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In the myths, legends, and folklore of many peoples, the returning,
physical dead play a significant role, whether they are the zombies
of Haiti or the draugr of Scandinavia. But what are the origins of
an actual bodily return from the grave? Does it come from something
deep within our psyche, or is there some truth to it?
In Zombies, Bob Curran explores how some of these beliefs
may have arisen and the truths that lay behind them, examining
myths from all around the world and from ancient times including
Sumerian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Celtic. Curran traces the
evolution of belief in the walking cadaver from its early inception
in religious ideology to the "Resurrections" and cataleptics of
18th century Europe, from prehistoric tale to Arthurian romance.
Zombies even examines the notion of the "living dead" in the
world today--entities such as the "living mummies" of Japan.
Zombies is a unique book, the only one to systematically
trace the development of a cultural idea of physical resurrection
and explore the myths that have grown around it, including the
miracles of Old Testament prophets. It will interest those enticed
by the return of the corporeal dead and also those curious as to
how such an idea sits within the historical context.
Interesting Read, if you're looking for history and knowledgeReviewed by Chipy1kanoby, 2009-12-11
I really enjoyed reading the book although it's a bit different from what I initially thought it was. I did still enjoy the informative nature and do recommend it.
Good and bad pointsReviewed by Ina Deaver, 2009-12-08
This is not at all a bad book - it's generally a quick, good read.
I think that the illustrations detract, but that is just me. This
book is strong on detail, and ties together a lot of information
from a lot of different places. This book is weak on organization
and could have been edited more thoroughly. I like the information
based on ancient cultures more than that based on current voodoo or
American history, but those sections do include material that is
infrequently treated.
This book truly is more about the entire history of walking dead
than it is about zombies per se. It is best at rooting current
zombie concepts in cultural history. But the material that it
presents is rather a jumble and would have benefited from a much
stronger hand in editing.
Not what I expectedReviewed by J. Harrison., 2009-06-29
I give this book a 4 because the writer did one heck of a job
compiling info on zombie legend. But the book gets a 3 for how it
comes off. It reads like a college history book. I thought I was
getting something along the lines of Brooks survival guide only
more serious.
The intro was great and then I quickly lost interest.
While an impressive piece of literature, for those who aren't
looking to study the book like they were back in school it won't do
the job.
A kudos to the writer for an impressive book, but it wasn't for
me.
I also admit I didn't look into what I was buying, only going by
the title and synopsis.
Woefully lacking of detail on surviving a zombie uprisingReviewed by Nathan Beauchamp, 2009-01-13
I purchased this book to help prepare myself for the impending
Zombie apocalypse that any reasonable person knows is coming. It
might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but it sure as hell
is on the way, and I plan to be ready when it does. Movies do a
good job of spreading awareness of the problem, but many of them
seem think zombies are a laughing matter like in Shaun of the Dead.
Computer games also help spread awareness and even teach useful
tactics like (Left 4 Dead or System Shock 2). Even the absurdity of
Zombies in space (as if we'll ever colonize space with the Zombie
threat knocking at our door!) is more useful than this book at
teaching zombie survival methodology.
ZOMBIES: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE WALKING DEAD is hardly a field guide
at all. It's more like a history lesson. While I agree with Sun
Tzu's The Art of War that knowing the enemy is essential to
victory, there are very few tactical or strategic tips in this
guide. If you want to know whether the Zombie that is attached to
your neck is more like Germanic or African archtypes, or how the
Zombies feasting on your neighbors relate to Haitian legends, this
is the book for you. Personally I don't care about stories like the
one about Constance Whitney and how she came back to life in the
1880s unless told in the context of how best to separate her head
from her shoulders using a hatchet and send her soulless body back
to the grave!
I also don't appreciate Bob Curran's tone in his so-called "Field
Guide." He obviously does not take the Zombie threat seriously
enough. In fact, it seems he doesn't believe in Zombies as anything
more than psychological constructs or religious mythology! He needs
to do more research into the many well documented Zombie attacks in
the last hundred years. No mention is made of the fact that these
attacks have been increasing both in frequency and intensity.
Curran obviously is an intelligent, articulate man with a gift for
research and writing. It will be a sad day when his disbelief and
lack of preparation leads to his demise at the hands (or mouths!)
of viscous Zombies.
If you like me will not sit idly by and wait for the Zombies to
strike, I suggest reading the most important book on Zombies ever
written: The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the
Living Dead instead of Curran's offering. It very well might save
your life.
If on the other hand you are an egg-headed history buff with a
brain the size of a ripe cantaloupe and you want to fill it with
everything there is to know about the history of zombies except how
to keep them at bay, then Curran's field guide will provide you
with several hours of entertainment. Until the Zombie masses beat
down your door.
We need to pull together in these troubled times and prepare for
any and all Zombie attacks. If you are part of the growing number
of patriots that realize that the Zombie threat is immediate and
real, I beg you to take action. Don't just learn the historical
context of our ruthless foes; join your local militia, buy a
Katana, and most of all, always be vigilant!
An excellently researched tome on the undeadReviewed by Patrick S. Dorazio, 2008-12-31
Dr. Bob Curran presents an eminently readable, indepth, and
fascinating tome on the history of the walking dead. The title of
this book is "Zombies" but to limit it to that specific term and
its origins also limits the impact of this comprehensive history of
many cultures perception of the corporeal forms of the undead that
have come back for varied reasons, both fair and foul, since nearly
the dawn of time.
This book does explore the origin of the classic Haiti zombie but
goes much deeper than that, explaining ancient European forms of
the undead, the African origins of voodoo, and a wide array of
other versions of those who come back from the grave since ancient
times including Egyptian mummies (and Japanese ones as well).
While it must be stressed that this is more of a historical journey
than one that delves into the modern day movie monster (only brief
passages allude to the works of George A. Romero and others) this
is still something that any true fan of the walking dead can
appreciate. Dr. Curran has done exhaustive research and presents
his efforts in a very easily readible format that certainly could
allow some creative writers out there to develop "new" strains of
undead in their books and movies based on historical context,
outside of the traditional voodoo variety that are displayed in
this book, such as the Draugr, as just one example.
If you are at all interested in the supernatural and the
afterlife/living dead, this is a book you should have on your
reference shelf. It certainly gave me a far greater appreciation
for the origins of humanities long time fascination with those that
return from the dead.
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