From ‘Dead Bodies 101’ to ‘The Dead vs the Undead (A Field Guide)’ the disgusting details of this book are not for the faint-hearted. It provides a chronological guide to the mysterious and macabre throughout history, in a darkly funny and educational compendium on embalming, phrenology, cryonics and decomposition.

Learn about Einstein’s bad eating habits, George Washington’s terrible teeth and a man who survived having a four foot iron pole driven through his head. There’s stuff on body snatchers, Beethoven’s hair, and a healthy amount of bones, blood, and brains.

The episodic structure makes for light reading and the content is grimy but always PG (a number of footnotes sneakily declare some information was withheld as it was ‘beyond the scope of this book’). Beccia regularly interjects with funny footnotes to disclose the reliability of certain sources, offer additional insight, or crack a joke. The entries range from paragraph to page-length, suitable for either bedtime browsing or binge reading. Cartoonish line drawings accompany each story, adding humour and readability.

The tales are theatrical and extraordinary, with a comprehensive bibliography to support them all. Blending history, biography and science in a style similar to the bestselling UK children’s series ‘Horrible Histories’, this compendium will capture the minds of adults and kids alike.

Reviewed by Emma Harvey
Age Guide 8+