This is a really interesting and fascinating book that looks at various deaths throughout history. The writing style is fast paced and flows very well from one story to another. If you find morbid history interesting, I think you will enjoy this. Special Thank You to Ben Gazur, Pen & Sword and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

📖 NetGalley Review

Strange Ways to Die in History by Ben Gazur
Pen & Sword History, 30th January 2024

This fascinating book presents the true stories behind unlikely tales of bizarre accidents, assassinations, and misadventures, covering the time period from the ancients to 1983.

The author's pleasing writing style ensures this fast-paced read flows from one fact to another with little or no padding. It's interesting and highly entertaining from the first page, with some of the accounts making me laugh out loud! It is full of scintillating information, and author Ben Gazur's sense of humour shines through each and every page. A delightful history lesson.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Ben Gazur and Pen & Sword History for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

I like to read non-fiction inbetween the fiction novels I devour on a regular basis (for the literal among you, not literally! lol). It takes me a while to read them though so I apologise to the author for taking my time reading this book.

This was an interesting read, although, of course, some of the ways that people have died in history have been gruesome, to say the least! Nevertheless, it shows how times have changed over the years and our attitudes to death as well. Some of the deaths made me cringe, well and truly.

I liked this book, a lot, and give thanks to the author for taking the time to do all this research on a topic that isn't most people's cup of tea.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword.

My thanks to Pen and Sword ( always wonderful choices in their series of subjects!) and NetGalley for a copy of “ Strange Way To Die In History “ for an honest review.

I know this is quite a morbid subject , but I found this book really interesting .It reminded me of an adults version of Horrible Histories !
Most of the deaths happened so long ago , and were so strange that it’s hard not to laugh at the absurdity of some of them.
This is the perfect book to just pick up and read a few at a time, and I found it really entertaining

Humour and history go hand in hand here, in this compelling look at death throughout history. Morbid, yes, but utterly fascinating - packed full of bizarre and brilliant eye witness cases of odd deaths through out history

"Strange Ways to Die in History: The Heroic, Tragic and Funny" by Ben Gazur is a captivating exploration of the bizarre and often unbelievable ways individuals have met their demise throughout history. Gazur's book offers a unique blend of humor, curiosity, and historical insight, making it both entertaining and informative. From the heroic sacrifices to the tragically absurd accidents, each story is meticulously researched and presented with wit and charm. Gazur's writing style effortlessly draws readers into the strange and sometimes macabre world of historical deaths, offering a fresh perspective on the quirks of human fate. Whether you're a history buff or simply intrigued by the peculiarities of the past, "Strange Ways to Die in History" is a delightful read that will leave you both amused and enlightened.

Princess Fuzzypants here: One thing is for certain. We are all going to die. It is a universal truth. This book looks at some of the more unorthodox ways that different people throughout history have slipped the surly bonds. The author, when appropriate, calls out some of the more questionable stories and often tells the conflicting accounts that have become part of the folklore of some individuals.

Some of these deaths are heroic but more make the book because they are odd or ironic. There is more than one “live by the sword, die by the sword” example. Some are sad but some are funny…although clearly not to the person who managed to make it into the book. It is a very tongue in cheek look at the journeys of some into the great hereafter. It is the kind of book that one could read snippets or go from cover to cover. If your tastes run to quirky, you will enjoy the read.

Four purrs and two paws up.

