The eternal sleep, passing away, departing this mortal world, popping your clogs - however you phrase it, death is something that will happen to us all. Despite its inevitability, however, the prospect of dying is a petrifying one. It's the great unknown. What is death, and what actually happens when we die? While we can't answer these questions, it can be reassuring to learn about how death is perceived not only in other cultures, but how beliefs and rituals have evolved over the centuries. Over the following pages, trace the remarkable history of death, from the Ancient Egyptians to the American Civil War, and find out how science can help us to understand demystify our fate.