Death comes for us all in the end, but not always in expected ways. Throughout history, people have suffered extraordinary, unusual, and downright weird demises. In Strange Ways to Die in History, you will find true stories behind bizarre accidents, assassinations, and misadventures. Did a playwright really die from a tortoise dropped on his head by an eagle? Why did an English vicar end up eaten by lions? What are the chances of fatality from falling into a toilet? Examining lives before their deaths reveals some of history's most fascinating individuals. Some are well known, others remembered only for their odd departures, and some have been forgotten. How a person dies and how history records it can tell us much about society and memory. This book uncovers eyewitness accounts of the deaths described and contemporary reports from those left behind.