Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is one of the best-loved films of Classical Hollywood cinema, a story of despair and redemption in the aftermath of war that is one of the central movies of the 1940s, and a key text in America’s understanding of itself. This is a film that remains relevant to our own anxieties and yearnings, to all the contradictions of ordinary life, while also enacting for us the quintessence of the classic Hollywood aesthetic. Nostalgia, humour, and a tough resilience weave themselves through this movie, intertwining it with the fraught cultural moment of the end of World War II that saw its birth. It offers a still compelling merging of fantasy and realism that was utterly unique when it was first released, and has rarely been matched since. Michael Newton's study of the film investigates the source of its extraordinary power and its long-lasting impact. He begins by introducing the key figures in the movie’s production - notably director Frank Capra and star James Stewart - and traces the making of the film, and then provides a brief synopsis of the film, considering its aesthetic processes and procedures, touching on all those things that make it such an astonishing film. Newton's careful analysis explores all those aspects of the film that are fundamental to our understanding of it, particularly the way in which the film brings tragedy and comedy together. Finally, Newton tells the story of the film’s reception and afterlife, accounting for its initial relative failure and its subsequent immense popularity.

Learn the latest details and most recent groundbreaking discoveries that reveal, for the first time, the mystery of life in the spirit world after death on Earth--proof that our consciousness survives--in "Journey of Souls" by Michael Newton, Ph.D.
Using a special hypnosis technique to reach the hidden memories of subjects, Dr. Newton discovered some amazing insights into what happens to us between lives. "Journey of Souls" is the record of 29 people who recalled their experiences between physical deaths. Through their extraordinary stories, you will learn specifics about:
-How it feels to die
-What you see and feel right after death
-The truth about "spiritual guides"
-What happens to "disturbed" souls
-Why you are assigned to certain soul groups in the spirit world and what you do there
- How you choose another body to return to Earth
-The different levels of souls: beginning, intermediate, and advanced
-When and where you first learn to recognize soulmates on Earth
-The purpose of life
"Journey of Souls" is a graphic record or "travel log" by these people of what happens between lives on Earth. They give specific details as they movingly describe their astounding experiences.
After reading "Journey of Souls, " you will gain a better understanding of the immortality of the human soul. You will meet day-to-day challenges with a greater sense of purpose. You will begin to understand the reasons behind events in your own life.
"Journey of Souls" is a life-changing book. Already, over 165,000 people have taken "Journey of Souls" to heart, giving them hope in trying times. You should read a copy, too.

There are strange monsters in Indiana. Some are grudgingly called "hypothetical" species by the state's Department of Natural Resources; others are merely exotic, overlooked, or "hidden" animals, that people think are extinct or just not possible in the Hoosier State. Read about: *Exotic reptiles and fish overlooked on official rosters, *"Extinct" cougars that refuse to disappear, *Alien big cats (including lions and black panthers), *Lake and swamp monsters, *Freshwater cephalopods, *Phantom kangaroos and "Devil Monkeys," *Bigfoot, mer people, lizard men, giant birds, and *A 40-foot dragon. Explore the Indiana monsters that date from the early nineteenth century to modern times. Indiana's creatures will fascinate you as much as the intrepid hunters who stalk them.

"Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls are two of the most fascinating books I have ever read."--Academy Award-Winning Actress and Author Shirley MacLaine A pioneer in uncovering the secrets of life, internationally recognized spiritual hypnotherapist Dr. Michael Newton takes you once again into the heart of the spirit world. His groundbreaking research was first published in the bestselling Journey of Souls, the definitive study on the afterlife. Now, in Destiny of Souls, the saga continues with 70 case histories of real people who were regressed into their lives between lives. Dr. Newton answers the requests of the thousands of readers of the first book who wanted more details about various aspects of life on the other side. Destiny of Souls is also designed for the enjoyment of first-time readers who haven't read Journey of Souls. Explore the meaning behind your own spiritual memories as you read the stories of people in deep hypnosis, and learn fascinating details about: Our purpose on Earth Soul mates and spirit guides Spiritual settings and where souls go after death Soul travel between lives Ways spirits connect with and comfort the living The soul-brain connection Why we choose certain bodies