Aeschylus is the first that comes to my mind when I thing about strange ways to die as an eagle dropped a turtle on his head. There's a lot more in this well researched and entertaining bookd.
Informative, compelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Unusual deaths include unique or extremely rare circumstances of death that have been recorded throughout history.Draco of Athens was a lawmaker who was reportedly smothered to death by gifts of cloaks and hats showered upon him by appreciative citizens at a theatre in Aegina, Greece.
For Pythagoras the Greek philosopher and polymath, there were theories that he was either murdered by his political enemies, or, that he supposedly almost managed to outrun them, but he came to a bean field and refused to run through it, as he had prohibited beans as ritually unclean.Since cutting through the field would violate his own teachings,Pythagoras simply stopped running and was killed.
The first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, whose artifacts and treasures include the Terracotta Army, died after ingesting several pills of mercury in the belief that it would grant him eternal life. Greek philosopher Chrysippus of Soli died of laughter after he saw a donkey eating his figs; he told a slave to give the donkey neat wine to drink with which to wash them down. Saint Lawrence, the deacon, was roasted alive on a giant grill during the persecution of Valerian.Prudentius tells that he joked with his tormentors,"Turn me over—I'm done on this side".He is now the patron saint of cooks, chefs, and comedians.Constans II,the Byzantine Emperor was assassinated with a bucket according to Theophilus of Edessa.Louis III of France, King of West Francia, died aged around 18 at Saint-Denis.Whilst mounting his horse to pursue a girl who was running to seek refuge in her father's house, he hit his head on the lintel of a low door and fell, fracturing his skull.Charles VIII of France died as the result of striking his head on the lintel of a door while on his way to watch a game of real tennis.Jean-Baptiste Lully the French composer died of a gangrenous abscess after accidentally piercing his foot with a staff while he was vigorously conducting a Te Deum. It was customary at that time to conduct by banging a staff on the floor.The Erfurt latrine Disaster of 1184.Henry I of Casile was 13yo when he was killed by a tile that fell from a roof.London Beer Flood of 1814 etc.

I enjoyed reading strange ways to die in history. It was amusing and interesting. The book was well researched and read like the Darwin awards of the ancient worlds in some places!

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword History!

From the sad, the odd and from the downright stupidest ways to die, Strange ways to Die in History just about covers them all. Told in a short story format this book is the perfect pallet cleanser when one needs a simple and light read.

"This book is about those unfortunate ones whose deaths spark either shocked gasps or titters from those they leave behind."

History is packed with tales of hapless individuals who departed this mortal coil in unusual ways. Gazur has here gathered together some stories of their sad untimely deaths, and sometimes well-deserved ignominious demises. There are incidents of men tripping over their long beards before tumbling down flights of stairs, and innocent individuals drowning in deluges of beer or molasses. Like something out of Monty Python, there's the strange tale of not one, but TWO men who managed to shoot themselves whilst demonstrating how a third man's pistol was accidentally discharged.

My favorite account was of a jockey who died during a race. His death was only discovered after he failed to dismount after his horse crossed the finish line in first place. Now that's a memorable way to go.

Despite the dark subject matter, this is a highly entertaining book. I hope somewhere down the line the publishers will consider an audiobook version, as, with the right narrator, it would make for a great listening experience.

What a great and interesting read this book is and is perfect for any morbid readers out there that enjoy all manners of unusual deaths!

From being roasted alive inside a bronze bull, to having a tortoise dropped on their head, to death by clown, this book looks at some of the not just strange, but in some instances, gruesome & horrific ways that people have died throughout history.

Due to the passage of time since they happened, some may be rumours or exaggerations of what truly occurred - well one can hope. It's an interesting read, even if some of the stories cannot be verified (the author gives the reader some alternative explanations for some of the more unlikely ones.) All I will say is: I knew there's a reason I've never liked clowns. 3.5 stars (rounded up).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword History, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book delves into eyewitness accounts to illuminate the peculiar accidents and misadventures behind the unconventional demises of both well-known and forgotten historical figures. Though occasionally macabre, it’s light-hearted and fun to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

In this book, we are taken on a tour of various bizarre and ironic deaths that people have died over the past several millennia, some with plenty of backstory and some just as vignettes.

I am a macabre person - I enjoy true crime, creepy mysteries, high strange events. But sometimes you want to return to the basics, and that for me is weird stories from history. A dash of humor on the side is always appreciated too. As such, this book sounded right up my alley.

This is a pretty short book, less than 200 pages, and I sped through it quickly. The author takes us through dozens of strange deaths, some comical and some horrific, with some backstory on the lives those people lived before they died. Those with fame and fortune are overrepresented of course, but that is just how the recording of history was for a long time. I appreciated that the author tried to include stories from many cultures and civilizations, and found his light-hearted and ironic tone very funny.

