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Nasıl Öldüler? İyi Ünlüler, Kötü Ünlüler ve En Büyükler
- Hangi orkestra şefi, yeni operasını çaldırırken batonu kendi ayağına saplayıp öldü?
- Dünyaca ünlü hangi bilim adamı, düşünür ve devlet adamı, bir tavuğun içini karla doldurmaya çalışırken üşüdüğü için öldü?
- 1960'ların ünlü folk şarkıcılarından hangisi, sanıldığı gibi jambonlu sandviç yerken boğazına kaçırarak ölmedi?
- Hangi ünlü İrlandalı yazarın son sözleri, "Ya şu duvar kâğıdı, ya da ben... birimiz dünyadan gitmeliyiz" oldu?
Bu kitapta Malcolm Forbes, bütün dünyada tanınan iki yüze yakın kişinin "elveda" öykülerini bir araya toplamıştır. Burun kanamasından ölen Hun Hakanı Attila'dan tüm cesaretini sergileyip Titanic'le birlikte batan mültimilyarder John Jacob Astor IV'e, ihtilalden sağ çıktıktan sonra nezleye teslim olan George Washington'a kadar nicelerini kapsayan bu kendine özgü kitap; aktörlerin, politikacıların, kahramanların, müzisyenlerin, filozofların, süperstarların, yazarların ve unutulmaz kişilerin gerçek "gidiş" öykülerini kurcalamaktadır.
- Dünyaca ünlü hangi bilim adamı, düşünür ve devlet adamı, bir tavuğun içini karla doldurmaya çalışırken üşüdüğü için öldü?
- 1960'ların ünlü folk şarkıcılarından hangisi, sanıldığı gibi jambonlu sandviç yerken boğazına kaçırarak ölmedi?
- Hangi ünlü İrlandalı yazarın son sözleri, "Ya şu duvar kâğıdı, ya da ben... birimiz dünyadan gitmeliyiz" oldu?
Bu kitapta Malcolm Forbes, bütün dünyada tanınan iki yüze yakın kişinin "elveda" öykülerini bir araya toplamıştır. Burun kanamasından ölen Hun Hakanı Attila'dan tüm cesaretini sergileyip Titanic'le birlikte batan mültimilyarder John Jacob Astor IV'e, ihtilalden sağ çıktıktan sonra nezleye teslim olan George Washington'a kadar nicelerini kapsayan bu kendine özgü kitap; aktörlerin, politikacıların, kahramanların, müzisyenlerin, filozofların, süperstarların, yazarların ve unutulmaz kişilerin gerçek "gidiş" öykülerini kurcalamaktadır.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 21, 2024
Without having to read several different books of historical figures and modern celebrities, this publication provides biographies in one succinct volume. The title grabs the reader because it focuses on the deaths, but it really is a quick overview of the selected individuals, what they accomplished, how they lived, and then how they died. It’s the equivalent of a movie matinee with lots of popcorn and junk food. Fun.
Now, I don’t mean “fun” in the sense that someone dying is trivial, but it’s like an addiction; once you start reading about a few folks you want to read more until you just can’t stop reading. Sure, Isadora Duncan was wearing a long scarf while riding in a car and broke her neck when the scarf became entangled in the automobile’s wheels. But did you know that the famous silent movie filmmaker, D.W. Griffith, died of a heart attack after years of living in declining circumstances? He could never recapture the fame of the Silent Era and outlived his time. There was no solution for Griffith but a kind of frenzied beating on the barred doors.
Audie Murphy was the most decorated Allied soldier of World War II and after the war became a Hollywood actor, specializing in Westerns and war films. Despite earning millions, several poor business ventures sent him into declining circumstances and he eventually became more of a bully. His plane crashed while he was on his way to check on yet another business enterprise and he was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Murphy wanted the world to stay simple so he could concentrate on tidying up its moral fiber wherever he found himself.
The author is Malcolm Forbes who was the publisher of Forbes Magazine and who was famous for his wealthy lifestyle. He wrote this book as a hobby, apparently, but I enjoyed it. When heavier reading from other books became too much, this was a simple, nighttime, read-until-you-fall-asleep experience.
Book Season = Year Round (incidents and accidents)
Now, I don’t mean “fun” in the sense that someone dying is trivial, but it’s like an addiction; once you start reading about a few folks you want to read more until you just can’t stop reading. Sure, Isadora Duncan was wearing a long scarf while riding in a car and broke her neck when the scarf became entangled in the automobile’s wheels. But did you know that the famous silent movie filmmaker, D.W. Griffith, died of a heart attack after years of living in declining circumstances? He could never recapture the fame of the Silent Era and outlived his time. There was no solution for Griffith but a kind of frenzied beating on the barred doors.
