Product Description

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.

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Product Details

Publisher	New Page Books
ISBN	1601630220
Features	ISBN13: 9781601630223 Condition: New Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Creator	Ian Daniels
Author	Bob Curran
Format	Paperback
Label	New Page Books
Edition	1
Dewey Decimal Number	398.21
Studio	New Page Books
EAN	9781601630223
Number Of Pages	220
Title	Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead
Publication Date	2008-09-15
Manufacturer	New Page Books

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Customer Reviews

Zombies

Review by Rick G. Sibole, 2010-05-09

If you want to find out about Zombies and the walking dead then this is a good book to check out. very informative.

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Undead lore, remarks, and more - peeking through glassy eyes

Review by TastyBabySyndrome, 2010-05-07

The history of the zombie - what a thing to look over. In some places I saw the normal things that I expected, in other places I saw that there were horrible things hiding behind the proverbial curtain, and still other moments brought on some surprise information that made the brain say "hmmm." All of this was overcast in sort of a scary little package, making this reader remember that the zombie isn't simply a filler terror.

No, zombies are something terrible and feared in a lot of places. Its just the portrayal of the slow-walking, braindead-yet-not things that make them seem dismissive.

When I read the book I noticed two things right away. The first thing was the great writing that was involved in the completion of this book, and the other part of the book was the illustrations that were there for effect and more. In my imnd, some of these illustrations took the vessel and showed specific about it, making them seem all-the-more real when they were laid out on paper. That meant tjhat the two sides made one great creation, and that it made this reader a happy camper.

I do not want to say too much on the book because you can see that the book is on the subject of Zombies, is treated as a scientific tool that mingles in stories and ideas so you have Field Guide. That explains what was being aimed at and, in my mind, I thought it came across beautifully. If you want something that explains the walking dead in a very steady way, check this out. It is nice to know your enemies, friends, or that whatever in-between.

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TEDIOUS

Review by R. Pearce, 2010-04-10

Way more than you ever wanted to know about zombies from the point of view of a cultural anthropologist and folklore specialist. Mostly boring information that is either well known or of minor interest. For those with an academic interest in the history of zombies and related revenants. The book is indexed and contains a Bibliography, Ho-Hum. Buy a good novel, instead.

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Interesting Read, if you're looking for history and knowledge

Review 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.

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Good and bad points

Review 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.

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