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Dead Men Do Tell Tales
From a skeleton, a skull, a mere fragment of burnt thighbone, Dr. William Maples can deduce the age, gender, and ethnicity of a murder victim, the manner in which the person was dispatched, and, ultimately, the identity of the killer. In Dead Men Do Tell Tales, Dr. Maples revisits his strangest, most interesting, and most horrific investigations, from the baffling cases of...more
Hardcover, 292 pages
Published
October 1st 1994
by DoubleDay
(first published 1994)
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Like many other reviewers, I found this book to be somewhat verbose, occasionally redundant, somewhat sexist, and the author - while definitely accomplished and intelligent - arrogant (interestingly, a trait he doesn't hesitate to point to with disdain when observed in his colleagues!). In many places his narrative is histrionic and choice of words anachronistic - whether this is natural or a conscious choice is not apparent, but I found myself reaching for the dictionary on several occasions on...more
This book is written by a forensic anthropologist about his work identifying people's remains from their skeletons, first published 1994. It's an interesting book. I was surprised how morbid it was; I was expecting CSI rather than what is almost a memoir. Maples treats his subjects thematically, rather than on a case by case basis, and includes many instances of cases where identification was impossible, or murderers never found. He likes to talk about how gruesome his work is, and can be a bit...more
This book was much better than I thought it was going to be. Co-written with Michael Browning, this was a well-written and fascinating look into the world of forensic anthropology from the point of view of skeletal remains. There are many interesting cases William Maples covers in this book, and that alone should convince a person to read it. But, what I liked best about the book was the language: sometimes graphic, sometimes poetic, but always informative and interesting. This is an author who...more
Oct 01, 2012
Becky B
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Forensic science fans, Those considering forensic anthropology
Imagine that your uncle or grandfather were a forensic anthropologist who worked on famous cases like identifying the remains of the Romanov family or figuring out if President Zachary Taylor had died of arsenic poisoning, and you asked him to tell you stories every time you got together. As he told you stories about cases he's worked on, he would mix in some history, science, and descriptions of things like the labs he's worked in. Inevitably, as these storytellers do, (especially if they are e...more
Fascinating and brutal. This book focused more on stories and cases that the author was involved with, as opposed to trying to teach forensic science (although there was plenty of science.) Nothing dull herein. Particularly fascinating were the "Meek-Jennings" suicide case, the examination of the bones of the murdered Russian Csar and his family, and the description of the bones of Pizarro. A couple sections were brutal in their gruesome detail, although the author took pains to share his knowle...more
As much as I love a good forensic anthropology tale, I had trouble becoming interested in the stories while dancing around some of the most pompous, self-serving writing I've seen on the subject. Maples pats himself on the back and paints a picture of the victim's crusader for justice, when it's quite clear that ego, not empathy, is the driving force.
Although dated--the pub.date is 1994--the information here is very interesting from more than just an historical standpoint. Maples is an icon in the field of forensics, and his career has covered everything from African anthropology to determining the identity of bones found outside Ekaterinburg in Russia.
Yes, big names are dropped--the Romanovs, Francisco Pizarro, Joseph Merrick--but the joy I found in this book is Maples commitment to the people who once inhabited those bones. It's quite cle...more
Yes, big names are dropped--the Romanovs, Francisco Pizarro, Joseph Merrick--but the joy I found in this book is Maples commitment to the people who once inhabited those bones. It's quite cle...more
Mar 05, 2013
Ashley Suzanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cannonball-read-v
From my Cannonball Read 5 review ...
Dead Men Do Tell Tales is a fascinating, detailed book by Dr. William Maples, an amazingly accomplished forensic anthropologist. You may be familiar with that field if you watch “Bones,” although as is usually the case, what you see on screen doesn’t closely match reality. A forensic anthropologist is trained in examining human remains to learn more about the decedent. They can tell if bones belonged to a woman or man, approximate age, and explain wounds. It’s...more
Dead Men Do Tell Tales is a fascinating, detailed book by Dr. William Maples, an amazingly accomplished forensic anthropologist. You may be familiar with that field if you watch “Bones,” although as is usually the case, what you see on screen doesn’t closely match reality. A forensic anthropologist is trained in examining human remains to learn more about the decedent. They can tell if bones belonged to a woman or man, approximate age, and explain wounds. It’s...more
This was a reading assignment in my Forensic Anthropology class last semester. At first I thought the author's tone was narcissistic. Thankfully, towards the middle and end the author wrote about more about forensic science and less about his younger years, and he included more information on the field of forensic anthropology itself. The writing itself is excellent. Dr. Maples is clearly very well educated, and his hobby of reading literature shines through in some parts. He covers war crimes,...more
Feb 11, 2012
g-na
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
5-star-faves,
biology-medicine
I feel like this book was written especially for me. Included within are "The strange and fascinating cases of a forensic anthropologist," and they do not disappoint. Dr. Maples recalls some of his more interesting and puzzling cases, describes what he was looking for, and what the evidence was able to tell him. You learn what an amazing amount of information a forensic anthropologist can get from something as small as a piece of bone. Sure, these tales probably aren't for the faint of heart as...more
Dr. William Maples tell you tales of his involvement in solving horrible crimes. If you are a fan of CSI don't bother me. If you are interested in how stuff really works in all the gory detail and what it's like to be an actual forensic anthropologist this is the place. More of a series of memoirs than a scientific study, but greatly explains the science stuff as well very neatly and humorously at time.
