The lives of notorious bad guys, perpetrators of mischief, visionary-if misunderstood-thinkers, and other colorful antiheroes, jerks, and evil doers from history all get their due in the short essays featured in these enlightening, informative, books. Speaking Ill of the Dead: Jerks in New England History features twenty short biographies of nefarious characters, from Charles W. Morse, serial monopolist, cheat, liar, and swindler, to Emeline Meaker & Mary Rogers, otherwise known as the Lady Killers.