Where the Bodies Are: Final Visits to the Rich, Famous, & Interesting (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A thoroughly researched and beautifully written guide to our past. A huge undertaking in every sense of the word.
-- Brian Williams, NBC News

I've long been a fan of corpses -- having been mistaken for one myself -- and their final resting places. As soon as I know where my gravestone will be, Pat Brooks will be the first to know. I love this book.
-- Steve Kmetko, E! News

Product Description

It may sound ghoulish to admit to a weakness for cemeteries, but a cemetery visit can often enliven a travel experience. Death may not take a holiday, but visitors to cemeteries can! After all, several of the most-visited tourist sights are tombs: the Taj Mahal in India, Napoleon's tomb in Paris, and the Pyramids in Egypt. And how about all the fans at Elvis Presley's grave at Graceland in Memphis, or John F. Kennedy's Eternal Flame in Arlington National Cemetery?

Certain cemeteries are popular not just for their permanent residents, but for the beauty of the grounds and grandeur of the monuments, with mausoleums created by Louis Sullivan or heroic statuary by Daniel Chester French. A cemetery stroll can bring the past--though not the dead--to life. History buffs like to see where Old What's-His-Name lives, and are often surprised at where he ended up.

In addition to a brief description of each cemetery, with pertinent practical information for visitors, succinct biographies of selected residents help Where the Bodies Are serve as a many-peopled tribute to those who have gone before.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762723378
• ISBN-13: 978-0762723379
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #551,055 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book For Cemetery Connoisseurs, February 17, 2003

By	C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Visiting cemeteries is not only a lot of fun, but it is cheap entertainment when visiting a large city. Autor Patricia Brooks has divided the book into regions of the country and provided both pictures and interesting tidbits of the famous and infamous who are buried around the country. More photos in the book would have been desirable, but then the amount of text would have had to have been reduced. Following the information as to who is buried in each of the visited cemeteries, the address, visiting hours, and telephone number is provided for those who plan on a closer look of their own. Many interesting individuals had to be omitted due to the number of people buried in places such as New York and California. However, the book may be on an off-beat subject, but it is, nevertheless, an interesting book on an interesting subject. If you enjoy prowling through cemeteries looking for the graves of notables this book will not disappoint you.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cross Country Grave Hunting Extravaganza, November 12, 2002

By	gail powers "Gail" (Homewood, IL United States) - See all my reviews

I read this book from cover to cover last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will also add that I am already familiar with most of the information covered in this book and I still enjoyed it. I gravehunt for a hobby which is basically as good as saying I've never seen a cemetery I didn't like. Heck, I even waste entire vacations hopping from one cemetery to another. That having been said, here is the scoop on this book.
This is not a guide for gravehunters per se. It does not provide precise instructions as to where all identified personalities are buried. It also does not contain comprehensive listings of all permanent residents of interest buried in the cemeteries included.
What this book does do is highlight the best cemeteries in the continental United States. It provides the addresses for these cemeteries, their hours of operation, good information regarding the safety of the areas being visited, and a thumbnail history of each cemetery selected for inclusion. It also may contain a general list of celebrities interred within, as well as mini-biographies of some of the more prominent subjects as well as generalized instructions as to where specific graves are located.
This information included is about 99+% correct. I did find a couple of errors which I believe were obtained from other sources which have been proven false but continue to be perpetuated in other books and/or publications.
As for the overall appearance of the book, the publisher did a fantastic job of presenting an appealing package. The photos are very clear and the general layout of the book is not only user friendly but very attractive. Amazingly, this book is very clean in the sense that it was well-written and well-edited. I've seen a lot of really badly done books in the past 5 years or so. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT ONE OF THEM.
Now for the big question......why buy this book? It is a lot of fun. There have been a lot of books published in recent years covering this subject (i.e., cemeteries). Some are very specific in terms of geographic location, the type of person buried within (movie stars, politicians, historical figures, etc). This book takes those elements and basically is a compilation of the very best of the best. It cuts through a lot of garbage and gives you the ones that tourists will like the best. Whether you want to visit a large number of the cemeteries included or visit a couple of them, this book will provide you with enough information to base your decision on. It is also a neat read.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where the Bodies Are, November 3, 2002

By	Kieran O'Reilly (CT) - See all my reviews

Patricia Brooks brings to her role as food critic for "The New York Times" a sure palate, fluid style and voice of decorous authority. But she often garnishes her reviews with a wry and piquant humor and -- when some meal or dish fails to meet expectation -- can readily throw the pepper and spice.
It hardly surprises then that the author brings the same sure style, wry humor and zestful approach to what some might regard as a ghoulish undertaking -- cemetery reviews. Making us first aware that -- much more than mere resting places -- they additionally serve as tourist attractions,parks,places to picnic,sit,read,meditate and even in my case,jog -- she guides us not only through final resting places but through American history, culture and sociology.
It fascinated me to find that pugilistic hero of my Irish youth,Gene Tunney went down for the 'eternal count'in Greenwich -- not far from my own CT 'corner';that the full 40 inches of Tom Thumb lie beneath a "40-foot-high white marble tribute" in Bridgeport;that John Ford -- director of classic westerns like 'Stagecoach' that even in rainy Dublin caused me try to swagger like John Wayne on some cactus-dotted plain -- lies beneath the "grassy land and rolling hills" of a cemetery in Culver City and finally, that the headstone of James Dean, whose appeal -- since all the girls had already fallen for him -- made me feel so inadequate as a teen,is still covered with lipstick kisses, though he would be over 70 were he still alive.
Pat Brooks has presented us with a thoroughly researched, beautifully written, rich-textured and fully-flavored book that everyone should savor.