Bøger af Eric Stanway

Since the dawn of time, mankind has feared the darkest months, and held hope for the return of Spring.Our ancestors spent the long nights hunched over the fire, telling stories to curdle the blood. It is a Christmas tradition that has endured, with renowned authors such as Charles Dickens and M.R. James contributing to the genre. Here, then, are five new blood-stained tales, where the long-dead arise, seeking vengeance. Read this after the children have been put to bed, near a roaring fire, with a glass of Smoking Bishop ready at hand. The spirits are calling, and these are the nights they walk the earth.

In 1867, Charles Dickens returned to Boston, to read his famed Christmas Carol to an American audience.

Eric Stanway delves into the classics for a series of bloodcurdling tales, courtesy of Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, and more

In this sequel to "History on a Plate," Eric Stanway continues his foray into the history of various dishes and the people and cultures that inspired them. Caesar Cardini, inventor of the Caesar Salad, is profiled, as are the creators of Moxie and the Salisbury Steak. Along the way, we'll also look at the history of Spam, Licorice, and even delve into the deep-fried Twinkie. This volume is indispensable to anyone with an interest in food -- and, basically, everyone who eats.

Do you know... How Walt Disney and carrots helped to win the Second World War? What British dessert had a name so rude that it was banned from supermarket shelves? How the Seven Years' War led to the invention of mayonnaise? Fret not, dear reader. The answer to this and other burning culinary questions await within!

Of all the regions in the United States, New England seems to harbor the most accounts of restless spirits. Join Eric Stanway as he takes you on a tour of the area's darkest legends, including an array of spectral ships, the haunted schoolhouse of Newburyport, Mass., the strange case of accused witch Goody Cole in Hampton, N.H., the Black Lady who still haunts Fort Warren in Boston Harbor, and the odd coincidences in Mont Vernon, N.H. that led descendents of some of the principal players in the Salem Witchcraft trials to make amends. Dark and twisted, these tales make perfect reading for the Halloween season.

From the pages of 19th-century newspapers comes a rogue's gallery of homicidal maniacs, from Joseph Lapage, who decapitated his young victim in Pembroke, to George Abbott, whose career of violence led him to the hangman's noose, and Franklin B. Evans, whose murderous exploits only ended when he victimized his own family. Largely forgotten today, these villains commanded the attention of our ancestors in the days before television and radio.

When the pirate Thomas Veale was trapped in a cave in Lynn, Massachusetts, back in 1658, along with his treasure, a succession of events ensued that defy explanation. With a strange pantheon of characters, including the famed Hutchinson family, the self-proclaimed messiah Murray Spear, and the dogged work of Hiram Marble, this legend has all the aspects of a great epic. The best thing about it, though, is that it all happens to be true.

The city of Gardner, Massachusetts has long been known as a forefront in the furniture manufacturing industry. There is, however, a dark side to this metropolis. Join Eric Stanway as he takes us on a trip through the dark side of the city's history, from the brutal murder of the Kneeland sisters to the bizarre case of John Carlton, accused of trying to dispose of the body of an infant. Along the way, there are train disasters, explosions and drownings -- part and parcel of any old city.

Fifteen years ago, Croglin Grange was the site of a hideous attack by vampires. Now, in 1890, they have returned to plague the tiny village once again. Dr. Korvus, his biomechanical companion Plato, and Tom Wilson hurry to the scene, even as the townspeople are being slaughtered on the streets. A new horde of bloodthirsty fiends stand in their way, under the leadership of Judge Mortimer Fisher, a 17th-century monster who has returned to make the whole world his own.

Travel with us through the back roads of the Bay State, where we'll discover the darkest secrets of the Commonwealth. Visit a roadside stand, where dinosaur footprints are to be found right under your feet. Explore the tale of the other woman who was murdered with an axe in Fall River, only to be eclipsed by Lizzie Borden. Uncover the tale of the ghost which haunts a supermarket in Wilmington, and the bizarre story behind it. Find out about the sad ending of founding father John Hancock, and the neglect that visited his home. Finally, take a stroll through Satan's Kingdom, and relive those dark and bloody days that gave the community its name. You'll soon find that Massachusetts is a much darker place than you ever imagined.

