199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die

by Loren Rhoads

Overview

A hauntingly beautiful travel guide to the world's most visited cemeteries, told through spectacular photography andtheir unique histories and residents.

More than 3.5 million tourists flock to Paris's Père Lachaise cemetery each year.They are lured there, and to many cemeteries around the world, by a combination of natural beauty, ornate tombstones and crypts, notable residents, vivid history, and even wildlife. Many also visit Mount Koya cemetery in Japan, where 10,000 lanterns illuminate the forest setting, or graveside in Oaxaca, Mexico to witness Day of the Dead fiestas. Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery has gorgeous night tours of the Southern Gothic tombstones under moss-covered trees that is one of the most popular draws of the city.

199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die features these unforgettable cemeteries, along with 196 more, seen in more than 300 photographs. In this bucket list of travel musts, author Loren Rhoads, who hosts the popular Cemetery Travel blog, details the history and features that make each destination unique. Throughout will be profiles of famous people buried there, striking memorials by noted artists, and unusual elements, such as the hand carved wood grave markers in the Merry Cemetery in Romania.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316438438
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	94,166
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 10.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Loren Rhoads is the author of Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel, Morbid Curiosity Cures and the Blues, and the editor of Death's Garden: Relationships with Cemeteries. She is the monthly cemetery columnist at Gothic Beauty and wrote about cemetery travel for almost five years at Gothic Net. She has served as a cemetery consultant for Travel & Leisure, The Weather Channel, Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, the Horror Writers Association, the Death Salon, the Chicago Tribune, and more. Her well-trafficked blog, Cemetery Travel, details her first-hand visits. She lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

"Once upon a time, we knew that cemeteries were meant for the living as much as for the dead. In 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die, Loren Rhoads does much to restore the cemetery to its proper place as a location worthy of a pilgrimage. From the colorful wooden graves of Romania's Merry Cemetery to the creative granite headstones in Vermont's Hope Cemetery, 199 Cemeteries is filled with beautiful examples of posthumous humor, astonishing artistry, and natural settings that rival the world's best parks. A much-needed book for the curious explorer and budding taphophile (cemetery-lover) alike."—Dylan Thuras, Co-Founder, Atlas Obscura

"Taphophiles rejoice! This eclectic compendium is packed with history, eye-catching monuments, quirky local characters, tips on interpreting cemetery symbolism, and fascinating finds. It's both a useful trip-planning tool and a browser's delight (although it may turn idle browsers into budding cemetery explorers). Next time someone asks why you love graveyards, show them this book."—Bess Lovejoy, author of Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses

"[A] guide to checking out the hereafter before you check out."—John Williams, The New York Times

"For the macabre-minded traveler, Rhoads' guide takes you through the most awe-inspiring graveyards in the world."—Entertainment Weekly

"[Author Loren Rhoads details] burial spots around the globe, sprinkling in history and trivia that runs from the hilarious to bone-chilling. . . Halloween gift-givers take note."—Spud Hilton, San Francisco Chronicle



"Loren's obvious affection for cemeteries is evident throughout 199 Cemeteries. Her personal appreciation gives life to places most people would consider only to be about death. A must-have book for the budding cemetery traveler and the serious taphophile."—Lenore X, Managing Editor, Gothic Beauty Magazine

"If you're like me and find cemeteries a fascinating way to view the real history of a place (or even just a nice, quiet place to eat your lunch), then Loren Rhoads's 199 Cemeteries To See Before You Die is likely to become a well-worn travel companion. The snappy descriptions and beautiful photographs are just enough to whet your appetite to pack your bags."—Megan Rosenbloom, Death Salon

'In the end, that might be what lingers most about 199 Cemeteries. An individual grave is a biography. An individual cemetery is a slice of history. As a whole, though-as a record of so many people who have lived in a place and then gone from it-a cemetery becomes something more contemplative. We know who we mourn. 199 Cemeteries asks us: Where do we mourn, and why?"—Genevieve Valentine, Vice

"[199 Cemeteries] has snippets of history, photos of eye-catching monuments, tips about what to look for on a tombstone - altogether a fascinating reminder of a time when more people understood that cemeteries are at least as much for the living as the dead."—John Wilkens, San Diego Union Tribune

"Often overlooked as tourist destinations, cemeteries deserve a new life in the eyes of the traveler. This book pays respect to the incredible architecture, stunning landscapes, and intriguing histories of those oft-ignored spaces around the globe which exist to celebrate and honor life-no globetrotter's journey is complete without it."—Blake Olmstead, AtlasObscura.com

"Rhoads has found the beauty of death in this elaborate graveyard encyclopedia. From celebrities of the seventies to the ancient seven wonders, this book contains a great amount of century-spanning history, fascinating culture, and beautiful sights."—GoNOMAD

From the Publisher

11/01/2017
Tackling everything from the Taj Mahal to a final resting place for champion race horses, Rhoads (cemetery consultant, Travel & Leisure; Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel) evokes the beauty and history of burial grounds worldwide. About half of the cemeteries are in the United States. Other examples include the Borrehaugene Viking Graveyard in Norway and Okunoin Cemetery, the largest burial ground in Japan. Striking photographs and fascinating narratives accompany each entry. Rhoads's choices range from George Washington's single-family burial plot to larger cemeteries with specific areas of interest such as Nova Scotia's Fairview Lawn, where 121 victims from the Titanic sinking are buried. VERDICT The in-depth stories and eye-catching photographs of monuments and vistas will appeal to most readers.

Library Journal