Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances

'Fascinating . . . a fun and thorough look at how humans have tried to communicate with the dead over time.' Library Journal

'An impressive piece of research . . . a must-read for anyone fascinated with Spiritualism.' Alma Katsu, author of The Deep

Calling the Spirits investigates the eerie history of our conversations with the dead, from necromancy in Homer's Odyssey to the emergence of Spiritualism, when Victorians were entranced by mediums and the seance was born.

Among our cast are the Fox sisters, teenagers surrounded by 'spirit rappings' who later confessed to fraud; Daniel Dunglas Home, often called the greatest medium of all time, who was seen to levitate during sittings; William Crookes, the renowned scientist who risked his reputation to affirm the psychic powers of young Florence Cook; Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose unlikely friendship was forged, then riven, by the afterlife; and Helen Duncan, the medium whose 1944 trial for witchcraft proved more popular than war news.

The book also considers Ouija boards, modern psychics and paranormal investigations, and is illustrated with engravings, fine art (channelled from beyond) and photographs. Hugely entertaining, it begs the question: Is anybody there . . . ?