Haunted Europe offers the first comprehensive account of the British and Irish fascination with a Gothic vision of continental Europe, tracing its effect on British intellectual life from the birth of the Gothic novel, to the eve of Brexit, and the symbolic recalibration of the UK's relationship to mainland Europe. By focusing on the development of the relationship between Britain and Ireland and continental Europe over more than two-hundred years, this collection marks an important departure from standard literary critical narratives, which have tended to focus on a narrow time-period and have missed continuities and discontinuities in our ongoing relationship with the mainland.

'I seemed to gaze upon a vast space, the limits of which extended far beyond my vision...' This anthology gathers together seventeen gripping tales from the nineteenth and early twentieth century that make up the foundations of science fiction. It moves from Mary Shelley to H. G. Wells, from Edgar Allan Poe to W. E. B. Du Bois, and from George Eliot to Jack London. Before the term 'science fiction' was established, writers pursued a new and strange subject matter, to be written about in a startlingly new way. The selected stories in this collection reflect the many diverse paths that led towards science fiction, including scientific Gothic, dystopian fantasies, psychological hoaxes, feminist parables, fictions of time-travel, adventure stories, uncanny tales, and stories of alien encounters. The anthology unveils the power of the literature of the period and exposes our fascination with scientific discovery and the allure (and threat) of the imagined future. This edition includes an introduction by Michael Newton setting out the themes of the tales and exploring the development of science fiction. Newton explores how the stories engage with anxiety about the limits of the rational mind, the fact of Empire and the discoveries of anthropology, the uneasy figure of the scientist, the rapid development of technology, and the presence of the alien other. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Haunted Europe offers the first comprehensive account of the British and Irish fascination with a Gothic vision of continental Europe, tracing its effect on British intellectual life from the birth of the Gothic novel, to the eve of Brexit, and the symbolic recalibration of the UK's relationship to mainland Europe. By focusing on the development of the relationship between Britain and Ireland and continental Europe over more than two-hundred years, this collection marks an important departure from standard literary critical narratives, which have tended to focus on a narrow time-period and have missed continuities and discontinuities in our ongoing relationship with the mainland.

Meet California's legendary monsters in this guided tour, from the sea, where life began, to the Golden State's scenic lakes, majestic mountains, brooding forests, and rumored "alien tunnels" beneath the streets of Los Angeles. Cower beneath a giant vulture with a wingspan of 25 feet in San Bernadino County. See a 30-foot-long flying/slithering serpent/bird in Riverside County that matched the speed of a train. Tour the lost underground city connecting L.A. to Santa Monica Bay, where lizard people were dropped off by a prehistoric meteor shower. Unknown creatures may appear at any time, to startle, frighten, and in some cases devour unwary humans. While Bigfoot is known to many, California's other strange creatures giant birds and reptiles, lizard men, winged apes, man-sized fish, and salamanderswill surprise and fascinate you.

Everything you need to know about the bloody history of the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama, from its inception in 1866 to its current abominations, is here. During Reconstruction, the KKK "redeemed" the state for white, one-party rule, then disbanded. In 1915, it reappeared as a fraternal order and political vehicle. What started out as a small group of drunken Confederate veterans on horseback harassing freed slaves became a vast network of violent, power-hungry racists. The Klan committed its most atrocious crimes against the African-American civil rights movement from 1954 to 1969. Read about an innocent man whose irreparable mutilation was intended as a warning to a pastor who supported racial integration of schools. The Klan's most devastating hate crime of that era, the deadly bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, remained technically unsolved until 1977. Even today, the KKK and its philosophy endure.

