The English Way of Death

'A revelatory history of the rituals and practices that were once a highly visible part of English life. Beautifully written.' Observer 'A social history of undertaking... Vigorous and highly informative.' Times Literary Supplement 'He loves the history of funerals for the same reason that he specializes in ecclesiastical architecture; he is fascinated by the point of contact between human life and eternity... in Mr Litten the subject has found a sober, amused, sympathetic interpreter.' Libby Purves, The Times 'This remarkable book is a mine of information on the funeral trade, on fashions in embalming and shrouds and coffins, and even the design of the burial vault: the eternal bedchamber .' David Stancliffe, Church Times 'A carefully crafted and superbly illustrated essay on a subject of universal human concern.' British Archaeological News 'We are undoubtedly in the hands of an expert.' Brian Sewell, Evening Standard 'What better guide could one want to the delights of funerary archaeology than a man who has sniffed the air in a hundred burial vaults? Litten provides a compendious guide to the consumerism of death.' Patricia Morison, Financial Times