Last Words

The last words of the dying often provide insight into their feelings about life. Some are peaceful ('It is very beautiful over there'-Thomas Alva Edison); many are spiritual ('Don't ask the Lord to keep me here. Ask him to have mercy'-Walker Percy); others are angry ('God-damn the whole frigging world and everybody in it-except you Carlotta'-W.C. Fields); still others reflect the weary fight against death ('I'm bored of it all'-Sir Winston Churchill). Nearly 2,000 deathbed quotations from saints, popes, statesmen, scientists, soldiers, musicians, athletes, artists, entertainers, writers, criminals and others are included in this reference work. Each entry includes a brief biographical sketch of the person and sets the quotation in context. The sources for the quotes include biographies, newspaper and magazine accounts, and, in a few instances, firsthand accounts.