many of whom were prominent people.  These include Abraham Lincoln.  He has haunted the White House, and among those who have seen him are Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who fainted; and Winston Churchill while dressing who responded, “You have me at a disadvantage, Sir!”

Prince Edward and his younger brother, who were killed by their uncle King Richard.  (Actually Edward was the king, but deemed too young to rule, and Richard was ruling in his stead, and didn’t want to relinquish the throne.  They haunt the Tower of London.

Whalley Abbey is haunted by a whole abbey of priests, with their Abbot Paslew who was executed for treason.  They haunt the old abandoned abbey.

There are several different headless horsemen.  Of course the most famous is he of Sleepy Hollow, he did away with Ichabod Crane with the use of his pumpkin head.  There are several others, someof whom carry their head under their arm.

Katherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII haunts the gallery of Hamptom Palace.  She met the same fate as her cousin Anne Boleyn, who was the King’s second wife.  Being a wife of King Henry the VIII must have been risky business.  In her haunt she is seeking the King, who denies her.  She was taken to the tower and then met her fate on the chopping block.