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Farewell, Godspeed: The Greatest Eulogies of Our Time Hardcover – December 23, 2003

by Cyrus M. Copeland (Author)

18 customer reviews

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Farewell, Godspeed is a remarkable collection of eulogies for some of the most notable figures of our time, delivered by the people who knew them best. In the words used to eulogize the great and celebrated men and women of the world—sometimes reverential, sometimes funny, always poignant—we come as close as perhaps we ever will to seeing the warm humanity beneath their public personas.

Cyrus M. Copeland has gathered some of the greatest of these writings about artists, scientists, authors, public servants, entertainers, and others who have captured our attention by making the world a better, or at least a livelier, place. Here is Andy Warhol’s close friend describing Warhol’s hidden spirituality. Albert Einstein’s assistant recounting his humanism. Edward Kennedy remembering with a brother’s tenderness the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Larry McMurtry’s lively and loving tribute to Irving “Swifty” Lazar. And Robert Bernstein, longtime publisher and friend of Dr. Seuss, memorializing him with special, never-before-published verse. Also included are the eulogies of the Challenger astronauts by President Ronald Reagan; Charles Schulz by Cathy Guisewite (creator of the comic strip Cathy); Bette Davis by James Woods; Bob Fosse by Neil Simon; Lucille Ball by Diane Sawyer; Martin Luther King Jr. by Benjamin E. Mays; David O. Selznick by Truman Capote; Karl Marx by Friedrich Engels; and Gianni Versace by Madonna.

In these moving and personal tributes we see at last the vulnerabilities and nuances of character that are often hidden from the spotlight, and the true personalities behind the names we remember.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Crown; 1 edition (December 23, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400049466
ISBN-13: 978-1400049462
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.2 x 7.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #134 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Reference & Collections
- #289 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Essays & Correspondence > Letters
- #349 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Reference

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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

5 star		78%
4 star		11%
3 star		6%
2 star		5%
1 star		0%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

Sixty four choice examples of eloquent eulogies

By Lawrance Bernabo HALL OF FAMEVINE VOICE on August 13, 2004

Format: Hardcover

I am not inclined to agree with the sub-title of "Farewell, Godspeed" that these are indeed "The Greatest Eulogies of Our Time," simply because I think there are so many eloquent farewells given to loved ones who have passed away that never see the light of day. But that hardly detracts from the point of Cyrus M. Copeland's collection, which serves as a potent reminder of a neglected art form by providing sixty four examples from the past century.

Of the sixty four the one that will be recognized and remembered by most readers in President Ronald Reagan's eulogy for the "Challenger" astronauts, a most atypical eulogy in that it was probably the one written the quickest, delivered the same day that the shuttle exploded before the television cameras of the nation. Older readers might recall Chief Justice Earl Warren's remarks following the death of President John F. Kennedy, but clearly you will be reading almost all of these sixty four eulogies for the first time.

These eulogies are collected into sections representing the vocation of the dearly departed. Copeland has sections on Maestros like Isadora Duncan and Andy Warhol, Visionaries from Susan B. Anthony to Ryan White, Wisecrackers from Lucille Ball to Charles Schulz, Captains of Industry such as Henry Ford, Matinee Idols from Humphrey Bogart to River Phoenix, Explorers & High Flyers in the mode of Amelia Earhart and Timothy Leary, Tunesmiths & Troubadours from Irving Berlin to George Harrison, Movie Moguls like David O. Selznick, Wordsmiths from Emily Dickinson to Dr. Seuss, and a final section devoted to the eulogies for the three principal figures of America's Camelot.Read more ›

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Thought provoking -- what else shoud a book be?

By Eric V. Moye on April 4, 2004

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

What a book. It is the compilation of about eighty eulogies of some of the most influential persons of their times, given by a myriad of people. There is neither rhyme nor reason, save the fact that they have touched people; some millions, some few.
We find words by John Kennedy, and of John Kennedy. Of Albert Einstein, David O. Selznick, Charles Schultz, Che, Martin, the Duke and the Challenger astronauts.
Anyone smart enough to be able to read will go through this book and come to its end with one thought: "What would I want to be said about me?" And after that thought, who knows what action may follow!
Damn.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

