Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?: A Tour of Presidential Gravesites

by Brian Lamb and C-SPAN

Book Overview

Some presidents have been larger than life but none of them have been larger than death. Brian Lamb has visited the gravesites of every American president, living and dead, in order to put together... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1881846075
• ISBN13: 9781881846079
• Release Date: February 2000
• Publisher: C-Span
• Length: 305 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A thorough tour guide to these historical sites.

Who's buried in Grant's tomb is an interesting guide filled with small histories on each American president. The book contains accurate directions to help you find presidential gravesites, museums and libraries. Furthermore, the book contains addresses where you can write for additional information on each site and even includes website addresses when applicable. I have toured a few of these historical locations myself and have found the information in this book to be especially helpful in providing hours of operation as well as admission prices to some of these places. The book might appear a little morbid when you consider that it focuses on presidential burial sites but once you read it, you quickly find out that it provides a doorway for you to study the human side of these men. By visiting their homes graves and museums, you realize that they are not merely cold icons that you read about in history. They were very real with interesting lives and this book invites you to study their legacies.

May Seem Morbid, But Actually Very Good

At first, reading this book may sound morbid and creepy (that's what people told me) but this book is a great history lesson and VERY interesting. Each president receives about 2 pages, so it's not too long or drawn out and is perfect if you are not into reading novels with long chapters. Each man receives equal billing, even the lesser known presidents and a full color picture of each gravesite is pictured as well. I am not even a true history buff but this book caught my eye and I really enjoyed it. I learned alot, too ~ like the fact that Abe Lincoln's public viewing lasted 20 DAYS as his body was moved from town to town via train until it got to its final resting place. I amaze my family and friends with all my new found knowledge!

Should be in every home library

Before reading Brian Lamb's terrific book about Presidential gravesites, I counted the number of these sites that I had visited....11 to be exact. Now, after finishing the book, I want to visit the remaining ones. Mr. Lamb's ability to teach us about the lives (and in this case, the deaths) of these remarkable public servants goes well beyond C-Span. He has crafted a most enjoyable and educational book...one that should be in every home. This is a book that can be read at almost any pace...each chapter is short and well-laid out. He reminds us that every president has been important in some way because of the fact that they have all held the highest office in America... not just Washington, Lincoln and the Roosevelts, but Fillmore, Arthur and Taft as well. How important is must have been, for instance, for the children of the nation to donate their pennies to build the Harding Memorial in Marion, Ohio. The death of a president is a major event in our country's history and Mr. Lamb (along with chapter postscripts by Richard Norton Smith, who further humanizes our presidents) has succeeded in a winning form with his book. I found nothing maudlin or morose about "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb"...only a colorful walk through America's past.

A bit twisted but fascinating

When you take knowledgeable historians and focus them on such a finite topic, you're bound to come away with lots of fascinating tidbits and stories to keep your interest all the way through. That's exactly what you get here. I've been known to wander through cemetaries in search of famous people myself, so it's nice to know I'm not alone in my macabre interests. All the chapters are well-written, particularly the short epilogue to each as done by Richard Norton Smith. The concluding essay by Douglas Brinkley also hits home. I particularly thought it clever that, along with the photographs of each presidential gravesite (and future gravesites), the authors included photos from the graves of Jefferson Davis and David Rice Atcheson (reported to have been president of the U.S. for 1 day). It's great as either a travel guide or just as a historical reference.

Lamb book the best on Presidential sites

Owning other books on Presidential sites and history, I found Brian Lamb's book to be head and shoulders above the others. Not only is the quality of the writing superior, but the photos are beautiful also. The book is written in the straightforward and informative style one would expect from Mr. Lamb. I enjoyed this book so much I have bought other copies for gifts!