Monsters History

The Nazi fascination with the occult is legendary, yet today it is often dismissed as Himmler's personal obsession or wildly overstated for its novelty. Preposterous though it was, however, supernatural thinking was inextricable from the Nazi project. The regime enlisted astrology and the paranormal, paganism, Indo-Aryan mythology, witchcraft, miracle weapons, and the lost kingdom of Atlantis in reimagining German politics and society and recasting German science and religion.

Frankenstein's Monster was dreamt up over 200 years ago, and the story still haunts people today. Learn more about how this creepy monster was made in a science lab.

The new "National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology" offers timeless stories of Greek myths in a beautiful new volume. Brought to life with lyrical text by award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli, the tales of gods and goddesses such as Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Athena and heroes and monsters such as Helen of Troy, Perseus, and Medusa will fascinate and engage children's imaginations. Sure to dazzle all those intrigued with the fantastic tales of Greek mythology and enchant new listeners, this vibrant audiobook will soon become a family favorite.

Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker not only uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures but investigates the ways in which communities have embraced and celebrated their local cryptids.

For generations, British thinkers told the history of an empire whose story was still very much in the making. While they wrote of conquest, imperial rule in India, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean was consolidated. While they described the development of imperial governance, rebellions were brutally crushed. As they reimagined empire during the two world wars, decolonization was compromised. Priya Satia shows how these historians not only interpreted the major political events of their time but also shaped the future that followed.

This classic and much lauded retelling of Beowulf follows the monster Grendel as he learns about humans and fights the war at the center of the Anglo Saxon classic epic.

With sharp fangs and a thirst for human blood, vampires are one of the most feared monsters of all. Learn more about where vampires came from.

Tales of people turning into wolves at night have made the werewolf legendary. Learn more about this scary monster and how its story has changed over time.

From unexpected deaths to magical curses, mummies seem to have a mysterious impact on others. Learn more about how mummies came to be—and what makes them monsters.

Nothing is quite as scary as the dead coming back to life. Zombies are fearsome creatures who roam the Earth as the undead. Listen to learn more about where zombies come from—and how they can be stopped.

Stories of shapeshifters have been around for thousands of years. Learn about the tales of these monsters from many different cultures.

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, has been hunted by people throughout North America for centuries. Many people claim to have seen its large footprints. But is it real, or just folklore? Listen to find out!

Deep in Loch Ness, stories of a mysterious underwater creature bubble to the surface. Learn more about the origin of this water-bound monster.

The new National Geographic Treasury of Egyptian Mythology is a stunning tableau of Egyptian myths, including those of pharaohs, queens, the boisterous Sun God Ra, and legendary creatures like the Sphinx. The lyrical storytelling of award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli dramatizes the timeless tales of ancient Egypt in the year when Angelina Jolie will make Cleopatra a multimedia star.

Celtic mythology entrances many people as it has so many tales of heroism. It is steeped in history, mythology, wonder, adventure, and even romance. Some of the stories included are: Irish myths: "Children of Lir", "The Wooing Of Étain", "The Cattle Raid of Cooley", and "The Salmon of Knowledge"; Welsh myths: The four branches of Mabinogi and stories of Lyr’s descendants; Scottish myths: "Blue Men of Minch", "Sawney Bean", and "Myth of the Selkie"; Breton myths: "Sword of Arthur" and "Arthur’s Giant"; and many other amazing tales!

For Rich Cohen and millions of other fans, the 1985 Chicago Bears were more than a football team: they were the greatest football team ever - a gang of colorful nuts, dancing and pounding their way to victory. They won a Super Bowl and saved a city. It was not just that the Monsters of the Midway won but how they did it....

At the heart of Africa is Congo, a country the size of Western Europe, bordering nine other nations, that since 1996 has been wracked by a brutal and unstaunchable war in which millions have died. And yet, despite its epic proportions, it has received little sustained media attention. In this deeply reported book, Jason K. Stearns vividly tells the story of this misunderstood conflict through the experiences of those who engineered and perpetrated it.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

In this substantially expanded edition of his earlier book The Monster at Our Door, the renowned activist and author Mike Davis looks at the COVID-19 pandemic now sweeping the world. He sets the current crisis in the context of previous viral catastrophes, notably the 1918 influenza disaster that killed at least 40 million people in three months and the avian flu of a decade and a half ago that sounded a tocsin, disastrously ignored by those in power, for today's devastating outbreak.

Bigfoot, the chupacabra, and thunderbirds aren't just figments of our overactive imaginations - according to thousands of eyewitnesses, they exist, in every corner of the United States. Throughout America's history, shocked onlookers have seen unbelievable creatures of every stripe - from sea serpents to apelike beings, giant bats to monkeymen - in every region.