amazing and inspirational farewells

By audrey TOP 500 REVIEWER on February 19, 2004

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

This may not be the kind of book you would expect to find interesting, but once you pick it up, you'll find it difficult to put down. This is a compilation of 64 eulogies for the famous by the famous or articulate people who knew them best. Many are moving, all are interesting.
Divided into sections called Maestros (Bob Fosse, Andy Warhol), Visionaries (Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King Jr, Ryan White), Wisecrackers (Gilda Radner, Lucille Ball), Captains of Industry (Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford), Matinee idols (Humphrey Bogart, James Dean), Explorers & High Flyers (Challenger astronauts, Albert Einstein), Tunesmiths & Troubadours (Janis Joplin, Lawrence Welk), Movie Moguls (Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder), Wordsmiths (Mark Twain, Walt Whitman) and Camelot (JFK, JFK Jr and Jackie Onassis), often the eulogist is as interesting as the deceased, and the fascination comes from learning about their relationship -- JFK on Robert Frost, Fidel Castro on Che Guevara, Ossie Davis on Malcolm X, Bob Hope on Jack Benny, Eric Idle on George Harrison, among others). These are words spoken in a time of tremendous grief, and the eloquence of the speakers is memorable.
Each selection is several pages long and followed by a short chronology of the deceased.
Also, don't miss the beautiful Robinson Jeffers piece that precedes the Table of Contents.
This book is fascinating and inspirational, and will compel you to contemplate your own legacy and relationships.
Highest recommendation.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

A sensitive and moving compilation of good-byes

By A Customer on January 29, 2004

Format: Hardcover

Cyrus M. Copeland has done a brilliant job of gathering together a beautiful and moving set of tributes. I was brought to tears by the remembrances of a young and strong Gilda Radner by her longtime fried Alan Zweibel. I laughed as Cathy Guisewite tells tales of Snoopy's famous creater Charles Schulz (or Sparky as he was known to his friends). I sat back and pondered on Helen Keller's magnificent triumphs as Sen. Lister Hill so elegently reveals them. These and many others: Madonna on Gianni Versace, Gregory Hines on Sammy Davis, Jr, Susan Dickinson on her sister-in-law Emily, and "Uncle Teddy" on John-John, reveal this celebrated group of personalities in a fresh and heartfelt manner. I must confess, I have picked up this book on many occasions since my first reading to revisit some of the most poignant passages. I truly recommend this book!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Inspirational Eulogies

By Scott Taylor on January 5, 2004

Format: Hardcover

For a eulogy to transcend just "celebrity puffery" it has to have universal application to our own lives. It has to make us think about how we want to be remembered. It has to inspire us to take a moment in our frenzied lives to reflect and then make a change in what we do every day. Otherwise it's not much more than tabloid hype.
The success of this collection of greatest eulogies is that it does exactly that. It's a mix of entertaining anecdotes that bring to life these famous people with inspirational details about their personal, often private side. Deep down inside I think we want our celebrities to be "good people" and know that they weren't tarnished by the glitter of fame. If you're looking for an uplifting book, I recommend this one.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

The beautiful eulogies gave a rare insight to loss and love. While reminding of us the importance in Goodbye.

Published 1 day ago by Cleopatra

Interesting and Insightful

I read editorial reviews for learning descriptive writing. I wondered if reading a book of eulogies would be similar. Read more

Published 2 days ago by S. Thompson

Splendid reading!

Really fascinating and touching tales of lives fully spent!

Published 4 months ago by William Roger Davis

Excellent compilation of eulogies

Excellent compilation of eulogies. Probably the most enlightening way to learn about the lives and accomplishments of some of our most beloved celebrities, historical and... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Bill Lawrence

An astounding collection!

The list of deceased celebrities [64 in number] and those who delivered the eulogies is a collection that boggles the mind! Read more

Published on April 9, 2013 by ltempleb

Great People - Not So Great Eulogies

If you want to read eulogies about the rich and famous - here you go, and well done I suppose. I would have rated this book much more highly had the cover not included the phrase... Read more

Published on February 27, 2012 by Robert Lawton

Not what I wanted, but good reading.

As a minister, I've written a few eulogies in the past, but now as my father is in the final stages of ALS, I wanted to be able to deliver a little something more than the typical... Read more

Published on January 27, 2010 by Monty Rainey

A Spiritual Celebration Perfectly Poised for Baby Boomers

The idea of reading dozens of eulogies back to back may sound depressing, but it's really a celebration of love, hope, praise and -- surprisingly perhaps -- good humor as... Read more

Published on May 26, 2008 by David Crumm

Fascinating and inspirational.

The title promises "the greatest eulogies of our time", and the book delivers on its promise. Here are some of the eulogies included:

Adlai Stevenson on Eleanor... Read more

Published on January 26, 2008 by David M. Giltinan

A few nuggets

First things first. The book is mis-titled. This is not a book of the greatest eulogies of our time. Rather it is a book of eulogies about "great" people. Read more

Published on May 3, 2006 by Conor Cunneen