Customer Reviews:
 Thorough August 7, 2005
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Well this book has quite a bit on vampires.. but mostly it has information related to vampires, like what actor played "Blackula", information on Batman, Actors of all kinds that have played vampires in movies, TOO MUCH on Bram Stoker's Dracula, Vlad, Elizabeth Bathory, etc.. But considering how much is in here, you'll probably still find lot's of interesting stuff and since it's an encyclopedia format, you can find things with ease.
 Very Well Researched Reference Book - Highly Enjoyable. March 1, 2004
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
The Werewolf Book is a very well researched reference book on Werewolves and Shape shifting. It covers everything from the origins of the Werewolf myth to the Wolf Man movies. It does have, as another reviewer pointed out, a whole lot of entries on popular culture. I think that's wonderful, because this book covers EVERYTHING that has to do with Werewolves, past and present. So, what others see as immaterial data, I see as icing on the cake.This book covers many aspects of Werewolves, but primarily two; the Hollywood side, and the real side - including myths, legends, historical accounts, authors of fiction novels, Werewolfologists, researchers, etc. The Hollywood articles of this book covers television shows, movies, and even stuff I've never heard of. While this book covers the Hollywood aspect of the Werewolves very well, it does cover about everything you can think of relating to the Werewolves in every culture and legend. Some may not like the `encyclopedic' format, but I do as I can find what I want quicker and more efficiently.
It is definitely worth the price, and easy and enjoyable to read. This book is my best Werewolf book on my shelves of over 50 covering Werewolves and Vampires. Anyone who has ever loved the Werewolf's myths needs to get this book! Being an avid reader and collector of books, this is the first one people pick up and thumb through when in my large study. The book is full of everything, and is over 400 pages long and 8" X 10" size. The indexes in the back are very helpful. All in all, this book is extremely helpful and I would recommend it to any one who is interested in Werewolves. This book is a must for Werewolf fanatics. I have been a fan of Steiger's works and have read these best-selling books by the author which I highly recommend; `Philadelphia Experiment', `Alien Rapture', `The Star People', and `Project Blue Book'. I also recommend `Vampire Book' by Melton, and `A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits', by Mack.
Impressive Reference for Both Enthusiasts & Casual Fans. February 27, 2004
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Written by religious scholar and head of the Transylvania Society of Dracula's American chapter, J. Gordon Melton, "The Vampire Book" is an impressive attempt at a comprehensive reference work on vampire lore, from the emergence of documented vampire folklore in the 11th century to the present fascination with vampires in literature, film, and our popular culture. This mammoth volume (919 pages) begins with an forward by Martin V. Riccardo of the Vampire Studies network in which he presents an informative overview of the history of vampires in world cultures. Author J. Gordon Melton's preface addresses the important and sometimes perplexing question: What is a vampire? And there is a chronology of important events in vampire history from the year 1047 to 1997.The bulk of "The Vampire Book" is 802 pages of encyclopedia that addresses a wide variety of subjects, in alphabetical order, relevant to vampire culture in literature, film, theater, folklore, history, and gaming. Entries for people include writers, actors, directors, and vampire scholars. As an example, the long entry for "Blood" recounts the significance of blood in ancient Biblical and secular traditions and vampire mythology. "Greece, Vampires in" presents the history of vampire legend in Greece. Each entry is followed by a list of sources. Among novels, films, and authors, only works that are considered significant or pivotal are given a separate entry. For example, the "Blade" comic book serial has its own entry. The 1998 film "Blade" does not, although it is alluded to under some other subjects. There are some black-and-white photographs scattered throughout the book, and there is a 16-page color insert in the center. For those who own the first edition of "The Vampire Book", this "revamped" edition has 100 additional topics and updates on other entries. The vampire filmography that was included in the first edition became too unwieldy. It has been expanded and is now published as a separate book: "VideoHound's Vampires on Video". Vampire fanatics and casual fans alike will find the "Vampire Resources" section in the back of the book useful. There are lists of vampire organizations, periodicals, and websites in North America and Europe, including separate lists for "Dark Shadows" fans. Vampire dramas on stage and all "significant" vampire novels from 1897 to 1997 are listed. There is a bibliography of vampire non-fiction and literary criticism. And if the subject you seek isn't where you thought it would be in the encyclopedia, there is a 50-page index to assist you. I'm sure that there will be disagreements on what should or should not have been included in "The Vampire Book", but this is about as comprehensive as we can expect a reference work covering 1,000 years of vampires in popular culture to be. J. Gordon Melton's research is impressive. His writing is fluid and not as dry as might be expected. I'm only a casual fan of vampire film and literature, so I thought that I would use this book to learn about the particular vampire topics that appeal to me. But I found it so interesting that I read the whole thing. "The Vampire Book" is a scholarly resource for all aspects of vampire lore and a highly readable reference for the casual fan as well. If vampires fascinate you, "The Vampire Book" will too.
Best Vampire Resource book! May 15, 2003
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
There are two books I use most when looking up vampire facts and this is one of them! I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to research vampires and vampire lore.
 A very godd reference May 14, 2003
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book is certainly worth the money. It is a very helpful reference book on vampires and covers everthing from the origins of the vampire myth to the Dracula Convention of 1997. It does have, as another reviewer pointed out, a whole lot of of entries on popular culture. I think that's okay, becaue this book covers EVERYTHING that has to do with vampires, past and present. Besides vampire myths from around the world, the book covers vampire novels, poetry, plays, movies, music, television shows, games, and much more. The book is full of everything, and is over 800 pages long. The "Chronology of the Vampire" is very interesting and the cross referance is excellent. The indexes in the back are very helpful.
Unfortunatly, there are some inconsistencies between the entries. I probably wouldn't have noticed this if I hadn't read the book cover to cover. Some entries aren't as interesting as others, but this is because of the wide range the book covers. Another complaint I had was that the author had entries on Lestat and Armand from Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles but didn't have an entry on Louis. While I love Lestat and understand he is more popular, I think Louis deserves an entry too. This is, of course, a minor complaint, but I wanted to mention it. All in all, this book is extreamly helpful and I would recomend it to any one who is interested in vampires. This book is a must for Vampire fanatics.
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