Bigfoot

Book excerpt: Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yowie, Yeti... the idea that monstrous man-apes lurk in the remote forests and high mountain valleys of the world is an enduring and popular one. Hardly a week goes by without some report of a fresh encounter. In 1793 the Boston Gazette reported a sighting of what the Cherokee call a 'chickly cuddly' or 'hairy man thing'. In 1818 the Watchman recorded the visit of a 'Wild Man of the Woods'. Ever since, hundreds of eyewitness accounts of a giant, elusive beast that stands upright on its hindlegs have come flooding in. One creature was seen trying to catch a calf in a farmer's field; a group of them used rocks to pound the walls of a remote cabin. More recently, four teenagers in rural America were startled when a huge hairy creature landed on the roof of their car. Complete with remarkable photos and illustrations, Bigfoot takes a fresh look at the man-apes reported to exist in North America, South America, Australia, the Himalayas and Central Asia. It examines historic sightings as well as up-to-date ones - and poses the crucial question: are they really out there?