A Brief History of Death

Description

A Brief History of Death offers a topical survey of views concerning death and its aftermath in the Western tradition, from prehistory to the present. It explores how humans understand and come to terms with the fact of mortality and looks at the physical and social aspects of death, how dying people are treated, how the dying conduct themselves in the knowledge of their approaching demise and how survivors choose to remember the dead. W. M. Spellman examines the work of archaeologists and palaeoanthropologists to give insight into prehistoric perspectives on death through the interpretation of physical remains. He spotlights the great philosophical and scientific traditions of the West, or what can be termed the rationalist approach to end-of-life issues.

W. M. Spellman is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and author of Uncertain Identity: International Migration since 1945 (Reaktion, 2008) and Monarchies, 1000-2000 (Reaktion, 2001).

'A Brief History of Death has a great deal to offer: a historian-magpie's collection of hundreds of engaging topics that readers can dip into.' - The Guardian 'After the spate of near-death and out-of-the-body experience books comes this refreshing step back to examine the nature of the death experience culturally, historically, psychologically and personally ... Recommended reading as an antidote to modern life.' - Fortean Times