Book Review: Ghosts of St. Augustine by Dave Lapham

Ghosts of St. Augustine by Dave Lapham

St. Augustine in Florida claims to be America's oldest city. It was founded by the Spanish, taken over by the British, returned to the Spanish, and eventually became part of the United States of America. With such a long history, it is easy to see how many stories and legends have grown up around the city. The author, Dave Lapham, is interested in ghosts but is not a professional ghost hunter or psychic. When he decided to write the book, he collected stories from many people, some first hand accounts of experiences with the supernatural. Some of the specters are recently deceased, others date back to the British or Spanish periods. Lapham believes in the stories but doesn't feel the need to persuade the reader. Rather, he tells each in an entertaining way. One of the stories is even told (quite effectively) from the ghost's point of view. The creativity is refreshing and makes the book very entertaining if light reading.