Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving

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Last edited by MARC Bot
January 11, 2026 | History

Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving

"Mo Rocca has always loved obituaries -- reading about the remarkable lives of world leaders, captains of industry, innovators and artists. But not every notable life has gotten the send-off it deserves. With Mobituaries -- the book companion to the CBS podcast of the same name -- the journalist, humorist, and history buff is righting that wrong, profiling the people who have long fascinated him -- from the 20th century's greatest entertainer... to sitcom characters gone all too soon... to a shamefully forgotten Founding Father. Even if you know the names, you've never understood why they matter... until now. In these pages, Rocca chronicles the stories of the people who made a difference, but whose lives -- for some reason or another -- were never truly examined. There's Thomas Paine, whose Common Sense lit the fuse for the American Revolution -- and whose paltry obit summed up his life thusly: "He had lived long, did some good, and much harm." And then there's screen icon Audrey Hepburn. She remains a household name, but how much do we know about her wartime upbringing and how it shaped the woman we fell in love with? And what about Billy Carter and history's unruly presidential brothers? Were they ne'er-do-well liabilities... or secret weapons? As a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and the host of The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, Rocca is an expert researcher and storyteller. He draws on these skills here. With his rigorous reporting and trademark wit, Rocca brings these men and women splendidly back to life like no one else can. Mobituaries is an insightful and unconventional account of the people who made life worth living for the rest of us, one that asks us to think about who gets remembered, and why." --

Publish Date
Publisher
Simon Schuster
Language
English
Pages
375

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Edition Availability
Cover of: Mobituaries
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving
Nov 02, 2021, Simon & Schuster
paperback
Cover of: Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving
2019, Simon Schuster
in English
Cover of: Mobituaries
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving
2019, Simon & Schuster
in English

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Book Details


Classifications

Library of Congress
CT105 .R59 2019

Edition Identifiers

Open Library
OL27681884M
ISBN 13
9781501197628
LCCN
2019027192
OCLC/WorldCat
1128172403

Work Identifiers

Work ID
OL20456836W

Work Description

Mo Rocca has always loved obituaries—reading about the remarkable lives of global leaders, Hollywood heavyweights, and innovators who changed the world. But not every notable life has gotten the send-off it deserves. His quest to right that wrong inspired Mobituaries, his #1 hit podcast. But here, in this “delightful, hilarious romp through history” (Booklist) he has gone much further, with all-new essays on artists, entertainers, sports stars, political pioneers, founding fathers, and more. Even if you know the names, you’ve never understood why they matter...until now.

Take Herbert Hoover: before he was president, he was the “Great Humanitarian,” the man who saved tens of millions from starvation. But after less than a year in the White House, the stock market crashed, and all the good he had done seemed to be forgotten. Then there’s Marlene Dietrich, well remembered as a screen goddess, less remembered as a great patriot. Alongside servicemen on the front lines during World War II, she risked her life to help defeat the Nazis of her native Germany. And what about Billy Carter and history’s unruly presidential brothers? Were they ne’er-do-well liabilities… or secret weapons? Plus, Mobits for dead sports teams, dead countries, the dearly departed station wagon, and dragons. Yes, dragons.

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