Dead Famous

An Unexpected History of Celebrity from Bronze Age to Silver Screen

By: Greg Jenner

Narrated by: Greg Jenner

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

We might think we now live in the age of celebrity. In fact the famous and infamous have been thrilling, entertaining and outraging us for millennia. Whether it's Socrates, who made his name annoying strangers with his questions, or the medieval saints whose desiccated body parts were collected by devout fans, or The Boy Jones, who gained notoriety for stealing Queen Victoria's knickers, we've always loved to gossip and obsess about people we've never met.

From before the Bronze Age to the Golden Age of Hollywood, Greg Jenner assembles a wild cast of singers, dancers, actors, freaks, demigods, ruffians and more in search of the historical roots of celebrity. He reveals how people throughout history became famous, stayed famous and, often spectacularly, fell into obscurity. In turn, he also delves into what celebrity culture shows about the way we see the world, and ourselves.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Greg Jenner (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"Fizzes with clever vignettes and juicy tidbits....[a] joyous romp of a book." (Guardian)

"A magical mystery tour through the history of celebrity - eye opening, provocative, triumphant." (Kate Williams, best-selling author and historian)

"A fascinating, rollicking book in search of why, where and how fame strikes. Sit back and enjoy the ride." (Peter Frankopan)