Not for the easily queasy, but great for those seriously interested in light reading in this a...more
Not for the easily queasy, but great for those seriously interested in light reading in this a...more
In this book William Maples recounts his career as a forensic anthropologist and gives a detailed look at some of his most interesting cases. I don’t have a strong stomach, probably due to my over-active imagination and sense of empathy, but I was able to thoroughly enjoy this great book. (Well, I did skip the section that dealt with a case involving a murdered five year old girl—I can’t deal with any violence to children and having a five year old daughter at the time made it too much for me to...more
This was right up my nerdy geeky alley! Not only are pictures included (which, if you're queasy, ignore), but step-by-step conclusions to some of his real life cases are explained in detail. He throws in the murderers and some really good who-dunnits, but also throws in the cases of former President Taylor (was he poisoned or did he die of natural causes?), and of course, Anastasia and the last Romonovs. Ah, if only I would have been a forensic anthropologist instead of a medical anthropologist....more
Written by the fairly well known forensic anthropologist William Maples, Dead Men Do Tell Tales is a collection of some of the strangest and most unique murder cases of his forensic career. Dr. William Maples describes in detail how even with a miniscule amount of bone he can determine the gender, race, and age of the victim. All in all, I found this book very interesting. It gave a great balance of scientific information and general facts through out the cases. This made understanding the scien...more
Jan 31, 2009
A
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in crime science
This was the first true crime and first FA book I ever picked up. It was my 17th summer and I have been in love with FA and true crime ever since. You will NOT be able to put this one down, it is fast paced and Maples' emotional connection to his cases fairly oozes out of his words. I have scarcely come across a more enthralling, absorbing book. Do not miss it, Maples had the opportunity to work on some of the most amazing cases in the world, but it's the "mundane" ones that turn out to be reall...more
May 25, 2012
Kathy Petersen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
x-feb-12-thru-jan-13,
read-non-fiction
With eloquence, humor, and a bit of arrogance peeking through, Maples (and his co-writer) tell us not just some of his cases but also his own background and a bit of the history and culture of forensics.
Long before Bones and CSI, even before Quincy, I wanted to a forensic scientist. (I also wanted to be an archaeologist, a mountain man, and a sheep rancher in Australia; I didn't do any of those things either.) So I am always interested in reading about other peoples' adventures along those line...more
Long before Bones and CSI, even before Quincy, I wanted to a forensic scientist. (I also wanted to be an archaeologist, a mountain man, and a sheep rancher in Australia; I didn't do any of those things either.) So I am always interested in reading about other peoples' adventures along those line...more
Oct 09, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
to-read-for-2011
I was very exited to read this book when it first arrived in the mail. I'd been looking forwards to reading it for some time. But I made the mistake of thinking it was just about the cases he'd worked on. I didnt realize till after I started reading, that it was really a memoir of his career as a forensic anthropologist.
At first I did'nt mind. The book was still interesting. But after I got a couple chapters in I figured out what was bothering me. I didnt like him as a narrator. infact I found...more
At first I did'nt mind. The book was still interesting. But after I got a couple chapters in I figured out what was bothering me. I didnt like him as a narrator. infact I found...more
This is the collected war stories of a forensic anthropologist, a specialist in identifying human remains based on their bones. The tales are deliciously gruesome and salaciously horrifying (though some are sad and disturbing and you feel like the bad kind of voyeur). It's not a book for the faint of heart or stomach, especially the photographs. But I found it interesting; I had no idea how much such a profession can do with so little.