Audie Murphy was the most decorated Allied soldier of World War II and after the war became a Hollywood actor, specializing in Westerns and war films. Despite earning millions, several poor business ventures sent him into declining circumstances and he eventually became more of a bully. His plane crashed while he was on his way to check on yet another business enterprise and he was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Murphy wanted the world to stay simple so he could concentrate on tidying up its moral fiber wherever he found himself.
The author is Malcolm Forbes who was the publisher of Forbes Magazine and who was famous for his wealthy lifestyle. He wrote this book as a hobby, apparently, but I enjoyed it. When heavier reading from other books became too much, this was a simple, nighttime, read-until-you-fall-asleep experience.
Book Season = Year Round (incidents and accidents)
October 14, 2018
I chose the book because I was interested in the history on important people in History and how they lived in order to get to where they were and what lead to their demise. What also made the book catch my eye was that it was short stories and I have a short attention span sometimes so I knew it was perfect. The history behind it was the real selling point to me because I love history and I felt as though it would be interesting to learn a little bit more about many people.
Alexander The Great- (356 B.C.-323 B.C.) In the begging I read a story about Alexander the Great. Julius Caesar was upset when you found out about how Alexander the Great died at age 33. Caesar was upset because he had an accomplished anything yet by this age. When Alexander the Great was 20 he inherited the Throne of Macedonia. Soon after he set off with 35,000 troops and over the next 11 years he would March over 11,000 miles and he never lost the battle. Alexander the Great was loved by his troops and he would join them on the front lines. He would always have a good example by avoiding rich foods and heavy drinking. This only lasted for a while because the power went to his head, and after finding out about plot against his life he declared himself the son of Zeus. After this you began drinking heavily which would ultimately lead to his demise. Alexander the Great and his army were about to set out on their next campaign but three days before they were supposed to leave Alexander the Great was involved in a drinking contest. It is said that he drank 6 quarts of wine. The next day he was violently ill and it didn't help that he had caught a cold from the weather. He continued to issue orders from his bed. Within a couple of days ever the great conqueror was dead.
Bruce Lee- (November 27, 1940-July 20, 1973) The king of Kung-Fu made his successful start in small Kung Fu flicks in Hong Kong and was later working with Warner Brothers for one of its most successful films. Lee lived a life in which he filmed the many movies and many TV series when all of a sudden on July 20th 1973 he died. The official report states that he was in his Hong Kong apartment with Betty Ting Pei discussing a script when he complained of a headache and went to lie down. She gave him a few prescription painkillers help with a headache period a few hours later she was unable to wake him and he later died in the hospital that night do to a cerebral edema. It is said it was caused by an allergic reaction from the painkiller and a drug he was using for his back injury. What makes his case weird is that there's many conspiracies about how Bruce Lee could have died with such a healthy lifestyle with a rigorous fitness program and diet that mainly consisted of raw beef, eggs and an occasional glass of beef blood. one of the most prominent conspiracy theories is that the Chinese martial art lords were angry that he was giving away some ancient fighting techniques and secrets in his movies. Athough is unknown how he died for certain It really had a big impact. His funeral in Hong Kong drew 30,000 people and that's only a small percentage of the people he impacted in his life.
Vincent Van Gogh-(March 30, 1853-July 29, 1890) Unlike many artists it only took 10 years for Vincent Van Gogh to make an impact on the art world. The Dutch painter created more than 1,600 pieces between 1880 and 1890 and was able to do this despite mental and health problems. he suffered severe depression and hallucinations and after a fight with another artist Paul Gauguin it drove him to cut off his ear. Van Gogh suffering epilepsy in schizophrenia and turned himself into an asylum where he painted many pieces like Starry Night. one day man go fell as though he could not stand the hallucinations anymore and try to commit suicide by shooting himself in the chest. This didn't kill him and you lay on his bed bleeding smoking a pipe until he developed a high fever and later died.
What was good about the book was that it was many short stories and I felt as though it had enough content about everybody to fully understand their life and their journey and not go overboard with the information. The book was able to use language that was easy to understand and communicate their point. They were able to put many many interesting stories in the book and filled it with the information that made everybit of it interesting.
My only complaint about the book is that the book contains some stories about people who I have never heard of and I will never hear of again. I feel like some people were thrown in the book to take up space because a lot of them don’t have that interesting lives and don’t have a unusually death. I feel like if there was a more modern version of this book it would be better because it would relate to more people.