For fans of true crime, this fourth entry in the Profiles in Crime series presents history's most "elite" serial killers--master murderers who stretched the psychic envelope and racked up the largest number of victims. Historical in scope and international in breadth, this collection of true-crime stories chronicles 15 of the most infamous "extreme killers" who ever lived--those with the largest number of confirmed kills, in many cases more than 50. The subjects range from 15th-century French child killer Gilles de Rais, purportedly the model for the folk legend of "Bluebeard," to Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole, who inspired the film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer; to Samuel Little, America's most prolific serial killer with 60 confirmed and 93 claimed murdered, to Mikhail Popkov, dubbed "The Werewolf" by Russian media for having slain more than 70 women between 1992 and 2010.

Rosemary's Baby is one of the greatest movies of the late 1960s and one of the best of all horror movies, an outstanding modern Gothic tale. An art-house fable and an elegant popular entertainment, it finds its home on the cusp between a cinema of sentiment and one of sensation. Michael Newton's study of the film traces its development at a time when Hollywood stood poised between the old world and the new, its dominance threatened by the rise of TV and cultural change, and the roles played variously by super producer Robert Evans, the film's producer William Castle, director Polanski and its stars including Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes. Newton's close textual analysis explores the film's meanings and resonances, and, looking beyond the film itself, he examines its reception and cultural impact, and its afterlife, in which Rosemary's Baby has become linked with the terrible murder of Polanski's wife and unborn child by members of the Manson cult, and with controversies surrounding the director.

Strange Ohio Monsters is the first book-length survey of unknown creatures reported from the Buckeye State throughout recorded history. The list includes hundreds of Bigfoot sightings, serpentine monsters reported from several lakes, encounters with huge birds and winged creatures resembling prehistoric reptiles, meetings with "Mothman," giant snakes and lizards, phantom kangaroos, alien mystery cats resembling tigers and African lions, and apparently thriving populations of creatures deemed officially extinct for generations. Beyond the "normal" range of unidentified creatures, modern witnesses report sightings of humanoid giants and pygmies, child-sized bipedal frogs, and lurking nocturnal predators that mutilate livestock and pets from farm country to the suburbs. Aboriginal tribes were the first to encounter such creatures, but bizarre reports continue in this second decade of the 21st century.

Meet Kentucky's legendary monsters in this guided tour. Examine reports of cryptids, a ball python snake found in a rental car, and a one-eyed ape near the Kentucky River. Includes a comprehensive list of alleged Bigfoot encounters, alien big cats, fresh-water phantoms, cold-blooded creatures, and monsters so strange they defy classification.

Is it possible that unusual creatures share the Pacific Northwest with its 10.3 million human occupants? It's true! Oregon and Washington have "misplaced" alien invaders, such as a half-inch flea, a giant spider with a leg span of three inches, and a snakehead fish (made famous of late in four horror movies) that can breathe in water and on land, and grows to be about four feet long. There are sea monsters, from prehistoric times to the present, as well as freshwater phantoms said to infest lakes and rivers. The sky has winged wonders that resemble species long believed to be extinct. These are the stuff of nightmares: thunderbirds described as raptors, resembling eagles or vultures, with a wingspan of eight feet, as well as Bigfoot and other large bipeds. A comprehensive guide to a crypto zoo of the Northwest, this book details the Black Tamanous, a man-eating monster; a kangaroo man; the usual brownies, elves, fairies, gnomes, leprechauns, pixies, wee folk; and many more. You may find this research unsettling, even frightening. One thing is certain...a world of mystery awaits.

Journey with cryptozoologist Michael Newton as he seeks Bigfoot in North America. BHMs ("Big Hairy Monsters") have been called Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Oh-Mah, Skookum, Momo, Skunk Ape, and more throughout history, and the quest for these elusive beings has been reported and pursued from time immemorial. Read seven classic cases that put Bigfoot "on the map" and established the riddle of its existence in public consciousness. Then wander through 47 states and 6 Canadian provinces where there have been sightings since the year 2000. Meet Bigfoot hunters and learn methods employed in ongoing quests. Examine details of the debate considering whether Bigfoot should be killed (to prove the species exists) or if conclusive evidence may be obtained by other means. Discover physical evidence for Bigfoot's existence, ranging from footprints to DNA sampling. Read about hoaxes and the creature's portrayal in modern media and advertising.