Visit The Darker Side of Keene... Since its settlement in 1733, many strange events have transpired in the seemingly quiet City of Keene. Join us as we explore a few of the more bizarre anecdotes from its history, including the persecuted Tory who hid in a cave; the man who was found dead by chloroform in the middle of a busy street; a tragedy at a bowling alley that ended in violence and suicide; and a young man who discovered he could tame lions at his whim. All this lies within, along with many more tales that make up the tapestry of this ancient city.

Contained herein are a half-dozen tales of New Hampshire. Some are true, some half-true, others outright fiction. But all of them, from the Faustian Jonathan Moulton, to the eccentric, frog-eating English Jack, the ever-traveling Peter Rugg, the blood-lusting Doc Benton, the hapless Ruth Blay, and the twice-convicted Joseph Buzzell, exhibit that particular sense of wonder and ancient mystery which pervades the Granite State. Come with us again, and see what oddities can be excavated from this ancient and rocky ground.

There is an ancient legend in Rindge, New Hampshire, pertaining to one old house. In the year 1817, a fugitive artist came to this home, starting a series of events that would end in terror and death. "The Old Rindge House" recounts this local legend, as well as examining the history behind it. Lavishly illustrated with paintings, photographs and maps, this volume brings to life a little-known slice of New England history.

Travel with us into the dark world of the undead, as they stalk our nightmares in their never-ending quest for human blood. Here are gathered eleven classic tales of vampiric horror, courtesy of such literary luminaries as F. Marion Crawford, E. F. Benson, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, and others. These are tales meant to be savored in the darkest hours of the night, when the dogs are howling, and the wind is rattling at your windows.

Take a walk through West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and you will discover, deep in the woods, the crumbling remains of Madame Sherri's castle. Theatrical, eccentric and flamboyant, Madame scandalized the locals for years, before succumbing to poverty. Here, illustrated with a smorgasbord of illustrations and photographs, is the diva's full story, told here for the first time.

The history of mankind can be traced through the culinary traditions of various cultures that have interacted with each other over the centuries. "History on a Plate" attempts to trace some of those connections, while recalling such luminaries as Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, Mr. Beeton and a pantheon of heroes, rascals and characters who have shaped how we think, and what we eat.

Every small town has its hidden stories, and the hamlet of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire is no exception. There are, for instance, such strange tales as a desperate mother who abandoned her child in the woods; an act of kindness from a traveling musician that changed the life of a family; a man who traveled to Boston, only to be dismembered, floating in the Charles River; a fiddling contest that led to bloodshed, and much, much more. Strange Tales of Fitzwilliam will forever change the way that you think about small town life.

Join us as we once again delve into the darkest aspects of the Granite State. This time, we have a haunted house in Dublin with an extremely unfriendly ghost; the bizarre tale of Frederick Small of Ossipee, who might have gotten away with murder, had he not been so cheap; the murderous rampage of Thomas Samon of Laconia, whose axe-murdering spree left three dead and one woman critically injured; and the homicidal career of Samuel Green, which ended with the noose in 1822. As these tales will readily attest, there is no shortage of twisted anecdotes in New Hampshire.

There is a long-standing British tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas. Collected within are a baker's dozen of creepy seasonal offerings from such authors as Charles Dickens, M. R. James, Amelia B. Edwards and many others. So, gather round the fire, roast some chestnuts, mull some punch, and get ready for a delightfully scary Christmas Eve.