It is docked a full star for the excrutiating writing, made a...more
It is docked a full star for the excrutiating writing, made a...more
Well, I loved this book when it focused on actual cases and forensics. I HATED this book when Maples went off on tangents about how brilliant, smart and better than everyone else he was. His arrogance is grating, and I recognize his importance and contributions to the field of forensic anthropology, but you don't have to be so goddamn full of yourself. And if I hear another old-man-forensic-slash-biological-anthropologist brag about how much food he can eat while being surrounded by grisly putri...more
3 likes · like · see review
Thank you Dee for recommending this fascinating and well-written book, so much of which is set in Florida. I have recently read Mary Roach's book Stiff about the uses science makes of cadavers. I liked this book far more because of the quality of the writing and Maples' attitude of respect toward the readers and the dead and their families. Not a difficult read, full of literary references which enriched the content for me.
I found this interesting though after a while it was a bit repetitive. Probably would be enjoyed by fans of true crime who are interested in forensics, or big fans of those forensics dramas on t.v. It was kind of a random collection of the author's studies, and there were times I would have liked more detail, especially when he was talking about famous cases like the elephant man.
May 23, 2013
Michelle Mullin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people thinking about reading "Stiff"
Parts were a bit boring and/or prosaic. However, this man has been involved in a lot of interesting cases- identifying MIA soldiers from Vietnam, deciphering which of 2 bodies is the true Pizarro, identifying the murdered Romanov family remains, and even exhuming President Taylor to determine whether or not he was actually assassinated. Very interesting stories.
Jan 12, 2013
Georgia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
transport-reading-material
This book was amazing.
Not just because of the actual content, mainly because it had pictures of dead people inside and since I read it while commuting it was very useful to me. When an old person wants to talk to you or sits too close, the best thing to do is flash him pictures of decomposing corpses and smashed in skulls.
This is why this book is the best ever. It actually got me thinking about putting disturbing pictures in all of my books.
Not just because of the actual content, mainly because it had pictures of dead people inside and since I read it while commuting it was very useful to me. When an old person wants to talk to you or sits too close, the best thing to do is flash him pictures of decomposing corpses and smashed in skulls.
This is why this book is the best ever. It actually got me thinking about putting disturbing pictures in all of my books.
I found the book overall rather disappointing. The first half consists of the author's background, followed by gory, explicit details of cremations, executions, etc. Second part was more interesting - and more what the average reader is likely expecting (looking for) - actual cases Maples has worked on from the evidence provided. Still, he came across to me as arrogant and whiny. Not particularly recommended.
This book was SO good, I couldn't read it fast enough. If you like CSI/forensic type shows, you will love this. It's author is one of the leading forensic anthropologists in the today's modern world.
It primarily focuses on the forensic analysis on the bones of dead people and how they are critical in identifying victims, who they were, cause of death, and sometimes disease. The book illustrates all this using true stories. For instance, he was summoned to Russia to examine bones found. He was ab...more
It primarily focuses on the forensic analysis on the bones of dead people and how they are critical in identifying victims, who they were, cause of death, and sometimes disease. The book illustrates all this using true stories. For instance, he was summoned to Russia to examine bones found. He was ab...more
One of the better popular forensic anthropology books but a little grosser than some. Well written and informative but not too technical. I picked it up for the section on the Romanovs but that case is covered in other sources in more detail. Some of his descriptions of procedure are detailed but never boring.
If you've ever wondered about what a forensic anthropologist is and does, this is THE book to have. Mr. Maples shares his experiences dealing with the discarded remains from such high-profile murder cases as the Gainesville murders all the way to the brutal annihilation of the Romankovs in 1918.
Informative and interesting.
Informative and interesting.
Fascinating overview of this man's career and the entire modern (and brief) history of forensic anthropology -- a very niche skill set that allows the experts to be involved in noteworthy cases, including the Romanov's, Zachary Taylor, Pizarro, MIA's, and several famous criminal trials.
Fascinating subject, but the egotism of the author nearly ruined it for me. It is always better to let others praise you, rather than praise yourself. Less self-indulgence from the author would have gotten this book a much higher rating from me, because the actual material was fascinating.
This book had many very interesting stories in it. He told about his most famous cases he had over his career. I also found it very interesting how William R.Maples was just one of a few of the only Forensic Anthropologist in the world at the time(1970's era). Very great read. Highly recommend.
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“Interstate highways are the veins and arteries by which crime circulates in America. Serial killers seem to float through them like blood cells, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Crimes committed along interstate highways ought to be considered extraterritorially, apart from the normal rules of geography, and separate from a state's good name. These huge highways form a kind of fifty-first state of their own, a state whose flower is the deadly nightshade and whose state bird is the vulture.”
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