- Paperback: 278 pages
- Publisher: Sourcebooks (Sep 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1402219431
- ISBN-13: 978-1402219436
- Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.5 x 2.1 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,119,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Excellent and interesting subject matter, very well-written
30 Jun 2010
Format:Paperback
I picked up this book just from an interest in medieval history and the bizarre. This satisfied my need for a great history read, interwoven with some very even-handed sociological analysis and comparisons to what may have caused the outbreak of "dancing to one's death" that occurred in Strasbourg, Germany, in 1518.
Waller has written more than one book on this topic, though this is the first I've read. I thought it was an "easy to read," especially since it was written in a style that doesn't make it plodding. This is one of the frequent stumbling blocks in scholarly history works. I definitely buy into Mr. Waller's suggestions as to what may have caused the outbreak; there is no way for us at this point in time to know what exactly happened during those few months, but I do think that Waller's argument is very strong for a definitive solution to that question. Engaging, interesting, and multidimensional, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medieval history, social history, or an interest in the bizarre.
Waller has written more than one book on this topic, though this is the first I've read. I thought it was an "easy to read," especially since it was written in a style that doesn't make it plodding. This is one of the frequent stumbling blocks in scholarly history works. I definitely buy into Mr. Waller's suggestions as to what may have caused the outbreak; there is no way for us at this point in time to know what exactly happened during those few months, but I do think that Waller's argument is very strong for a definitive solution to that question. Engaging, interesting, and multidimensional, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medieval history, social history, or an interest in the bizarre.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Good, informative history written with a somewhat scholarly bent
3 Feb 2010
Format:Paperback
John Waller is a great storyteller, and he certainly makes history interesting and scientific history, in particular, accessible. This excellent little account of a forgotten dancing epidemic in 1518 Strasbourg is well-written, informative, and interpretive of the history. As a previous reviewer noted, it's an excellent synthesis of fact, interpretation, and myth. Waller evokes the hardships, struggles, and ever-present religious atmosphere of late medieval Europe to develop his theory about the causes of the illness that plagued thousands of people in a few separate epidemics during the Middle Ages. The story is very well-told and supplied with plenty of facts and good research. Though it's meant to be a "lay" book, and it's certainly very readable and should be of interest to a wide audience, the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five was, in my opinion, the somewhat spotty footnotes. Waller certainly cites many of his sources, but at times, I found myself wondering where he got his information. The only other detraction from the book is the final chapter, in which Waller delves into more modern interpretations of trance. Waller is a scientific historian and not an anthropologist or a psychologist; thus, I felt this section of the book was weaker than the others, if still interesting.
Bottom line: A good interpretation of a fascinating, little-known history, fleshed out with facts. Although more citations and a reworking of the last chapter would make it even better, these points should not deter you from picking up a copy of this book and enjoying it.
Bottom line: A good interpretation of a fascinating, little-known history, fleshed out with facts. Although more citations and a reworking of the last chapter would make it even better, these points should not deter you from picking up a copy of this book and enjoying it.
When you want to be a wallflower
17 Sep 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The Dancing Plague" investigates one of the most unusual occurrences in history: nearly four hundred people began dancing, compulsively and without joy, in early 16th-century Strasbourg. Who were they, and what compelled them to dance? Perhaps the oddest revelation is that while the Strasbourg outbreak was the largest, it was neither the first nor the last time that groups of people compulsively danced. Strasbourg's leaders were familiar with compulsive dancing, either through history or by rumor; and they valiantly tried to cure the dancers, first by hiring musicians (which only worsened the outbreak) and finally resorting to prayer.
John Waller does an excellent job of explaining the religious politics in Strasbourg at the time: it was a highly Protestant city, and appealing to saints or shrines was too "Catholic" for their tastes. It is, however, what they were eventually reduced to: not even exhaustion stopped the dancers, though being brought to a shrine - St. Vitus being the most effective - did.
Overall, this is an extremely good book, well-researched and well-documented. I realize that documentation for the era isn't exactly plentiful, and Waller did a great job with what was available to him. Still, I was left wanting more - perhaps more investigation along the line of "Religion and the Decline of Magic." Waller did the best job with this topic as I've ever seen... but I think he was capable of doing even more.
John Waller does an excellent job of explaining the religious politics in Strasbourg at the time: it was a highly Protestant city, and appealing to saints or shrines was too "Catholic" for their tastes. It is, however, what they were eventually reduced to: not even exhaustion stopped the dancers, though being brought to a shrine - St. Vitus being the most effective - did.
Overall, this is an extremely good book, well-researched and well-documented. I realize that documentation for the era isn't exactly plentiful, and Waller did a great job with what was available to him. Still, I was left wanting more - perhaps more investigation along the line of "Religion and the Decline of Magic." Waller did the best job with this topic as I've ever seen... but I think he was capable of doing even more.
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