Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? A Tour of Presidential Gravesites [Paperback]

Brian Lamb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2003

Some presidents have been larger than life but none of them have been larger than death. Brian Lamb has visited the gravesites of every American president, living and dead, in order to put together this book, with assistance from the staff of C-SPAN. Heavily illustrated and with contributions from historians Richard Norton Smith and Douglas Brinkley, Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? is about the presidents' lives as much as it is about their final resting places. The book's collection of the presidents' last words, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "I have a terrific headache" to John Adams's "Thomas Jefferson still survives" offers a poignant and sometimes humorous look at the last moments of the great men. This is a great way to encounter the presidents, from the great ones to the near-forgottens. Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? belongs in the glove box of every traveler and the bedside table of every fan of the American presidency and American history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"an appropriate gift for any C-SPAN junkie...an ideal gift for a young person showing interest in our nation's colorful history." -- Huntington (WV) News, May 3, 2003.

Book Description

The only guide and tour book to all forty-one presidential gravesites.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group; 1 edition (May 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586481789
• ISBN-13: 978-1586481780
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,358,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough tour guide to these historical sites., July 30, 2000

By 

R. Aguilar (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? A Tour of Presidential Gravesites (Paperback)

Who's buried in Grant's tomb is an interesting guide filled with small histories on each American president. The book contains accurate directions to help you find presidential gravesites, museums and libraries. Furthermore, the book contains addresses where you can write for additional information on each site and even includes website addresses when applicable. I have toured a few of these historical locations myself and have found the information in this book to be especially helpful in providing hours of operation as well as admission prices to some of these places. The book might appear a little morbid when you consider that it focuses on presidential burial sites but once you read it, you quickly find out that it provides a doorway for you to study the human side of these men. By visiting their homes graves and museums, you realize that they are not merely cold icons that you read about in history. They were very real with interesting lives and this book invites you to study their legacies.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May Seem Morbid, But Actually Very Good, July 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? A Tour of Presidential Gravesites (Paperback)

At first, reading this book may sound morbid and creepy (that's what people told me) but this book is a great history lesson and VERY interesting. Each president receives about 2 pages, so it's not too long or drawn out and is perfect if you are not into reading novels with long chapters. Each man receives equal billing, even the lesser known presidents and a full color picture of each gravesite is pictured as well. I am not even a true history buff but this book caught my eye and I really enjoyed it. I learned alot, too ~ like the fact that Abe Lincoln's public viewing lasted 20 DAYS as his body was moved from town to town via train until it got to its final resting place. I amaze my family and friends with all my new found knowledge!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bit twisted but fascinating, April 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? A Tour of Presidential Gravesites (Paperback)

When you take knowledgeable historians and focus them on such a finite topic, you're bound to come away with lots of fascinating tidbits and stories to keep your interest all the way through. That's exactly what you get here. I've been known to wander through cemetaries in search of famous people myself, so it's nice to know I'm not alone in my macabre interests. All the chapters are well-written, particularly the short epilogue to each as done by Richard Norton Smith. The concluding essay by Douglas Brinkley also hits home. I particularly thought it clever that, along with the photographs of each presidential gravesite (and future gravesites), the authors included photos from the graves of Jefferson Davis and David Rice Atcheson (reported to have been president of the U.S. for 1 day). It's great as either a travel guide or just as a historical reference.