World's Weirdest Places Paperback – Illustrated, 30 Sept. 2012

Nick Redfern is a prolific and popular writer on anomalous phenomena, and I generally enjoy his books. This one disappoints me somewhat, because much of the localized weirdness it discusses is folklore and mythology rather than the recounting of purportedly factual events. Of course, it’s horses for courses, and readers with a strong interest in folklore and mythology in their own right might well find the book more to their liking.Redfern’s treatment of certain well-known cases – such as the alleged UFO incidents in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, in late December 1980 – is rather superficial. In respect of Rendlesham Forest, he refers to one of the participants as ‘Colonel Charles Halt’ (p. 152). However, at the time in question, Halt was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, not a full colonel.Redfern states (p. 118) that for decades, if not centuries, “literally thousands” of people have seen apparently large, aquatic animals in Scotland’s Loch Ness. But he cites no reference for this assertion, and I suspect that the total number of witnesses for such sightings has been much smaller. In fact, so far as I’m aware, dramatic sightings of large, unknown creatures in, or beside, Loch Ness have been few and far between. And, of course, some reports may have been mischievous inventions or may have arisen from misperception of mundane natural phenomena.On p. 105, Redfern states that Josef Stalin held sway over the Soviet Union from 1941 until 1953. In fact, Stalin’s grip on power began much earlier than 1941. 1922 was an important year in that respect, since it was then when he was chosen to occupy the new post of General Secretary of the Communist Party.I noticed some misspellings and grammatical errors, but the book is generally well-written.

This is another great book by author Nick Redfern. He has culled a list of his favorite strange places, some well known and many others I hadn't heard of. Intriguing tales of sightings and lore are related and each location has multiple events and encounters for it to be included. Well researched as always this is a fascinating read even if you think you are familiar with some of the locations. There are many tales you have not heard. An enjoyable read for fans of unusual phenomena.

A fun book about various paranormal hotspot.

Nothing much new here but Nick Redfern is always fun and has some original insights into some of the world's goofier mysteries. Have read his books and articles in various magazines for several years, especially enjoyed his input into the now discontinued Phenomenon Magazine. I look forward to his next venture into the wonderful world of weirdness.

Nick Redfern delivers a list of 25 weirdest places across the globe, qualified not by a single outstanding unusual paranormal feature, but by a variety. Even Loch Ness has its ghost stories and mysterious creatures other than Nessie. Redfern deliberately leaves out a few sites like Stonehenge and Giza due to overexposure. Although there is a bibliography, he doesn't overdo it...some of the folklore is pretty shaky, at best. Expect Bigfoot variants, mysterious black panthers, UFOs, ghost stories, and more... all entertaining. With photos. Recommended.

This fellow has never met an adjective he didn't like.It's a shame really, because he's done so much research, But, I fear his interesting facts are getting lost in compound sentences. Frankly, I blame his editor for this. No sentence should run 5-6 printed lines. It loses too much in the format. There's way too many run-on sentences and when you get to the end, you may have completely lost the thought.I usually run through a book pretty fast, but this one? Just keep picking it up and putting it down. I really want to like it and appreciate all the background work he has done. Kudos to you, Nick for all the research. Would love to have seen the bibs connected in the work, too. That way I could pull up the research and know just where to look.Great concept and good choices to feature. Well thought out, but your thoughts are getting lost in the construction. And, that's on your editor, too. Nick gets high marks, his editor gets low marks. No excuse for doing that to him.