The Bottom Line
The new starting point for anyone studying violence, and plenty to interest everyone else.
Pros
- Wide-ranging and littered with examples
- Insights into daily life
- Plenty of historiographical detail
Cons
- Some weak arguments
- Not suitable for younger readers
Description
- 269 pages including reading list and illustrations
- Published by Cambridge University Press
- ISBN: 052159894X
Guide Review - Violence in Early Modern Europe 1500 – 1800 by Julius Ruff
Ruff's synthesis is a bold attempt on a subject which normally ends up being esoteric. His examples are varied and numerous - including songs and illustrations - while his text follows violence into all corners of life, producing a work full of social, economic and cultural detail. Some sections might make difficult reading (especially for the nervous) and Ruff's undoubted scholarship suffers from the lack of reinforcement and he is rarely entirely convincing. However, the discussions are still persuasive and debate is definitely encouraged...