Stolen Away is the shocking true story of kidnapping and murder. Stolen Away describes the December 14, 1927 abduction of twelve-year-old Marian Parker, the daughter of a prominent Los Angeles banker, the bizarre ransom notes that followed, her brutal murder, and the arrest of William Edward Hickman, a sadistic monster who hid his evil behind the facade of a likable, all-American young man.

Join the search to examine reports of unidentified and misplaced creatures-known as cryptids-throughout the Mountain State, from its earliest history to present day. Included are such famous unknowns as Bigfoot; Mothman, harbinger of disaster; giant birds and snakes unrecognized by modern science; anomalous huge human remains unearthed statewide since the 19th century; extinct cougars that refuse to die; animals alien to North America, including lions, tigers, black panthers, kangaroos, and piranha; the ferocious Dogman and woolly, horned Sheepsquatch; freshwater cephalopods; and other creatures that defy classification. Wherever you reside or visit in West Virginia, phantom cryptids have been seen near your location-terrifying witnesses, baffling investigators, and monsters sometimes leave evidence behind to mark their passing through our world. Happy hunting!

Meet Pennsylvania's legendary monsters in this guided tour of the most complete and accurate survey of unknown creatures in the Keystone State. Based on decades of research, no other volume compares with this work for thorough, documented treatment of a fascinating subject. From giant snakes and soaring "thunderbirds" to Bigfoot, alien big cats, and cougars that defy official claims of their extinction, to sea-serpents playing hide-and-seek with ships along the coast, this book has something for every fan of cryptozoology and paranormal creatures.

"The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Second Edition" provides accurate, unglamorized information on hundreds of serial murder cases - from early history to the present. It includes new major serial killers who have come to light since the first edition was published, as well as many older cases that have been solved, such as the Green River Killer, or further investigated like Jack the Ripper and the "Zodiac" Killer. Updated entries and appendixes pair with more than 30 new photographs to make this new edition more fascinating than ever. New and updated entries include: "Axe Man of New Orleans"; BTK Killer; Jack the Ripper; Cuidad Juarez, Mexico; John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, the Sniper Killers; Gary Leon Ridgway, the Green River Killer; Harold Frederick Shipman; ViCLAS; Coral Watts; Aileen Wuornos; Robert Lee Yates Jr.; and more.

This examination of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Letters of Paul finds that, in both these bodies of literature, religious self-understanding is expressed in terms of the concept of purity so important to primitive religion and earlier Judaism. Dr Newton contradicts the view held by most scholars that the traditional Jewish attitude to purity had no place in Christianity. By using the concept of purity not unlike that at Qumran or of Pharisaic and Rabbinic Judaism, Paul could elucidate his views on, among other things, the nature of the Church, the divine presence, the basis of ethical behaviour and the significance of the death of Jesus.

'Few travelled in these days, for, thanks to the advance of science, the earth was exactly alike all over. Rapid intercourse, from which the previous civilization had hoped so much, had ended by defeating itself. What was the good of going to Peking when it was just like Shrewsbury?', The Machine Stops, E. M. Forster. This anthology provides a selection of science-fiction tales from the close of the 'Romantic' period to the end of the First World War. It gathers together classic short stories, from Edgar Allan Poe's playful hoaxes to Gertrude Barrows Bennett's feminist fantasy. In this way, the book shows the vitality and literary diversity of the field, and also expresses something of the potent appeal of the visionary, the fascination with science, and the allure of an imagined future that characterised this period. An excellent resource for those interested in science fiction, and also an essential volume for understanding the development of the genre. In his introduction, Michael Newton draws together literary influences from Jonathan Swift to Mary Shelley, the interest in the irrational and dreaming mind, and the relation of the tales to the fact of Empire and the discoveries made by anthropology. He also considers how the figure of the alien and non-human 'other' complicated contemporary definitions of the human being.

