From critically acclaimed history podcaster and bestselling author Aaron Mahnke comes this engrossing and macabre exploration of the folklore and early medical practices that fueled the ghastly exhumation of Mercy Brown in 1892.
With Exhumed, Mahnke presents a unique history of the intersection of folklore and science, and how pop culture, medical advancements, and pseudoscience of the time shaped the perspectives of people in 19th century America.
From the death of George Washington to Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein, Mahnke leads readers on a fascinating journey through history, touching on mummification, executioners, corpse medicine, European vampire folklore, and so much more. He reveals that, as shocking as Brown’s exhumation might seem to us today, it also reflected surprisingly common attitudes and beliefs about the relationship between the dead and the living, the nature of science and magic, and the fate of the human soul. It all builds to a revelatory understanding of human behavior that continues to this very day.
With an irreverent view of science, history, and the human condition, Exhumed is perfect for fans of Mary Roach’s Stiff and Brad Meltzer’s New York Times-bestselling The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington.
Hardcover | 368 pages
- Publication Date:
- August 4, 2026