The book is great fun, but much more than that. The introduction gives an invaluable historical overview of the concept of the 'urban legend' and its place in folklore studies. This readable introduction is a valuable theoretical text, too, identifying 'print folklore' in its relations to oral culture. Even if it is not why you came to the book, I recommend the introduction (and the impressive bibliography) as providing much to contemplate while you savor the delights of stories like 'Beetle Eyes' and 'Chloroformed!'--Paul Cowdell "Fortean Times" There is much terrain to cover, but Young's volume is concise and tidy, due in part to his clean prose and careful choices of what to exclude. It offers a useful preface, an excellent introduction, and short chapters featuring a sensational tale, almost too zesty or bizarre to be believed.--Deborah M. Fratz "Supernatural Studies" This is a scholarly account of an area of popular literature that has only recently been recognised as an area of serious research by folklorists, historians and social scientists.But it is also an entertaining and engrossing introduction to some of the stranger preoccupations of Victorian life, many of which find a echo in our own time.

--John Rimmer "Magonia Review" The Nail in the Skull and Other Victorian Urban Legends will appeal to anyone interested in this genre due to the rich source of primary material that merits further research. This scholarly book of urban legends is well presented and engaging. Young demonstrates an excellent understanding of Victorian print and oral culture, and his meticulous research is evident in the detailed notes and bibliography provided.--B.C. Kennedy "Gramarye" The seventy legend types included in The Nail in the Skull and Other Victorian Urban Legends showcase the legends' independent value as stories situated in the specific space and time of Victorian Britain, extending the conversation of legends in history beyond their usefulness as remnants found in modern narratives. Victorian tales of grisly ghosts might be gnarled branches of modern legend trees, but to limit them to this role is to ignore the life that can be found in the words of the dead.--Gwyneth R.

Harris "Journal of Folklore Research Reviews" Written in an engaging and accessible style, The Nail in the Skull and Other Victorian Urban Legends covers historical background and folklore in print during Victorian times and demonstrates an excellent understanding of narrative patterns. I'm delighted with the astuteness of the book and appreciative of the exhaustive research that has produced it. Bravo!--Elizabeth Tucker, author of Haunted Halls: Ghostlore of American College Campuses.