However, it's definitely a read that's somewhat light on details, as we clip by several millennia worth of deaths at so swift a pace we haven't got time for pit stops. Gazur also includes some well known potentially apocryphal stories - while he does note them, I think it could have been fun to substitute these with less famous, better sourced ones. We also spent more time in antiquity that I expected, and would have liked a greater number of medieval or modern stories included instead.

I’m always keen to learn about all things strange and unusual so the opportunity to discover some of the more bizarre ways that humans have met their end was too tempting to pass up. Here, you’ll learn about the often untimely deaths of people from the ancient world, the Middle Ages and the modern world.

“It is estimated that since the human species first came into existence, slightly over 100 billion people have died. It would be surprising if at least some of the them did not do so in extraordinary, noteworthy, or downright comic ways.”

This book’s dearly departed don’t always expire in ways that would result in a Darwin Award but they do run the gamut of deathly debacles, from war and disease to human stupidity.

In the ancient world, we have people being cooked by Brazen Bull, turned into a pillar of salt and torn apart by dogs. There’s death by elephant, roof tile and being fed to eels.

Sisamnes learned the hard way not to take a bribe. His throat was cut and he was flayed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his skin was then made into a chair for the next governor to sit in. Who was the next governor? Sisamnes’ son.

In the Middle Ages, you could meet your maker by bucket, being quartered or by toilet, as was the case for sixty people who drowned during the Erfurt Latrine Disaster.

Then there was Charles II of Navarre who, covered in sores and boils, was “sewn into strips of linen at night that had been soaked in brandy.” The maid responsible for sewing Charles into his sack forgot her scissors one night so decided to burn a loose thread. This went as well as expected, with the king dying almost a month later as a result of his burns.

The modern world gives us technological advances but it also gives you death by scarf, turnip and clown.

Besides the potential to make you squeamish, György Dózsa teaches us that declaring yourself king can result in a truly memorable death. In all seriousness, if you’re squeamish, don’t Google him.

Now, to lighten the mood, there have been those who died from laughter. A mayor tripped over his beard and one king may have died by pudding. Others have been bested by lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Or by someone wearing a bear costume.

This was an entertaining read. The entries are succinct, providing a summary of the best/worst bits of the lives of some poor unfortunate souls. At times the writing could be a bit crude, especially when it wandered into toilet humour territory, but if you’re a reader who’s easily offended, it’s unlikely you’ll be picking this book up in the first place.

It ends with some famous last words. My favourite of the bunch came from a man whose death came by guillotine during the French Revolution.

“When Thomas de Mahy was sentenced to death, he gave the order for his execution a read and handed it back, saying: ‘I see that you have made three spelling mistakes.’”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pen & Sword History, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books, for granting my wish to read this book.

One thing is for certain, death comes for all of us and Strange Ways to Die in History shows us that no matter who we are or how high we’ve climbed in status, we are all susceptible to dying in the most embarrassing ways. Some of the deaths are outright terrifying, some downright funny, all prove that real life is stranger than fiction.

The short entries make this book perfect for picking up anytime and the cover begs to be featured on a bookshelf. It’s a great conversation piece and more than one time I found myself looking to read more about some of the featured dead.

This is a fun read and will appeal to those who love facts, history, and macabre death.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for providing me with an ARC of this book to enjoy.

Have you ever seen that TV show, “1000 Ways to Die?” This is basically a historical version of that in book form, and it’s great. There is some dark comedy in here, but it isn’t distasteful, and even though the book is divided into ancient, medieval, and modern times, the author intentionally doesn’t cover any remotely recent deaths from living memory. Each of the stories covered are brief, so you could read this in a couple sittings, or stretch it out for a while. The author also provides conflicting accounts and notes when things might be more fanciful than fact. Overall this is a really enjoyable read, especially considering it is about death.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

A fun look at strange deaths throughout history! The author takes the reader through three time periods - ancient, medieval, and modern- presenting stories of strange ways people have died. I thought this was really interesting and easy to read! You can read a few or a ton at a time, as most stories are fairly short.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.