Eric Stanway returns for a second helping of classic horror, courtesy of some of the greatest writers in literature. The Brothers Grimm hold forth with "Godfather Death;" Ambrose Bierce spins a tale of "The Boarded Window;" an anonymous author takes us into the pit of terror in "The Monk of Horror;" Edgar Allan Poe regales us with "King Pest" and "Masque of the Red Death;" Jerome K. Jerome warns us of the dangers of technology in "The Dancing Partner;" and Bram Stoker offers a missing chapter in the saga of the undead vampire lord in "Dracula's Guest." These are tales meant to be read on a dark and stormy night, with the lights turned down low, and nary a sound to be heard, save the creaking of your house in the wind.

The small towns and villages that cluster around the base of Mount Monadnock in Southwestern New Hampshire are a treasure trove of legends, including murders, ghosts, and strange phenomena that defy explanation. Contained herein is a collection of true stories of villians and victims, curious and fantastic events that echo from the past and resonate into the present day. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and archival material, "Mysteries of Monadnock" is sure to fascinate anyone with a taste for uncanny stories and the history of New England.

Avast Ye Scurvy Dogs! Climb aboard and immerse yourself in the nautical tales of olde New England. You'll find it all here - the skeletal crew that drove a treacherous sea captain to madness; the long and bloody history of Nix's Mate in Boston Harbor; the Mooncusser who has to shovel out a sandbar for eternity; a fire and brimstone preacher who engaged the Devil himself in mortal combat; the bizarre gibbet erected on Boston Common to accommodate three criminals at once; and the sea serpent that keeps coming back to Gloucester, just to terrify the locals. There's blood and salt water in all of these tales. So settle back, pour a glass of rum, and get ready for some of the darkest legends ever to rise from the ocean depths.

The Bay State has more than its share of weird stories, resonating throughout the centuries. Join Eric Stanway on an exploration of some of its strange tales, from the "Boy Fiend" of Chelsea to the mysterious tomb of Asa Snow of Dana, the brutal murder of Captain Joseph White of Salem, and much more. Bizarre and violent beyond description, these are tales you never learned in school.

Back in 2002, when director Martin Scorcese released his acclaimed film Gangs of New York, he introduced a whole generation to the character of the vicious gang leader William Poole, more popularly known as Bill The Butcher. The narrative, while impressive, did jettison historical accuracy in favor of dramatic tension. Here, then, is the full and true story of this notorious villain, set against the rough and tumble background of New York's Five Points, as set forth in newspaper reports and contemporary accounts.

The setting is London in the 1890s. The capital of Britain is at the height of its powers, holding sway over the largest empire the world has ever seen. But now it is under attack, by creatures rising out of the ground, attacking the populace. A massive infection is the result, transforming ordinary human beings into shambling, moss-covered monsters.Standing in their way is Dr. Korvus, inventor, visionary and, quite possibly, madman. With the aid of Plato, his biomechanical rat, and his two other companions, he is determined to rid the world of a threat which could destroy the entire human race.Children of the Abyss is the first in a series of novels chronicling the adventures of Dr. Korvus and Plato, and their supernatural adventures in Victorian London.

In the city of Gardner, Massachusetts, stands an imposing old house. Built by chair-manufacturing magnate Sylvester K. Pierce in 1875, the home became the scene for a number of heinous tragedies. The mansion stands empty now -- except for the numerous ghosts that still walk its rooms and corridors. Featured on an episode of the SyFy Channel's "Ghost Hunters," the house has attracted the attention of paranormal investigators nationwide. Join Eric Stanway, author of "Madame Sherri" and "The Old Rindge House," as he takes you inside what could easily be the most haunted house in the Commonwealth.

New England has more than its share of bizarre personalities, from Lord Timothy Dexter, who made a fortune from the most twisted circumstances, to Walter E. Tillinghast, who claimed to have buzzed all over the region in his own airship. Then there's the famous "Leather Man," who spent 30 years traveling in a wide circle, and General Daniel Pratt, whose nonsensical lectures made him a weird celebrity. Join us in an exploration of the most noted oddballs of the northeast, as we recount the exploits of these notorious eccentrics.