Dr. Michael Newton, best-selling author of Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls, returns with a series of case studies that highlight the profound impact of spiritual regression on people's everyday lives. Edited by Dr. Newton, these fascinating true accounts from around the world are handpicked and presented by Life Between Lives hypnotherapists certified by the Newton Institute. After recalling memories of their afterlife, the people in these studies embarked on life-changing spiritual journeys--reuniting with soul mates and spirit guides, and discovering the ramifications of life and body choices, love relationships, and dreams by communing with their immortal souls. As gems of self-knowledge are revealed, dramatic epiphanies result, enabling these ordinary people to understand adversity in their lives, find emotional healing, realize their true purpose, and forever enrich their lives with new meaning.

Dr. Michael Newton is world-famous for his spiritual regression techniques that take hypnotic subjects back to their time in the spirit world. His two best-selling books of client case studies," Journey of Souls" and "Destiny of Souls," have left thousands of readers eager to discover their own afterlife adventures, their soul companions and guides, and their purpose in this lifetime.
Now, for the first time in print, Dr. Newton reveals his step-by-step methods. His experiential approach to the spiritual realms sheds light on the age-old questions of who we are, where we came from, and why we are here. This groundbreaking guidebook, designed for both hypnosis professionals and the general public, completes the afterlife trilogy by Dr. Newton.

'The Queen and the bat had been talking a good deal that afternoon...' The Victorian fascination with fairyland vivified the literature of the period, and led to some of the most imaginative fairy tales ever written. They offer the shortest path to the age's dreams, desires, and wishes. Authors central to the nineteenth-century canon such as W. M. Thackeray, Oscar Wilde, Ford Madox Ford, and Rudyard Kipling wrote fairy tales, and authors primarily famous for their work in the genre include George MacDonald, Juliana Ewing, Mary De Morgan, and Andrew Lang. This anthology brings together fourteen of the best stories, by these and other outstanding practitioners, to show the vibrancy and variety of the form and its abilities to reflect our deepest concerns. In tales of whimsy and romance, witty satire and uncanny mystery, love, suffering, family, and the travails of identity are imaginatively explored. Michael Newton's Introduction and notes provide illuminating contextual and biographical information about the authors and the development of the literary fairy tale. A selection of original illustrations is also included.

The Secret Agent is Joseph Conrad's dark satire on English society, edited with an introduction and notes by Michael Newton in Penguin Classics. In the only novel Conrad set in London, The Secret Agent communicates a profoundly ironic view of human affairs. The story is woven around an attack on the Greenwich Observatory in 1894 masterminded by Verloc, a Russian spy working for the police, and ostensibly a member of an anarchist group in Soho. His masters instruct him to discredit the anarchists in a humiliating fashion, and when his evil plan goes horribly awry, Verloc must deal with the repercussions of his actions. While rooted in the Edwardian period, Conrad's tale remains strikingly contemporary, with its depiction of Londoners gripped by fear of the terrorists living in their midst. This edition of The Secret Agent contains a chronology, further reading, notes and maps of London and Greenwich. In his introduction, Michael Newton discusses London's real-life world of political anarchy, and Conrad's portrayal of the Verlocs' marriage. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in the Ukraine and grew up under Tsarist autocracy. After spending years in the French, and later the British Merchant Navy, Conrad left the sea to devote himself to writing. In 1896 he settled in Kent, where he produced within fifteen years such modern classics as Youth, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Typhoon, Nostromo, The Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes. If you enjoyed The Secret Agent, you might like Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Demons, also available in Penguin Classics. 'A brilliant book, one of the greatest works of modern irony' Malcolm Bradbury