Alexander The Great- (356 B.C.-323 B.C.) In the begging I read a story about Alexander the Great. Julius Caesar was upset when you found out about how Alexander the Great died at age 33. Caesar was upset because he had an accomplished anything yet by this age. When Alexander the Great was 20 he inherited the Throne of Macedonia. Soon after he set off with 35,000 troops and over the next 11 years he would March over 11,000 miles and he never lost the battle. Alexander the Great was loved by his troops and he would join them on the front lines. He would always have a good example by avoiding rich foods and heavy drinking. This only lasted for a while because the power went to his head, and after finding out about plot against his life he declared himself the son of Zeus. After this you began drinking heavily which would ultimately lead to his demise. Alexander the Great and his army were about to set out on their next campaign but three days before they were supposed to leave Alexander the Great was involved in a drinking contest. It is said that he drank 6 quarts of wine. The next day he was violently ill and it didn't help that he had caught a cold from the weather. He continued to issue orders from his bed. Within a couple of days ever the great conqueror was dead.
Bruce Lee- (November 27, 1940-July 20, 1973) The king of Kung-Fu made his successful start in small Kung Fu flicks in Hong Kong and was later working with Warner Brothers for one of its most successful films. Lee lived a life in which he filmed the many movies and many TV series when all of a sudden on July 20th 1973 he died. The official report states that he was in his Hong Kong apartment with Betty Ting Pei discussing a script when he complained of a headache and went to lie down. She gave him a few prescription painkillers help with a headache period a few hours later she was unable to wake him and he later died in the hospital that night do to a cerebral edema. It is said it was caused by an allergic reaction from the painkiller and a drug he was using for his back injury. What makes his case weird is that there's many conspiracies about how Bruce Lee could have died with such a healthy lifestyle with a rigorous fitness program and diet that mainly consisted of raw beef, eggs and an occasional glass of beef blood. one of the most prominent conspiracy theories is that the Chinese martial art lords were angry that he was giving away some ancient fighting techniques and secrets in his movies. Athough is unknown how he died for certain It really had a big impact. His funeral in Hong Kong drew 30,000 people and that's only a small percentage of the people he impacted in his life.
Vincent Van Gogh-(March 30, 1853-July 29, 1890) Unlike many artists it only took 10 years for Vincent Van Gogh to make an impact on the art world. The Dutch painter created more than 1,600 pieces between 1880 and 1890 and was able to do this despite mental and health problems. he suffered severe depression and hallucinations and after a fight with another artist Paul Gauguin it drove him to cut off his ear. Van Gogh suffering epilepsy in schizophrenia and turned himself into an asylum where he painted many pieces like Starry Night. one day man go fell as though he could not stand the hallucinations anymore and try to commit suicide by shooting himself in the chest. This didn't kill him and you lay on his bed bleeding smoking a pipe until he developed a high fever and later died.
What was good about the book was that it was many short stories and I felt as though it had enough content about everybody to fully understand their life and their journey and not go overboard with the information. The book was able to use language that was easy to understand and communicate their point. They were able to put many many interesting stories in the book and filled it with the information that made everybit of it interesting.
My only complaint about the book is that the book contains some stories about people who I have never heard of and I will never hear of again. I feel like some people were thrown in the book to take up space because a lot of them don’t have that interesting lives and don’t have a unusually death. I feel like if there was a more modern version of this book it would be better because it would relate to more people.
May 26, 2017
Πως άφησαν αυτή τη ζωή καμιά 150 γνωστά (ή λιγότερο γνωστά, αλλά ενδιαφέροντα) άτομα της παγκόσμιας ιστορίας. Μικρές βιογραφιούλες των 2-3 σελίδων περίπου και τα γενικά συμπεράσματα για τον θάνατο είναι, ότι....δεν έχει λογική! Άλλοι θάνατοι και ο τρόπος τους ήταν αναμενόμενοι (πχ αυτοί που έπιναν ή που έκαναν γενικότερα επικίνδυνη ζωή), άλλοι ήρθαν στο άσχετο και από εκεί που δεν το περιμένεις. Όπως όλα τα πράγματα καλό είναι να μην παραλογίζεσαι, αλλά να κάνεις τα βασικά για να προστατευθείς. Πολλοί θάνατοι προήλθαν από απλά κρυολογήματα, που έγιναν χειρότερα, άλλοι ήρθαν στο ξαφνικό πχ τροχαία ατυχήματα, φόνοι κλπ, και άλλοι είχαν την γενεσιουργό αιτία τους (πχ μια πάθηση, καρκίνος στο Φρόυντ ή Κιουρί) πολλές δεκαετίες πριν και όμως άντεξαν πολύ. Άλλοι έτρεμαν το θάνατο, και άλλοι τον αψηφούσαν τελείως, όπως ένας στρατηγός που τους πυροβολούσαν και έλεγε..."είναι πολύ μακρυά, τι κρύβεστε, από εκεί ούτε ελέφαντα δεν μπορούν να πετύχουν" στους στρατιώτες του.....όταν τον βρήκε μια σφαίρα και τον ξάπλωσε κάτω.
March 3, 2009
Kind of trashy, really, and I couldn't put it down. A person-by-person acccount about how various famous people died. Attila the Hun, Buddy Holly, etc. You'll finish it in an hour or so and won't regret it.
