Ghosts are everywhere--whether you believe in them or not. Every town has its local legends, and countless books, movies, and TV shows are haunted by their presence. But our obsession with ghosts runs deeper than we know--and is embedded in the very fabric of American history. Writer and historian Marc Hartzman dons the mantle of tour guide, taking readers on a fascinating journey through supernatural history, including: Famous haunted sites like the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia and the LaLaurie House in New Orleans; Famous ghosts like the Bell Witch of Tennessee and the Greenbrier Ghost of West Virginia.

Introduction: a message from this side of the veil -- The ghosts of human pasts : the ancient and medieval beliefs that shape our modern conceptions of ghosts -- Conversations with the dead : modern spiritualism through the roaring twenties -- Ghost sightings and paranormal phenonmena : from famous hauntings to lesser-known unknowns -- Ghosts in the machines : can technology build a bridge to the beyond?.