donnambrownuk

I live with - am married to - a history buff, so of course a little of it rubs off. That said, I've always been pretty interested in history myself, especially some of the everyday details, so Death by Petticoat was an exciting book choice for me. I loved the idea of debunking some of the myths, such as petticoats catching fire being a major cause of death!

The premise of the book is simple: it examines a myth and how it came about and quickly approves or debunks it, explaining why it was or wasn't true or how it has been exaggerated etc.

As a title it is certainly entertaining. We've heard so many of these stories, day in, day out, that often we don't even think to question them any more. It's certainly thought provoking to be able to see the stories from a new angle.

The one problem I have with the book is its length. There's no doubt at all that a vast amount of work and research must have gone into putting together a title like this. However, for me, this is the kind of book I would like to have hours and hours of pleasure from or give as a gift to someone for them to enjoy dipping into again and again. I just don't feel its current length allows for that.

I've deliberated hard about the score to give this book but based solely on the quality of the existing content, I do feel it deserves a four and not the three I was considering due to its length. It's well presented and well researched and will certainly appeal to history lovers. Just don't expect more than a few short hours of reading - but there's plenty in there to enjoy during that time.

This review was originally published on Book Bags and Cat Naps. I received a copy in exchange for my fair and honest review. I did not receive any additional compensation and all reviews are my own.