Shapeshifter Emporium: A List of Nonfiction Werewolf Books

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Nonfiction Werewolf Books:

The Complete Book of Werewolves by Leonard R. N. Ashley. This certainly doesn't live up to its title, and in addition, it is packed with errors. It has the feeling of something that was rushed to the publisher too fast, while it was still unfinished. I can only recommend this to die-hard werewolf enthusiasts, who will find most of the material familiar but will nevertheless find a few tidbits of value. The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould. A reprint of a 19th-century classic. Fairly readable considering its publication date, and it includes delightful outdated ramblings that lend it a superb sense of atmosphere. However, it is not recommended for general audiences, just for those who are more interested in werewolves and werebeasts than the average person. Scroll to the bottom of the page to get online versions for free.

Werewolves by Daniel Cohen. Aimed at kids, but high-quality enough that even adults may get enjoyment from reading it. It has a remarkably coherent organization and tone, so that you hardly notice it when you move from one chapter to another. However, it stays on well-trodden ground, so anyone who has read a werewolf folklore book before may find it repetitive. Werewolves: Fact or Fiction? by Angela Cybulski. Published as a kids' book, this is actually a series of excerpts from other books about werewolves, and most of these excerpts are too technical for kids. For adults, you get a bunch of slices from other books, displaying views about werewolves.

Werewolves by Willem De Blecourt. Due to be released at some undetermined future time. By the editor of several witchcraft books, such as Witchcraft and Magic in Europe. Werewolves, Witches and Wandering Spirits edited by Kathryn A. Edwards. Published by a university press, it's a highly scholarly work. It collects various academic articles about witchcraft beliefs in Europe, only a couple of these have much to do with werewolves, but these do contain some new information that I have not seen elsewhere. Not everybody in Europe viewed werewolves in the same way.

The Essential Guide to Werewolf Literature by Brian J. Frost. A cultural survey of the werewolf's impact on popular ideology, concentrating on tracing developments as the werewolf was transferred from folklore to novels and short stories. It doesn't really discuss the movies, but does do an especially good job of covering early novels and short stories. True Werewolves Of History by Donald F. Glut. A well-researched tome that retells 87 legends, most of werewolves, but about 10% of the legends involve werecats, werefoxes or other werebeasts. This is a companion volume to True Vampires of History.

The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf by Linda S. Godfrey, about a series of werewolf sightings in Wisconsin during the 1990's, plus modern sightings of similar creatures in other places. See the author's homepage. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. A perfectly adequate encyclopedia of the mentioned monsters. About a third of the material is about werewolves, mainly as they appear in folklore or the movies.

Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures by Jamie Hall. Contains a wide range of folklore, with a multicultural focus. Only the first chapter is about werewolves, the others are about shapeshifters ranging from werecats to werefoxes to human hyenas. It also contains extensive fiction and movie directories. Read the author's web page about the book, or find more info at the publisher. Human Animals by Frank Hamel. This 1915 classic contains legends of werewolves, plus entire chapters devoted to subjects such as human-to-fox transformations, shapeshifting ghosts, and werebeasts from traditional cultures such as those found in Africa. It is incredibly readable for a book of its era, with only a few slow spots. This is one of just a few good sources for legends about shapeshifters other than werewolves.

In Search of the Swan Maiden by Barbara Fass Leavey. A scholarly survey of legends about swan maidens and other female shapeshifters, but only a couple of werewolves. It discusses the "runaway wife" motif, and tries to link this motif to things such as spouse abuse and womankind's view of the world. Seal-Folk and Ocean Paddlers by John M. MacAulay. This book is about the seal folk or selkie legends of Hebrides Islands and related Scottish folklore. It traces the roots of these stories to Norse mythology, especially to the coastal Lapps of Northern Norway.

Journey of the Pink Dolphins by Sy Montgomery. A delightful book to read, especially for nature lovers. The author delves into the folklore and biology of a little-known species: the freshwater dolphin of the Amazon River. These dolphins are believed to have the ability to turn into people. The little adventures the author has in the jungle are what makes this book worth it. See the author's homepage. Memoirs of a Wolfman by Paul Naschy. About the business of making werewolf movies, by a man who has probably written scripts for and starred in more werewolf movies than anyone else. Paul Naschy has almost single-handedly revived Spain's horror cinema, and the story of how he did it is quite interesting. See The Paul Naschy Website.

Werewolves by Elliott O'Donnell. Published during the first years of the 20th century under the title Werwolves, this compilation of werewolf lore can still delight, though the author does suffer from several problems common to authors of his generation. A Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture edited by Charlotte F. Otten. This collection of medical cases, witch trial records, historical werewolf accounts, theological approaches to metamorphosis, critical essays and three short stories examines the werewolf of western culture from a scholarly viewpoint, concentrating on the Medieval and Renaissance periods.

