maryportfuncity 10,630 Posted July 22, 2005 C'mon we're connoiseurs of death and dying here. What are our favourite books on the subject? There are three I'd recommend totally: The Undertaking - Thomas Lynch: Poet and undertaker presents a series of essays subtitled 'Life studies from the dismal trade.' An honourable mention for the follow up 'Bodies in Motion and at Rest' Dancing with Mr D: Bert Kiezer: Doctor who - amongst other things - hands people fatal doses of morphine and sits around whilst they drink them. Sees death as 'a great turd' and wrote a book in which he constantsly skirts around death without ever really understanding it. How We Die - Sherwin Nuland: Taught medicine for years, devotes a chapter to every major cause of death and explains it in cold, clinical terms. Not for the nervous - or, probably, any of the 42 surviving DL members. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Watch Beatle 41 Posted July 22, 2005 Doctor who - amongst other things - hands people fatal doses of morphine and sits around whilst they drink them. Was that Christopher Ecclescake or Tom Baker? DWB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Four Horsemen 26 Posted July 22, 2005 I don't have time to read books on the subject, being so caught up and enthralled with Influx by J C Jones - a thoroughly entertaining read, I recommend it highly...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magere Hein 1,400 Posted July 22, 2005 C'mon we're connoiseurs of death and dying here. What are our favourite books on the subject? Nice subject! Here's my top three: Long dead, burried, dug up again and still a story to tell: From Lucy To Language. Frantic work, cold swearing and a big impact: The Black Box. We're all doomed, so you might as well die laughing: Good Omens. regards, Hein Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Typhoid Harry 23 Posted July 23, 2005 Death Be Not Proud. Robert(?) Gunther Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
honez 79 Posted July 23, 2005 I don't have time to read books on the subject, being so caught up and enthralled with Influx by J C Jones - a thoroughly entertaining read, I recommend it highly...... Pray tell, where would one get such an epic tome of near-future militaristic speculative fiction, 4H? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teddy 21 Posted July 23, 2005 I don't have time to read books on the subject, being so caught up and enthralled with Influx by J C Jones - a thoroughly entertaining read, I recommend it highly...... Pray tell, where would one get such an epic tome of near-future militaristic speculative fiction, 4H? honez, can I suggest here. The reviewer seemed to find it equally enjoyable, and it looks like a sequel is called for... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lady Grendel 139 Posted July 23, 2005 I am afraid my reading on death may be slightly more gruesome than 'How We Die'. I read a theoretical book on 'Jack the Ripper' when I was about 14, then a couple of years later got hold of a copy of a book about Bernard Spilsbury while on holiday in Liverpool/Chester (no chick lit for this girl in those days!!), I was completely fascinated by the subjects of murder/death/forensics and went on to accumulate a large collection of books on the subject of true murders, mostly based in Europe and I found the weirdest murders seemed to be in Germany (I don't mean any insults to any Germans reading this, I assure you), also with fairly lenient sentences. I did get rid of all of these books in my mid 20's, I thought I had grown out of my interest in death but hey, here I am reading the deathlist avidly, although thankfully our celebs are not murdered. I have to agree with Hein about 'Good Omens' it is an excellent read and I recommend it to all subcribers to DL, also a book I read many years ago 'Satanic Mill' by Otfried Preussler, scared me out of my wits as a 10 year old! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,630 Posted July 23, 2005 Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach also comes highly recommended, thanks for posting Lady G, seeing your musings on being female and fascinated by this stuff reminded me of this great - female authored - read. It's a book like a good wine: plenty body, an understated hint of fun and capable of sustaining your interest to the end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lady Grendel 139 Posted July 23, 2005 Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach also comes highly recommended, thanks for posting Lady G, seeing your musings on being female and fascinated by this stuff reminded me of this great - female authored - read. It's a book like a good wine: plenty body, an understated hint of fun and capable of sustaining your interest to the end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Four Horsemen 26 Posted July 24, 2005 Combining two of my favourite themes, I'd like to recommend "Silence of the Heart" by David Frith - a fascinating study of cricket suicides with a foreward by Mike Brearley, no less! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
honez 79 Posted July 24, 2005 Combining two of my favourite themes, I'd like to recommend "Silence of the Heart" by David Frith - a fascinating study of cricket suicides with a foreward by Mike Brearley, no less! He'll be needing an addition for England's performance in the first Ashes test then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
in eternum+ 22 Posted July 25, 2005 Hello to everyone from your newest member! There are a number of death books which I hold in very high regard, but my faves are as follows: 'Rest in Peace' by Gary Laderman is an excellent history of the funeral trade in the US in the 20th century 'The Hollywood Book of Death: The Bizarre, Often Sordid, Passings of More than 125 American Movie and TV Idols' does exactly what it says on the tin and Heather Pringle's 'The Mummy Congress' is a really well-written and interesting account of, well, mummies. But my very VERY favourite has got to be the Gashleycrumb Tinies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
