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Dead Famous

An Unexpected History of Celebrity from Bronze Age to Silver Screen

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Dead Famous

By: Greg Jenner
Narrated by: Greg Jenner
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About this listen

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

'A fascinating, rollicking book in search of why, where and how fame strikes. Sit back and enjoy the ride.' Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

'[An] engaging and well-researched book... Jenner brings his material to vivid life' Observer

Celebrity, with its neon glow and selfie pout, strikes us as hypermodern. But the famous and infamous have been thrilling, titillating, and outraging us for much longer than we might realise. Whether it was the scandalous Lord Byron, whose poetry sent female fans into an erotic frenzy; or the cheetah-owning, coffin-sleeping, one-legged French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who launched a violent feud with her former best friend; or Edmund Kean, the dazzling Shakespearean actor whose monstrous ego and terrible alcoholism saw him nearly murdered by his own audience - the list of stars whose careers burned bright before the Age of Television is extensive and thrillingly varied.

In this ambitious history, that spans the Bronze Age to the coming of Hollywood's Golden Age, Greg Jenner assembles a vibrant cast of over 125 actors, singers, dancers, sportspeople, freaks, demigods, ruffians, and more, in search of celebrity's historical roots. He reveals why celebrity burst into life in the early eighteenth century, how it differs to ancient ideas of fame, the techniques through which it was acquired, how it was maintained, the effect it had on public tastes, and the psychological burden stardom could place on those in the glaring limelight. DEAD FAMOUS is a surprising, funny, and fascinating exploration of both a bygone age and how we came to inhabit our modern, fame obsessed society.©2020 Greg Jenner (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group Social Sciences World Celebrity Funny
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Great writing and well researched with an entertaining and light hearted tone. This is a great book for any history buff or fans of Greg Jenner’s other work.

Really funny and informative

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Really great book by Greg Jenner.
I found it engaging, educational and funny. With Greg reading the book it never feels dry or boring unlike so other history books you my have listen too.
Looking forward to the next one

Educational and funny

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Another excellent book by Greg Jenner. His explorations into society are always insightful, and his good humour and wit makes the narration very engaging.

Witty and very engaging

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educational and entertaining go hand in hand with Greg Jenner. If you were a fan of the [original] Horrible Histories as a child - and now - you'll enjoy this l.

delightful as always

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This is a wonderful listen that is written and read with charm and wit. It's robustly researched but remains a history romp. This is the best of what public history can be. Highly recommend!

Hugely Entertaining and Informative

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An incredible book - well researched, well read and properly interesting. Witty, charming and interesting. I will be buying the hard copy of it, just to enjoy reading it again physically on a cloudy Saturday.

Buy this book, then buy it again

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I've long been a fan of Greg's work, and have keenly awaited this book. Figures of the distant past are woven with the recent to create an engaging and thorough account of what it means to be FAMOUS. The relevance of each figure is contextualised, allowing listeners to understand the individual's standing in time, society and relevance. I also appreciate the explanation and definition of "Celebrity", and the difference between fame, infamy, star or personality. Chapters are split into topics as opposed to figures themselves, allowing for a flowing and constantly engaging narrative. An outstandingly researched book, with a CELEBRATED and dedicated Historian at the helm. Highly recommend.

Great

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I really enjoyed this book! Full of lively anecdotes and interesting, often forgotten, figures from history. Although Greg Jenner has such a lovely voice I’d sometimes fall asleep 😆

Interesting and entertaining. Recommend!

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and interesting story about how the concept of fame developed overtime. not bad really. b

an interesting story

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Dragged out, started out interesting but lost interest half way through. Well narrated though, just boring.

Boring after awhile

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