The Cornish coast holds many secrets. From lore and legend come extraordinary tales of the supernatural, while recorded historical events are often even more startling. From mermaids and phantom ships, to smuggling and shipwrecks, the wild and rugged coast is the inspiring scene of the many strange and terrifying encounters between man, the elements and the supernatural, recounted in this book.

Yet the authors avoid retracing the well-trod path of previous writers on the subject; much of what is here is new. Their academic training and scientific inclination have formed a disciplined approach to their research, and while the text is both absorbing and excitingly written, readers are left to decide for themselves from the evidence provided just what is truth and what is fiction.

This is not a sit-at-home guide – through the many illustrations, photographs and maps you are encouraged to explore for yourself the sites of many of these strange encounters and events. Though you may not witness for yourself the ghostly forms of ancient mariners, you will be certain to discover more of Cornwall’s mysterious coast.

Imprint: Halsgrove. ISBN 978 1 84114 255 5, hardback, 214x230mm, 144 pages. Reprinted March 2008.