All battlefields are haunted by the memory of what occurred there. Some, however, are haunted by more than remembrance, memorialization, and heritage events. There are American Civil War battlefields that remain "active" with the ongoing manifestations of past military behaviors. A theory of American Civil War battlefield hauntings is presented here, tied to mid-19th c. concepts of (and belief in) a "good death" and the importance of home and family. Fieldwork exploring these ideas shows, in many battlefield manifestations, a direct relationship between these concepts and battlefield interactive hauntings.

Part memoir, part how-to manual, this short, concise but in-depth guidebook for caregivers gently takes the reader from terminal diagnosis through death - covering topics such as interfacing with the medical community, making decisions about treatment, estate planning, completing important medical documents, providing comfort, engaging hospice, and choosing a funeral home - through personal recollection. Based on the author's experience of caring for her terminally ill brother, this primer is a valuable resource for anyone embarking on their own journey of caregiving for a terminally ill friend or loved one.

Gravestones, cemeteries, and memorial markers offer fixed points in time to examine Americans' changing attitudes toward death and dying. In tracing the evolution of commemorative practices from the seventeenth century to the present, Sherene Baugher and Richard Veit offer insights into our transformation from a preindustrial and agricultural to an industrial, capitalist country. Paying particular attention to populations often overlooked in the historical record - African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrant groups - the authors also address the legal, logistical, and ethical issues that confront field researchers who conduct cemetery excavations. Baugher and Veit reveal how gender, race, ethnicity, and class have shaped the cultural landscapes of burial grounds and summarize knowledge gleaned from the archaeological study of human remains and the material goods interred with the deceased. From the practices of historic period Native American groups to elite mausoleums, and from almshouse mass graves to the rise in popularity of green burials today, The Archaeology of Cemeteries and Gravemarkers provides an overview of the many facets of this fascinating topic.

What do all human beings have in common? Despite the self-help books about sex, money, power, happiness, weight, and relationships, there is one thing we all face that none of that guidance can prevent . . . death. What if we weren't so afraid of death, or of even talking about it? The fear of death - even when it's below our conscious awareness - underlies all fears. But, as Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler remind us in Life Lessons . . . "Fear doesn't stop death; it stops life." What this book suggests is that exploring our fears about death - talking about it, learning about it - might allow us to live more fully now and to die more consciously, with less fear and less unfinished business. With thought-provoking quotes and a list of resources from the top contributors in the field, this book provides a sturdy framework for us to begin and continue our inquiry. There are practices and tools we can use along the way. The author's informal style engages us easily in considering some of the most important questions about how we want to live and how we want to die. What "Fear of Death: It's About Life, Actually. Let's Talk About It" offers is an unusual opportunity to empower ourselves with regard to those questions and - perhaps - to help this conversation become a more natural part of our lives.

Death Embraced is like no other book you have ever read. Fascinating and entertaining, it leads readers to ponder issues that should not be avoided. Some may want to use it as a guide to visiting New Orleans graveyards . . . or as a guide to life. "An amazing book by an even more amazing writer, historian and educator with vast knowledge of the Crescent City's history and an intimate understanding of many of the Big Easy's lesser-known cultural traditions and customs. A must-read for anyone who is serious about learning the true history of New Orleans. I dare you to try to put it down after reading its first few pages." -Edmund W. Lewis, Editor, The Louisiana Weekly "A gem of a book, full of little things you didn't know you wanted to know. With subtitle wit and serious depth of knowledge, Mary LaCoste shares the down and dirty of one of New Orleans most mysterious institutions." -Liz Scott, New Orleans Magazine

The Encyclopedia of Cremation is the first major reference resource focused on cremation. Spanning many world cultures it documents regional histories, ideological movements and leading individuals that fostered cremation whilst also presenting cremation as a universal practice. Tracing ancient and classical cremation sites, historical and contemporary cremation processes and procedures of both scientific and legal kind, the encyclopedia also includes sections on specific cremation rituals, architecture, art and text. Features in the volume include: a general introduction and editorial introductions to sub-sections by Douglas Davies', an international specialist in death studies; appendices of world cremation statistics and a chronology of cremation; cross-referencing pathways through the entries via the index; individual entry bibliographies; and illustrations. This major international reference work is also an essential source book for students on the growing number of death-studies courses and wider studies in religion, anthropology or sociology.