How to Build a Haunted House - The History of a Cultural Obsession

What makes a house haunted? Why do some buildings conjure up a reputation for being particularly creepy, while others leave us unmoved? Barring the possibility of a looming afterlife, what are the particular features, contexts and histories that lend a building the dreaded identity of haunted house? How to Build a Haunted House tours some of the world''s most famously spine-chilling structures in search of answers. From Medieval Scotland to Enlightenment-era London; Victorian suburbs to pre-Civil War Louisiana, Blackwell-Baines, an expert in Gothic art and architecture, will explore that specific set of ingredients that captures our imaginations and contributes to our collective understanding of the eternally eerie. After all, whether a staunch sceptic or paranormal enthusiast, we all know a haunted house when we see one.

Product details

• Authors: Caitlin Blackwell Baines
• Publisher: Profile Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 09.10.2025
• EAN: 9781805221487
• ISBN: 978-1-80522-148-7
• No. of pages: 320
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 238 mm x 34 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Popular Culture, General & world history, Ghosts & poltergeists, Ghosts and poltergeists, Society and culture: general, TRAVEL / Special Interest / Haunted & Unexplained