Death's Acre [Hardcover]

Bill Bass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 2004

On a wooded hillside in Tennessee blowflies, bacteria and buzzards feast on human flesh, unhindered by coffins or mausoleums. They're buried in shallow graves; submerged in tanks of water; concealed under slabs of concrete; locked in the boots and backseats of rusting cars. They are serving the needs of science in the cause of justice. In DEATH'S ACRE Dr Bill Bass, the facility's founder and one of the world's leading forensic scientists, describes how he created it and how the work of he and his colleagues has brought murderers to justice and cleared the names of the innocent. Within a riveting narrative he details his own career and the many criminal cases he has been involved in, bringing forensic science vividly to life and highlighting its crucial role in modern day policing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Bass's moving account is a surprisingly accessible read.' THE TIMES 'It embraces some of the great issues: the perpetual conflict of good versus evil, and the human virtues of enthusiasm, commitment and intellectual inquiry. It just happens, also, to be extremely well written.' James Le Fanu, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Blackly funny and unsparing in its clinical detail, this is a fascinating documentary of forensic research as well as an eye-opening adjunct to the novels of murder and mayhem to which we are addicted.' GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'Sensitively written.' INK '[The book] delves into Dr Bass's own life, loves, and losses, giving a picture of a man who's a visionary scientist, brilliant slueth, eloquent advocate for murder victims and a surprisingly funny human being. Bass may deal with the dead, but he has a lust for life that coms across in his writing.' EVENING ECHO 'For those with a strong stomach it's compulsive reading.' WHAT'S ON LONDON

About the Author

Dr William Bass is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, where he established the 'body farm' in 1981. He is recognised as the world's leading forensic anthropologist. Jon Jefferson is a journalist and producer with the National Geographic Channel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum (January 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316725277
• ISBN-13: 978-0316725279
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,216,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forensic Anthropology for the masses., March 24, 2008

By 

Rochelle Bayne "Ro" (Southern Tier, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death's Acre (Paperback)

Death's Acre is a wonderful introduction to both one of the foremost researchers in the field, and into what happens when we die. The book is extremely well written, and does not beat you over the head with nasty descriptions of what Dr. Bass studied. He and his co-author manage to be informative and still portray a very high respect for the dead.

Dr. Bass and his teams of students were instrumental in the solving of many mysterious deaths, and their work at the Farm became the leading standards for law enforcement internationally. Fans of both television and novels that rely heavily on forensic anthropology will deeply enjoy this book; in fact, I finished it in less than 24 hours and stayed up until 3 am to do so because it was absolutely fascinating.

If you like Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell (who contributed the introduction to this printing), CSI, and other works like those, you will enjoy this look into the real thing. However, if you are even remotely interested in actual forensic work, this is also an excellent resource. From crime scene conduct (shoot your way in and out, if you are the photographer...) to watching your comments lest they be used against you in court, Dr. Bass offers wonderful insight on the official side of an investigation. He also offers a deeply humanistic view on life, death, and what happens after. Death's Acre seemed almost, to me, like hearing your grandfather tell you a long story about his life and work, and I have no doubt I will reread it in the future.