September 11, 2020
This is a book you don't want to read quickly. I would read just a few pages at a time and think about it. The author has over a hundred mini biographies of famous people. The short biography includes highlights of the person's life accomplishments--and then how they died. Hence the name of the book--They went That A-Way.
It's just plain interesting. One person commented that his high school teacher read a biography from this book each day to her class--and he enjoyed it so much that kept him in high school. (smile)
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it is very highly recommended.
It's just plain interesting. One person commented that his high school teacher read a biography from this book each day to her class--and he enjoyed it so much that kept him in high school. (smile)
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it is very highly recommended.
July 25, 2017
Interesting overall and worth the time. Author (and his assistant) chose a wide variety of people over a broad span of time, arranged in alphabetical order rather than trying to cover by century or area of expertise or any other category. Just enough info on person's life was given along with the date and the circumstances of death, or last information if date, etc. not known.
Thought provoking and a reminder of the need to be ready for the end of our own story.
Thought provoking and a reminder of the need to be ready for the end of our own story.
June 3, 2023
Apparently ghost-written by one Jeff Bloch, this is, as noted in the title, a series of very brief biographies focused on the deaths of the scores of principals. The essays range from one to three pages and, although filled with interesting tidbits, are not very well researched. For instance, a couple of entries about figures of the late Roman Republic refer to the period in terms of the declining 'empire', a three-hundred year error approximately.
August 1, 2017
This is a fun book which has tiny little bios about famous people, and then tells you how they died. (Either an interesting death or an interesting life got you into the book.) Honestly I bought this book, remaindered, int the 1990s, after my high school history teacher read some of it in class and I thought it was neat. And I just recently picked it up and re-read it.
May 5, 2019
Cute book, nothing earth shattering. I learned a few things, but most of the stories I'd heard before.
August 3, 2019
Sometimes surprising, often depressing, always interesting.
June 2, 2021
A perfect bathroom book!
January 3, 2022
Very clever read.
December 10, 2023
Compelling in both ghastly and ghoulish ways and probably more so if you were familiar with most of the subjects in this compilation. Just plain creepy otherwise.
September 7, 2011
If you want to read this based on the title, you should skip it. It does have some things that make it worth reading tho.
The book is more short (1-2 pages) biographical sketches of famous peole with how they died thrown in there. In some cases it doesn't say how they died even, because no one knows.
But as a sort of Wikipedia-type biography of lots of disparate people, it sorta works. They are arranged alphabetically so you jump around wildly in that regard, but that makes it somewhat refreshing.
Hardly essential reading, but holds your interest throughout.
The book is more short (1-2 pages) biographical sketches of famous peole with how they died thrown in there. In some cases it doesn't say how they died even, because no one knows.
But as a sort of Wikipedia-type biography of lots of disparate people, it sorta works. They are arranged alphabetically so you jump around wildly in that regard, but that makes it somewhat refreshing.
Hardly essential reading, but holds your interest throughout.
April 4, 2011
This is the sort of book I'm glad I read, but I'm glad I'm done. Many of the stories were interesting, but many were sad, even tragic endings to [famous] lives. I wonder how the causes of death in this book compare to the population at large (adjusted for time and geography).
March 21, 2014
I had no in intention of reading this after I found out what it was about , but after 10 pages, I could not put it down. The mini bios were good and the death details were very good, Not the least bit morbid. all very interesting. learned a lot.
September 28, 2007
It was hard to put down. Who knew death could be so interesting?
September 9, 2015
Do you believe in Karma? Well, this book proves that karma does exist for some people. Stories about how some famous people lived and died. Interesting!
August 9, 2008
Hard to put down - formatting made it a quick read.
April 30, 2009
OK,OK it was a little morbid. But I saw it on the shelf and well I...have no excuse!
March 11, 2010
This book is out of print, but if you can find it don't hesitate to buy it. It's full of morbid trivia & we always break it out between courses at dinner parties. A real treat.
June 1, 2012
An interesting, if morbid, collection of how some famous people died. That's about it, but since I like learning about such things, I dug this book.
May 15, 2014
Loved it! Out of print? Well, the library had it.
May 5, 2013
Interesting
April 10, 2013
Too short, and sometimes I came across one bio if someone that I knew had multiple rumors about their death, and the author did not cover some of them well. Good bathroom reader though.
July 14, 2014
Hee hee hee. I take comfort in knowing many other people are interested in the deaths of famous people.
July 26, 2014
Short accounts of how some famous people died. Glosses over some details, but interesting and diverting.
February 4, 2015
Morbid but gripping. I didn't care about some(Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, all those airplane crashes!) but others were enlightening- I never could keep the Rockefellers straight before now.
May 14, 2015
Not bad and a very quick read. Interesting.
May 28, 2015
A nice refresher course in history. I found it interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews