num_pages: 256
description: We are fascinated with death; some of us deny it, some try to escape it, most dread it. Filled with strange anecdotes and illustrated with many bizarre and ghoulish images, Death: A History of Man’s Obsessions and Fears records the lengths to which people throughout history have gone to cope with the five principle fears regarding death: the fear of being buried alive; of our body being defiled in the grave; of disintegrating; of being forgotten; and of suffering an ignominious death. Here you can read about: The case of Lavrinia Merli, who died of hysterics. Two days after burial she was discovered turned over in her grave, having given birth to a seven month old baby. The various methods of embalming, including the Egyptian, and a step-by-step account of modern embalming. The horrifying slow and painful ending of Robert Francois Damiens, who was tortured to death after attempting to assassinate King Louis XV.
language: English
title: Death: A history of man's obsessions and fears
titlecomplete: Death: A history of man's obsessions and fears
genres: History, Anthropology, Reference, Death, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 127
publisher: Barnes & Noble, (1996).