Out now – my new book, co-written with renowned sociologist Robert Bartholomew: Social Panics and Phantom Attackers – A Study of Imaginary Assailants….
It covers needle spiking from the early 20th century to today, the Halifax Slasher, the London Monster, Spring-heeled Jack, Satanic Ritual Cat Killers, Mad Gassers, Penis Thieves and much more…
Available to order
Here’s the blurb:
This book provides an accessible overview of one particular type of social panic: that of the phantom attacker. Such panics are characterised by outbreaks of sensational claims of attacks by mysterious figures that seem to emerge from nowhere, attack their innocent human and animal victims, only to vanish without a trace. Taking the recent wave of needle-spiking reports in Europe as a starting point, this book does more than just catalogue such outbreaks historically and geographically. It also ties the phenomenon of phantom assailants to the moral panics literature.
Meticulously investigating archival sources, the authors examine the social construction of social panics and unearth the parallels between contemporary episodes and historical antecedents in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Focusing on the sociohistorical and -cultural context, they uncover the role of mass media in creating and perpetuating these panics, which respond to anxieties pervading societies at particular points in history.
Written in a lively style, this book is not only of interest for scholars and students of sociology, criminology, social psychology, media studies and history but also appeals to a lay audience interested in urban legends and true crime.
…and some reviews…
“This engaging book will resonate with scholars, students, and the general public. As I see it, this enterprise is a slam-dunk.”
―Erich Goode, Sociology Professor Emeritus, Stony Brook University, New York, USA, and co-author of Moral Panics
“A thorough account of a myriad of horrifying and society-shaking crimes perpetrated by monstrous boogeymen – psychopaths, satanists, sexual deviants, witches, enemies of the state… Probably, none of these crimes actually happened.”
―David Scott, writer & producer for Discovery, History, & National Geographic
Paul Weatherhead 