Lots of Loch Ness Books in 2016

2016 has seen a number of good cryptozoology books... And, quite a few of these books are on the Loch Ness Monsters.

The thing that got me interested in cryptozoology was Jeanne Bendick's 1976 book The Mystery of the Loch Ness Monster. And, of course, I have a number of Loch Ness books in my crypto-library. But, I've gotten more books on the LNMs this year than the number of books I had gotten all years before.

Below is a listing of my 2016 LNM books.

A Monstrous Commotion: The Mysteries of Loch Ness 
By Gareth Williams
(Got this one over the summer. Probably the best LNM book I've ever read.)

"The Loch Ness Monster: a creature that should have died out with the dinosaurs, or a legend built on hoaxes and wishful thinking?

"Sir Peter Scott, internationally renowned naturalist and president of the World Wildlife Fund, was convinced that the Monster existed. So were senior scientists at London's Natural History Museum and Chicago University; they lost their jobs because they refused to renounce their belief in the creature. For decades, the scientific establishment was determined to quash attempts to investigate Loch Ness - until Nature, the world's greatest research journal, published an article by Peter Scott featuring underwater photographs of the Monster. Drawing extensively on new material, Gareth Williams takes a wholly original look at what really happened in Loch Ness. A Monstrous Commotion tells the story as never before: a gripping saga populated by colorful characters who do extraordinary things in pursuit of one of evolution's wildest cards.

"Meticulously researched and dazzlingly written, this book will appeal to anyone fascinated by nature and its mysteries - and to everyone who enjoys a beautifully crafted detective story with a strong cast of heroes and villains, plenty of twists and an unexpected ending."

The Monsters of Loch Ness: The History and the Mystery
By Malcolm Robinson
(Haven't read this one yet, but it looks good.)

"There are mysteries and then there is Loch Ness. You would be hard pushed to find a person on the planet today who has not heard about the Loch Ness Monster, its part of modern day culture and feeds into the very fabric of society. Thousands of sightings have been made at this Scottish Loch over the centuries and are still being made today. But can they all be genuine? If as some believe, Loch Ness harbors a species of unknown creatures then why haven't they been found and catalogued? In this sophisticated day and age where satellites in space can read the print of a newspaper held by a man in the street we still don't know what secrets are held in this deep Scottish Loch.

"UFO and paranormal researcher Melcolm Robinson takes a look at one of Scotland's biggest mysteries, that of the Loch Ness Monsters."

Loch Ness: Back into the Depths
By Patrick J. Gallagher
(Haven't read this one yet either, but it is a compilation of old newspaper accounts like his first LNM book.)

"The 1930s were most definitely the boom years for the Loch Ness Monster, that enigmatic cryptid which supposedly dwells in one of Scotland's deepest lakes. The imagination of the world was excited by the apparent emergence of the creature in 1933, with dozens of sightings reported by people from all walks of life. The high volume of sightings continued through 1934, making these two years the all-time peak in 'Nessie' sightings. But then, gradually, the number of reported sightings in the press began to taper off. Never again would 'Nessie Fever' grip the Scottish Highlands in quite the same way. There were occasional spikes in reports, but nothing to match those original two years. That decline is reflected in this volume, which contains original newspaper accounts pertaining to the Loch Ness Monster between 1935 and 1955."

Nessie: Exploring the Supernatural Origins of the Loch Ness Monster
By Nick Redfern
(Not your "typical" Nessie book - but still great. Especially if you think that the Nessies might be something paranormal in nature.)

"Dive into the Dark and Turbulent Domain of Nessie, the World's Most Supernatural Monster

"Deep in the black waters of Loch Ness lurks a long-necked, hump-backed monster that for centuries has fascinated those lucky - or unlucky - enough to see it. From the earliest sightings in 565 AD to the Nessie craze of the twentieth century, this creature has been steeped in the world of supernatural strangeness.

"Join Nick Redfern on an exciting journey into the paranormal origins of Nessie, exploring ideas that go far beyond the ordinary. This comprehensive guide offers lore, unique theories, hot spots, and photographs. Experience firsthand encounters, discover how Nessie is connected to the occult, and meet other mysterious monsters that live in Loch Ness. Nessie presents a fresh approach to the mystery, one that will take you down new and sometimes frightening paths as you hunt for the truth."

Here's Nessie! A Monstrous Compendium from Loch Ness
By Dr. Karl P.N. Shuker
(Just got this one yesterday.)

"Nessie the Loch Ness monster (LNM) is not only the premier mystery beast of the United Kingdom, it also vies with the bigfoot or sasquatch as the most famous one anywhere in the world. Little wonder, therefore, that during his many years as a world-renowned cryptozoological researcher and writer, Dr Karl Shuker should have documented it and all manner of aspects relating to it in a wide range of publications.

"Now, however, for the very first time and in direct response to popular demand, all of Dr Shuker's most significant but previously disparate Nessie-themed writings have finally been brought together, and in expanded, updated form whenever possible too, to yield the present LNM compendium, covering a fascinating, extremely broad spectrum of pertinent topics.

"These include: a comprehensive review of the history and controversies associated with this exceedingly contentious aquatic cryptid; a diverse selection of the most - and least - plausible taxonomic identities that have been proposed for it; the closely-linked traditional Scottish folklore of kelpies and other water-horses; various Nessie-related hoaxes; an extensive survey of other Scottish freshwater loch monsters; reviews of Nessie-related material; a hitherto-unpublished LNM sighting from leading Nessie researcher and eyewitness Tim Dinsdale; Nessie in philately; the historical LNM conference staged by the International Society of Cryptozoology at Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland in 1987; the enigmatic Pictish beast; a tribute in verse to Nessie; an annotated, YouTube-linked listing of Nessie-themed songs and music videos; and much more too!

"Supplementing these varied subjects is an equally eclectic selection of illustrations - a dedicated Nessie gallery containing a dazzling array of spectacular full-colour LNM artwork, including a number of specially-commisioned, previously-unpublished examples, as well as a wide range of text images - plus a very comprehensive bibliography of non-fiction Nessie books, a listing of current LNM-themed websites, and a detailed index.

"So, without further ado, welcome to the sometimes decidedly weird yet always totally wonderful world of Nessie - the mystifying but ever-memorable monster of Loch Ness."