Patrick Burke

This book was a bit of a dream purchase for me, as I'm both a Civil War buff and have a keen interest in the paranormal. Having read it, I can now make a good case that's its an excellent Civil War book ruined by some frankly unbelievable ghost stories. While I'm happy to accept that Gettysburg is a hotbed of psychic activity, with its history it would a major surprise if it wasn't, my natural and finely-honed scepticism draws the line at wandering out on the battlefield and instantly settling into a warm tete-a-tete with dead soldiers. There's some good stuff in this book, serious scientific investigation of paranormal events and some good acoustic and photographic evidence. Then there's the stuff that takes high strangeness to new levels, like have a Q & A session with 150 years dead soldiers from both sides to sort out a few puzzling details about the battle, then inviting them to cross over, only to be told that the soldiers don't want to cross over with the enemy, so each side lines up in military order and crosses over with suitable rebel yells and Union huzzas. Trust me, you have to read this bit, it's every bit as bizarre as it sounds. If you are a Civil War buff OR a fan of the paranormal, you will probably love this book. If you happen to be both, like me, you'll find your credibility strained to the limit, but there's enough good stuff to keep you interested.… (altro)