From beloved CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and humorist Mo Rocca, a rigorously researched, “funny and smart” (Jon Stewart) book that celebrates the dead people who have long fascinated him.
Mo Rocca has always loved obituaries—reading about the remarkable lives of global leaders, Hollywood heavyweights, and innovators who changed the world. But not every notable life has gotten the send-off it deserves. His quest to right that wrong inspired Mobituaries, his #1 hit podcast. But here, in this “delightful, hilarious romp through history” (Booklist) he has gone much further, with all-new essays on artists, entertainers, sports stars, political pioneers, founding fathers, and more. Even if you know the names, you’ve never understood why they matter...until now.
Take Herbert Hoover: before he was president, he was the “Great Humanitarian,” the man who saved tens of millions from starvation. But after less than a year in the White House, the stock market crashed, and all the good he had done seemed to be forgotten. Then there’s Marlene Dietrich, well remembered as a screen goddess, less remembered as a great patriot. Alongside servicemen on the front lines during World War II, she risked her life to help defeat the Nazis of her native Germany. And what about Billy Carter and history’s unruly presidential brothers? Were they ne’er-do-well liabilities…or secret weapons? Plus, Mobits for dead sports teams, dead countries, the dearly departed station wagon, and dragons. Yes, dragons.
Rocca is an expert researcher and storyteller who offers “joy for curious minds” (Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci), and with his dogged reporting and trademark wit, he brings these men and women back to life like no one else can. “In our fact-challenged times, Rocca’s joyful tour through the didja know’s of history is an unexpected antidote” (The New Yorker).
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Author Mo Rocca's engaging narration makes it obvious that he is delightfully obsessed with underappreciated dead people—celebrities, politicians, and others whose lives he describes with a seemingly endless supply of interesting facts and observations. With a flinty-clear voice and colorful phrasing that is in a league with the best, his naturally enthusiastic performance enhances the drama and entertainment value of his excellent research and tight storytelling. He draws the audiobook's format from his popular podcast of the same name; both provide concise life summaries of the type you'd hear right after a person dies. Colorful and full of ironic humor, this work will make you smile and think. It's a showcase for the author's finely tuned insights about people, sensitivity to cultural context, and narrating talent."
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