White Wolf Woman by Teresa Pijoan. A short book collecting fairy tales about people who transform into wolves, bears or snakes, all of them from North or South American Indian lore. Three Men Seeking Monsters: Six Weeks in Pursuit of Werewolves, Lake Monsters, Giant Cats, Ghostly Devil Dogs, and Ape-Men by Nick Redfern. A book that approaches the subject of werewolves from the standpoint of cryptozoology. See the author's homepage

The Serpent and the Swan by Boria Sax. A scholarly work about female shapeshifters in mythology. See the author's homepage. Were-Wolf and Vampire in Romania by Harry A. Senn. If you ever wondered if all those cheesy monster movies set in Transylvania had any truth to them, this is the place to find out. Actually, the Transylvanian werewolf is a lot different from the movie version, but some of the peasant habits and superstitions in this book sound like they have been lifted straight out of a movie- it's hilarious and a little spooky!

Wolf Man's Maker by Curt Siodmak. Writer Curt Siodmak derives most of his fame from writing the script for The Wolf Man, which is probably the most influential werewolf movie of all time. Here is Curt's authobiographical story of his writing career. Dance of the Dolphin by Candace Slater. About the "enchanted dolphins" of Brazil, shapeshifters that turn human to attend festivals and impregnate women. A scholarly work that still manages to be fascinating and rewarding to anyone who is truly interested in the subject. See the homepage of author Candace Slater.

The Werewolf Book by Brad Steiger. An interesting book, as long as you don't expect it to stay with its chosen subject. The author wanders aimlessly among topics including all major movie monsters, the yeti and Bigfoot, lurid criminal cases, bizarre sex crimes, cultists and serial killers. He even throws in UFO sightings. Like many other lame books, it includes spectacular illustrations in large quantities to draw attention away from shortcomings in the text. See the author's website. The Werewolf by Montague Summers. First published in 1933, this is a giant compilation of werewolf lore, written by a delightfully kooky Catholic priest. It has also been recently republished under the title The Werewolf in Lore and Legend.

The People of the Sea by David Thomson. About selkies. This book sits on the boundary between fiction and nonfiction. On the one hand, it is a novel. On the other hand, the folklore included in it is entirely authentic and well-researched, also actual happenings from the author's childhood are woven into the tale so that it becomes a kind of fictionalized autobiography. The back of the book contains an appendix of ballads. Myths of the Dog-Man by David Gordon White. This is the last word on the Cynocephali, mythical dog-people found in widespread legends. This heavily-researched scholarly treatise contains much information about dog-people mythology from Europe, India and Asia. Includes shapeshifters as well as dog/human hybrids and other anthropomorphic creatures.

Tales of the Seal People by Duncan Williamson. A dozen or so seal-shapeshifter legends collected by the author in Scotland. Many of the stories were collected from Gypsies, so this volume counts as Gypsy folklore in addition to being Scottish folklore. Werewolves and Shapeshifters by Darren Zenko. Each chapter is a short story based on a legend about a shapeshifter, plus notes about which aspects of the story were changed from the original legend. Contains several werewolves, a werefox, a windigo, and other shapeshifters in a multicultural format.

Documentary Films:

The Reptilian Agenda (DVD) Conspiracy theorist David Icke interviews Credo Mutwa, a Zulu shaman, about "true" stories of evil reptile shapeshifters who are trying to take over the world. The Unexplained: Witches, Werewolves & Vampires (DVD) Legends of these three creatures, plus modern people who think they are witches, werewolves or vampires.

Werewolf: Creatures Fantastic (VHS) An analysis of werewolf lore that ends up depending too much on Little Red Riding Hood and rape metaphors. Werewolves & Apparitions (VHS)

Werewolves Madmen & Gore (VHS) The World of Hammer - Mummies, Werewolves & the Living Dead (VHS) About classic monster films made by Hammer Studios of Britain.

Links:

Therianthropic Reference List- Nonfiction - this is by far the most complete list of werewolf-related nonfiction I've ever seen. It contains books with only a legend or two along with works that focus primarily on werewolves or shapeshifters.

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WolfCountry IX: Moonranger Museum - this list of werewolf books has nonfiction and some fiction.

download the online text of The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould at Project Gutenberg -or if you prefer an html version, get it at Gothic Texts. This is an old out-of-copyright classic, a nineteenth-century work that was the first nonfiction book about werewolves to be read by the general public (instead of just academic specialists and theologians). It is good enough that it is still readable today, but there are some rough spots, and the last half of the book is a rather inaccurate survey of serial killers and ultra-violent criminal cases that have nothing to do with werewolves (though some of these are connected to witch or vampire legends).

Findabhair and Anubis' List of Werewolves in Print

The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould

Shapeshifting - this article at Wikipedia talks about shapeshifters and werewolves in world mythology and in works of fiction.

Portal of Transformation - a guide to the most common shapeshifters of folklore.

Werewolf Legends from Germany - contains translations of many werewolf legends that you can't find in English-language books.

Nahual Wikipedia Article - basic information about Mexican werewolves.

Skin-walker Wikipedia Article - includes general facts about Navajo werewolves.

Kitsune Wikipedia Article - the basic facts about this mythical shapeshifter from Japan.

Married to Magic: Animal Brides and Bridegrooms in Folklore and Fantasy - most fairy-tale shapeshifters fall into a broad category of beings that is usually labeled "animal brides." The rarer male counterpart is, of course, the animal groom.

Fox Wives and Other Dangerous Women, by Heinz Insu Fenkl - an article about Asian werefox legends.

Shapeshifters: Animal-Human Transformation Myths - a collection of mythology from many sources

Other sections of the Shapeshifter Emporium:

If you are looking for more books with werewolves and shapeshifters in them, check out the fiction resource guides in the book Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures, which include 406 werewolf novels, 29 werecat novels, and 47 novels about other varieties of shapeshifter.

The Complete Book of Werewolves by Leonard R. N. Ashley. This certainly doesn't live up to its title, and in addition, it is packed with errors. It has the feeling of something that was rushed to the publisher too fast, while it was still unfinished. I can only recommend this to die-hard werewolf enthusiasts, who will find most of the material familiar but will nevertheless find a few tidbits of value.	The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould. A reprint of a 19th-century classic. Fairly readable considering its publication date, and it includes delightful outdated ramblings that lend it a superb sense of atmosphere. However, it is not recommended for general audiences, just for those who are more interested in werewolves and werebeasts than the average person. Scroll to the bottom of the page to get online versions for free.
Werewolves by Daniel Cohen. Aimed at kids, but high-quality enough that even adults may get enjoyment from reading it. It has a remarkably coherent organization and tone, so that you hardly notice it when you move from one chapter to another. However, it stays on well-trodden ground, so anyone who has read a werewolf folklore book before may find it repetitive.	Werewolves: Fact or Fiction? by Angela Cybulski. Published as a kids' book, this is actually a series of excerpts from other books about werewolves, and most of these excerpts are too technical for kids. For adults, you get a bunch of slices from other books, displaying views about werewolves.
Werewolves by Willem De Blecourt. Due to be released at some undetermined future time. By the editor of several witchcraft books, such as Witchcraft and Magic in Europe.	Werewolves, Witches and Wandering Spirits edited by Kathryn A. Edwards. Published by a university press, it's a highly scholarly work. It collects various academic articles about witchcraft beliefs in Europe, only a couple of these have much to do with werewolves, but these do contain some new information that I have not seen elsewhere. Not everybody in Europe viewed werewolves in the same way.
The Essential Guide to Werewolf Literature by Brian J. Frost. A cultural survey of the werewolf's impact on popular ideology, concentrating on tracing developments as the werewolf was transferred from folklore to novels and short stories. It doesn't really discuss the movies, but does do an especially good job of covering early novels and short stories.	True Werewolves Of History by Donald F. Glut. A well-researched tome that retells 87 legends, most of werewolves, but about 10% of the legends involve werecats, werefoxes or other werebeasts. This is a companion volume to True Vampires of History.
The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf by Linda S. Godfrey, about a series of werewolf sightings in Wisconsin during the 1990's, plus modern sightings of similar creatures in other places. See the author's homepage.	The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. A perfectly adequate encyclopedia of the mentioned monsters. About a third of the material is about werewolves, mainly as they appear in folklore or the movies.
Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures by Jamie Hall. Contains a wide range of folklore, with a multicultural focus. Only the first chapter is about werewolves, the others are about shapeshifters ranging from werecats to werefoxes to human hyenas. It also contains extensive fiction and movie directories. Read the author's web page about the book, or find more info at the publisher.	Human Animals by Frank Hamel. This 1915 classic contains legends of werewolves, plus entire chapters devoted to subjects such as human-to-fox transformations, shapeshifting ghosts, and werebeasts from traditional cultures such as those found in Africa. It is incredibly readable for a book of its era, with only a few slow spots. This is one of just a few good sources for legends about shapeshifters other than werewolves.
In Search of the Swan Maiden by Barbara Fass Leavey. A scholarly survey of legends about swan maidens and other female shapeshifters, but only a couple of werewolves. It discusses the "runaway wife" motif, and tries to link this motif to things such as spouse abuse and womankind's view of the world.	Seal-Folk and Ocean Paddlers by John M. MacAulay. This book is about the seal folk or selkie legends of Hebrides Islands and related Scottish folklore. It traces the roots of these stories to Norse mythology, especially to the coastal Lapps of Northern Norway.
