Synopses & Reviews
A writer and researcher behind the bestselling Schott’s Almanac brings us a delightfully macabre collection of morbid curiosities: tales of what happened to famous people after they died.From Alexander the Great (whose corpse founded a dynasty) to RenÉ Descartes (whose skull was separated from his body) and Dorothy Parker (whose ashes were hidden in a filing cabinet for more than a decade), some of the most influential and interesting people in history have journeyed on posthumous adventures none of them could have predicted.
Rest in Pieces catalogs stories from the age of antiquity to today, tracing the evolution of cultural attitudes toward death and connecting the lives of the famous deceased to the hilarious and horrifying adventures of their corpses. Jim Thorpe’s body renamed a city in Pennsylvania. Einstein’s brain took a road trip across America. And Osama bin Laden’s corpse was lost among the waves—until a California treasure hunter claimed to find it.
More than a rich and satisfying source of inappropriate cocktail chatter, Rest in Pieces uses its novel perspective to reveal the lives of the world's most interesting people, and to help us understand the Grim Reaper a little better.
Review
“Deliciously morbid and delightfully macabre, Rest in Pieces is required reading for those of us who intend, one day, to die.” Tony Perrottet - author of Napoleon's Privates
Review
andlt;divandgt;"A tasty, sharp, wonderfully unusual
Review
and#8220;If really, weand#8217;re all sitting in the undertakerand#8217;s waiting-room, then andlt;iandgt;Rest in Piecesandlt;/iandgt; is the perfect easy read, preparation for the moment when the nurse steps out of the shadows and quietly calls your name.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;The world is awash with legendary body parts, from Einsteinand#8217;s brain to Napoleonand#8217;s most intimate organ, and this wildly entertaining account proves that the fate of the grisly relics tells us a huge amount about historyand#8212;and ourselves.and#8221;
Review
“Marvelously macabre. . . . A fascinating foray into the way of all flesh.” Ben Schott - bestselling author of - < -="" i="" -=""> - Schott's Original Miscellany - < -="" -="">
Review
"[A] historically beguiling, stranger-than-fiction compendium, which unearths the surprising fates of famous corpses, from Beethoven's to Eva Peron's." Ben Schott - bestselling author of Schott - ' - s Original Miscellany
Review
and#8220;Deliciously morbid and delightfully macabre,andlt;Iandgt; Rest in Piecesandlt;/Iandgt; is required reading for those of us who intend, one day, to die.and#8221;
Review
andlt;divandgt;"[A] historically beguiling, stranger-than-fiction compendium, which unearths the surprising fates of famous corpses, from Beethoven's to Eva Peron's."andlt;/divandgt;
Review
“Marvelously macabre. . . . A fascinating foray into the way of all flesh.” Elle
Review
“A tasty, sharp, wonderfully unusual book. I enjoyed it like a jar of perfect dill pickles: when the mood strikes, nothing else will satisfy.” Mary Roach
Review
“If really, were all sitting in the undertakers waiting-room, then Rest in Pieces is the perfect easy read, preparation for the moment when the nurse steps out of the shadows and quietly calls your name.” bestselling author of Gulp and Stiff
Review
“The world is awash with legendary body parts, from Einsteins brain to Napoleons most intimate organ, and this wildly entertaining account proves that the fate of the grisly relics tells us a huge amount about history—and ourselves.” Simon Winchester - bestselling author of Skulls and The Professor and the Madman
Synopsis
A writer and researcher behind the bestselling Schott's Almanac brings us a delightfully macabre collection of morbid curiosities: tales of what happened to famous people after they died.
IN THE LONG RUN, WE'RE ALL DEAD.
But for some of the most influential figures in history, death marked the start of a new adventure.
The famous deceased have been stolen, burned, sold, pickled, frozen, stuffed, impersonated, and even filed away in a lawyer's office. Their fingers, teeth, toes, arms, legs, skulls, hearts, lungs, and nether regions have embarked on voyages that crisscross the globe and stretch the imagination.
Counterfeiters tried to steal Lincoln's corpse. Einstein's brain went on a cross-country road trip. And after Lord Horatio Nelson perished at Trafalgar, his sailors submerged him in brandy--which they drank.
From Mozart to Hitler, Rest in Pieces connects the lives of the famous dead to the hilarious and horrifying adventures of their corpses, and traces the evolution of cultural attitudes toward death.
Synopsis
IN THE LONG RUN, WERE ALL DEAD. But for some of the most influential figures in history, death marked the start of a new adventure.
The famous deceased have been stolen, burned, sold, pickled, frozen, stuffed, impersonated, and even filed away in a lawyers office. Their fingers, teeth, toes, arms, legs, skulls, hearts, lungs, and nether regions have embarked on voyages that crisscross the globe and stretch the imagination.
Counterfeiters tried to steal Lincolns corpse. Einsteins brain went on a cross-country road trip. And after Lord Horatio Nelson perished at Trafalgar, his sailors submerged him in brandy—which they drank.
From Mozart to Hitler, Rest in Pieces connects the lives of the famous dead to the hilarious and horrifying adventures of their corpses, and traces the evolution of cultural attitudes toward death.
About the Author
Bess Lovejoy is a writer, researcher, and editor based in Seattle. She worked on the Schott's Almanac series for five years, and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Believer, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere. Visit her at BessLovejoy.com.