Strange Ways to Die in History

Death comes for us all in the end. But it does not always come in a way you might expect. Throughout history there have been people who have suffered extraordinary, unusual, and downright weird demises. In Strange Ways to Die in History you will find out about the true stories behind unlikely stories of bizarre accidents, assassinations, and misadventures. Did a playwright really die from a tortoise being dropped on his head by an eagle? Why did an English vicar end up being eaten by lions? And what are the chances of fatality from falling into a toilet? Looking at the lives that came before the deaths reveals some of histories most fascinating individuals. Some of those examined are well known. Some are remembered only for the odd way they departed this life. Some have been forgotten entirely. Sometimes how a person dies, and how history has recorded the event, can tell us a lot about society and how we remember. This book uncovers eye-witnesses to the deaths described and contemporary reports from those who were left behind. AUTHOR: Ben Gazur holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Giving up the glitz and glamour of the lab he became a freelance writer who has written widely on history and science for the likes of the BBC, All About History, and the Guardian newspaper. His first book was a biography of the philosopher Epicurus. 20 b/w illustrations