Customer Reviews

What a Way to Go: Fabulous Funerals of the Famous and Infamous

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Subtitled "Fabulous Funerals of the Famous and Infamous", this interesting book presents information in a set format about 24 luminaries and their final rites. Each chapter begins with the person's nickname, dates of birth and death, a quote and a picture. Vital statistics are presented -- the age and cause of death, survivors left behind and other close brushes with death. A multi-page synopsis of the person's life is given, followed by a lengthy description of the funeral preparation and service, including what objects the person was buried with, and the headlines of the day. Printed on heavy paper, the design is very nice and the photographs are plentiful and of high quality. The people discussed are: Josephine Baker, Sarah Bernhardt, Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali, Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi, Jim Henson, Grace Kelly, JFK, Ayatollah Khomeini, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Notorious B.I.G., Eva Peron, Edith Piaf, Pope John Paul XXIII, Elvis Presley, FDR, Babe Ruth, Diana Spencer, Joseph Stalin, Igor Stravinsky, Rudolph Valentino and Mao Zedong. This is a great book to leave out for browsing, filled with great photos and interesting facts. I was very happy when I received it. Very nicely done.

Call this 'Death and Burial Rites of the Celebrated'. This is an interesting take on the funeral rites of many famous people. I won't go into detail because this has already been done more than adequately in the first customer review. I was particularly fond of the manner in which the material was presented. I felt that the written accounts of the funeral rites discussed within presented a verbally visual sense of being there.
The subjects discussed were from quite diverse levels of celebrity. The information presented was in some cases as much reflective of the historical time frame during which they occurred as well as the individuals being honored.
This was a very interesting exhumation of information long buried and forgotten.

There was chaos in the cemetery of Elvis internment. Riots at Rudy's mortuary! And then there was that nasty business of Eva Peron's globe-trotting body.

This is the perfect Halloween Coffee Table (or Coffin Top - if that's how one decorates for the Holiday) Book. The author tells tales of two dozen dearly departed and how they got there. At The Beginning of each End, she gives "Vital Statistics" varyingly including age at and cause of death, survivors, previous "close calls," and "Last Words" ("I'm so bored with it all" Sir Winston Churchill, "I'm going into the bathroom to read" Elvis Presley) There are other headlines at the time of death, concise and interesting bios, and, of course, details of funerals and send-offs. It includes many glossy black and white photos.

The book notes questionable cause (or perpetrator) of death for Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King, Jr. but then ascribes JFK's death to the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. When Pigs fly! And, speaking of pigs, Muppets sang at Jim Henson's memorail service, at which no one wore black. Reviewed by TundraVision

Great book on funerals of some legendary people. In particular I remember the one about the funeral of Jim Henson. I wish it had a tad more photos (there were a lot but I like tons) but it's great for anyone into funerals and wants something on their cofee table..

In What a Way To Go, Adele O. Brown answers almost all the questions one would have about the deaths and funerals of 24 well known and, perhaps well loved individuals. The book has some outstanding black and white photographs that capture images of the lives and glimpses of the funerals of these celebrities. Her text reminds you of things that once were fresh in your mind, often eliciting that "oh yeah, I remember that" response. In other cases you truly learn something new and interesting. The book title leads you to expect a presentation of elaborate, perhaps even outlandish funerals. This is not the case. State funerals, dignified Hindu ceremonies, and semi-private services are presented. Given the promise of "fabulous funerals" you have to question some of the author's selections. (were is Richard Nixon? Robert Kennedy? Miles Davis? Ron Brown?) A simple service, attended by less than fifty people, with no adoring fans to line the funeral route does not really qualify as fabulous. But it is reasonable to expect the author to make some inclusions based on continued speculation and interest in details surrounding a questionable death.

The book is not one that invites you to read straight through without pause. In fact, it is written and organized somewhat like an encyclopedia. The author adds little or no commentary to the reported facts about a life, death, or funeral. The alphabetical arrangement of the chronicled individuals adds to the impression that this is a reference text. In what seems like an after-thought the author includes tidbits of tabloid style information, trivia, and even gossip in an effort to give some life and movement to the pages. Still, I found myself going to the table of contents to determine which of the persons I wanted to read about next, and scanning the text for interesting pictures. I wouldn't call this a riveting story, but I found myself picking it up again and again to check some fact about one individual or another. I can see myself using information gained here in light, trivial conversation.

Readers should read, for comparison of style and story, Passed on, by K. Holloway. This book deals with similar subjects, even using some of the same funerals to make its text.

A good read with some good pictures. Interesting facts also. It is in short story form so it is easy to read. I like the fact you can read about the funeral and what happened on that day in history also.