The Times Great Lives: A Century in Obituaries

An obituary offers an instant assessment of a life. For more than 150 years, The London Times has been providing respected and discerning verdicts on the lives of the great and the good. Collected here for the first time are obituaries of more than 100 of the most significant and influential figures in their fields—from athletes, musicians, writers, artists, and pop stars, to politicians and military personnel. Ordered chronologically, they provide fascinating juxtapositions, with pictures from The Times archive scattered throughout, some of which have not been seen since the obituary was first published. All of the major figures that readers would expect to find in a book of great 20th century lives are included in this collection. There are also some unexpected figures who were not necessarily in the limelight but whose lives had a great impact.