Historic Ghosts and Ghost Hunters

Historic Ghosts and Ghost Hunters is a book by H. Addington Bruce, first published in 1908. The American journalist and psychologist, known for his role in popularising psychical research, examines a series of celebrated hauntings dating from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries.

Among the cases discussed are the Devils of Loudun, the Drummer of Tedworth, the mediumistic phenomena surrounding Mr. Home, and the Watseka Wonder. Bruce approaches these episodes with a sceptical yet open-minded attitude, combining historical narrative with insights drawn from the developing field of psychology.

Weighing explanations such as hallucination, suggestion, and fraud against the possibility of genuine paranormal activity, the book helped shape early debates between spiritualists and critics alike. It remains a foundational work in the study of ghostlore and the psychology of belief.