Dead Famous

Celebrity, with its neon glow and selfie pout, appears hypermodern. But the famous and infamous have been thrilling, titillating, and outraging us for much longer than we might realise. In this ambitious and entertaining history, which spans the Bronze Age to the coming of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Greg Jenner assembles a vibrant cast of characters, and goes in search of celebrity’s historical roots. Dead Famous is a surprising, funny and fascinating exploration of both a bygone age and how we came to inhabit our modern, fame-obsessed society.