ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUMMIES

Facts on File. Very Good+. 1998. Softcover. 0816031088 . Ex-library book, but still in excellent condition - spine sticker (could be removed) and a few internal ex-lib markings. Pages clean and tight. Cover has light scuffing and a little bumping of spine ends. No jacket as issued. ; Large 8vo 9" - 10" tall; 256 pages; The Encyclopedia of Mummies covers all aspects of this interesting and fascinating topic. By defining the term in its broadest sense to include both those mummies created by natural means and those formed by artificial means, author Brier has produced a volume to meet a growing interest. Entries are arranged alphabetically and vary in length from one paragraph to several columns, though the average length is approximately 350 words. The encyclopedia includes information on mummies from around the world, from ancient and medieval times to the modern day. Readers may be surprised to learn that Lenin and Eva Peron are considered mummies, as is naval hero John Paul Jones. In addition to historical figures, Brier includes mummies from both film and literature. Abbott and Costello and the Three Stooges all have had mummy encounters, though Boris Karloff remains, perhaps, the most famous interpreter of the horror-movie mummy. There are definitions and descriptions of the artificial mummification process, as well as those conditions that cause the natural mummification of corpses. Ethical issues surrounding the display of mummies are discussed in the entry ethics and mummies. Black-and-white illustrations enhance the text. Two appendixes, a list of mummy films, and a list of collections divided into Egyptian and non-Egyptian mummies follow the entries. The extensive bibliography of more than 1,000 items includes both English-and non-English-language books and articles, sorted geographically and, for some areas, by topic, such as mummification process and children's books. [657] .