Journey of the Pink Dolphins by Sy Montgomery. A delightful book to read, especially for nature lovers. The author delves into the folklore and biology of a little-known species: the freshwater dolphin of the Amazon River. These dolphins are believed to have the ability to turn into people. The little adventures the author has in the jungle are what makes this book worth it. See the author's homepage.	Memoirs of a Wolfman by Paul Naschy. About the business of making werewolf movies, by a man who has probably written scripts for and starred in more werewolf movies than anyone else. Paul Naschy has almost single-handedly revived Spain's horror cinema, and the story of how he did it is quite interesting. See The Paul Naschy Website.
Werewolves by Elliott O'Donnell. Published during the first years of the 20th century under the title Werwolves, this compilation of werewolf lore can still delight, though the author does suffer from several problems common to authors of his generation.	A Lycanthropy Reader: Werewolves in Western Culture edited by Charlotte F. Otten. This collection of medical cases, witch trial records, historical werewolf accounts, theological approaches to metamorphosis, critical essays and three short stories examines the werewolf of western culture from a scholarly viewpoint, concentrating on the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
White Wolf Woman by Teresa Pijoan. A short book collecting fairy tales about people who transform into wolves, bears or snakes, all of them from North or South American Indian lore.	Three Men Seeking Monsters: Six Weeks in Pursuit of Werewolves, Lake Monsters, Giant Cats, Ghostly Devil Dogs, and Ape-Men by Nick Redfern. A book that approaches the subject of werewolves from the standpoint of cryptozoology. See the author's homepage
The Serpent and the Swan by Boria Sax. A scholarly work about female shapeshifters in mythology. See the author's homepage.	Were-Wolf and Vampire in Romania by Harry A. Senn. If you ever wondered if all those cheesy monster movies set in Transylvania had any truth to them, this is the place to find out. Actually, the Transylvanian werewolf is a lot different from the movie version, but some of the peasant habits and superstitions in this book sound like they have been lifted straight out of a movie- it's hilarious and a little spooky!
Wolf Man's Maker by Curt Siodmak. Writer Curt Siodmak derives most of his fame from writing the script for The Wolf Man, which is probably the most influential werewolf movie of all time. Here is Curt's authobiographical story of his writing career.	Dance of the Dolphin by Candace Slater. About the "enchanted dolphins" of Brazil, shapeshifters that turn human to attend festivals and impregnate women. A scholarly work that still manages to be fascinating and rewarding to anyone who is truly interested in the subject. See the homepage of author Candace Slater.
The Werewolf Book by Brad Steiger. An interesting book, as long as you don't expect it to stay with its chosen subject. The author wanders aimlessly among topics including all major movie monsters, the yeti and Bigfoot, lurid criminal cases, bizarre sex crimes, cultists and serial killers. He even throws in UFO sightings. Like many other lame books, it includes spectacular illustrations in large quantities to draw attention away from shortcomings in the text. See the author's website.	The Werewolf by Montague Summers. First published in 1933, this is a giant compilation of werewolf lore, written by a delightfully kooky Catholic priest. It has also been recently republished under the title The Werewolf in Lore and Legend.
The People of the Sea by David Thomson. About selkies. This book sits on the boundary between fiction and nonfiction. On the one hand, it is a novel. On the other hand, the folklore included in it is entirely authentic and well-researched, also actual happenings from the author's childhood are woven into the tale so that it becomes a kind of fictionalized autobiography. The back of the book contains an appendix of ballads.	Myths of the Dog-Man by David Gordon White. This is the last word on the Cynocephali, mythical dog-people found in widespread legends. This heavily-researched scholarly treatise contains much information about dog-people mythology from Europe, India and Asia. Includes shapeshifters as well as dog/human hybrids and other anthropomorphic creatures.
Tales of the Seal People by Duncan Williamson. A dozen or so seal-shapeshifter legends collected by the author in Scotland. Many of the stories were collected from Gypsies, so this volume counts as Gypsy folklore in addition to being Scottish folklore.	Werewolves and Shapeshifters by Darren Zenko. Each chapter is a short story based on a legend about a shapeshifter, plus notes about which aspects of the story were changed from the original legend. Contains several werewolves, a werefox, a windigo, and other shapeshifters in a multicultural format.

The Reptilian Agenda (DVD) Conspiracy theorist David Icke interviews Credo Mutwa, a Zulu shaman, about "true" stories of evil reptile shapeshifters who are trying to take over the world.	The Unexplained: Witches, Werewolves & Vampires (DVD) Legends of these three creatures, plus modern people who think they are witches, werewolves or vampires.
Werewolf: Creatures Fantastic (VHS) An analysis of werewolf lore that ends up depending too much on Little Red Riding Hood and rape metaphors.	Werewolves & Apparitions (VHS)
Werewolves Madmen & Gore (VHS)	The World of Hammer - Mummies, Werewolves & the Living Dead (VHS) About classic monster films made by Hammer Studios of Britain.