The Toronto Book of the Dead
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Dundurn Group Ltd
Published:23rd Nov '17
Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date
Exploring Toronto’s history through the stories of its most fascinating and shadowy deaths.
If these streets could talk…
With morbid tales of war and plague, duels and executions, suicides and séances, Toronto’s past is filled with stories whose endings were anything but peaceful. The Toronto Book of the Dead delves into these: from ancient First Nations burial mounds to the grisly murder of Toronto’s first lighthouse keeper; from the rise and fall of the city’s greatest Victorian baseball star to the final days of the world’s most notorious anarchist.
Toronto has witnessed countless lives lived and lost as it grew from a muddy little frontier town into a booming metropolis of concrete and glass. The Toronto Book of the Dead tells the tale of the ever-changing city through the lives and deaths of those who made it their final resting place.
Adam Bunch has compiled one of the most fascinating Toronto historical books ever — I never knew how much I wanted to know how local residents have met their demise. Let’s update the city’s motto to ‘Dying Morbidly Our Strength.' * Matthew Blackett, Publisher of Spacing magazine *
Sometimes gross, always engrossing, Bunch weaves well-known Toronto histories with those that should — and thanks to Bunch’s efforts — will be better known. With compelling storytelling and evocative geographies, The Toronto Book of the Dead brings Toronto’s history uncannily to life. * Daniel Rotsztain, author of All the Libraries Toronto *
Bunch is a skilled storyteller. In The Toronto Book of the Dead he brings the city’s diverse former inhabitants to life and reanimates the places we know with their stories. The result is an engaging and often suspenseful series of vignettes — a love letter to the city he calls home. * Jennifer Bonnell, Assistant Professor, Department of History, York University *
A deeply researched book that documents how much of Toronto has been built on the backs of those who are now long gone — alongside accounts of the strange and sometimes gruesome ways these characters died. * Toronto Life *
What a great storyteller! * Matt Galloway, Metro Morning *
An amazing must-read about Toronto’s history. * Book Time *
Like taking a tour of Toronto, with a very knowledgeable tour guide who knows the more somber parts of the city’s past. * Literary Treats *
Sometimes gruesome, sometimes eerie … Highly fascinating and very informative. * Westend Weekly *
With stories that range from gruesome to heartbreaking, The Toronto Book of the Dead is an engaging and fascinating look into some of the darker moments of Toronto's past. * Canada's History *
- Short-listed for Heritage Toronto Award, 2018 Historical Writing 2018 (Canada)
ISBN: 9781459738065
Dimensions: 203mm x 127mm x 25mm
Weight: 508g
424 pages