The concept of cultural history has in the last few decades come to the fore of historical research into early modern Europe. Due in no small part to the pioneering work of Peter Burke, the tools of the cultural historian are now routinely brought to bear on every aspect of history, and have transformed our understanding of the past. First published in 1978, this study examines the broad sweep of pre-industrial Europe's popular culture. From the world of the professional entertainer to the songs, stories, rituals and plays of ordinary people, it shows how the attitudes and values of the otherwise inarticulate shaped - and were shaped by - the shifting social, religious and political conditions of European society between 1500 and 1800. This third edition of Peter Burke's groundbreaking study has been published to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the book's publication in 1978. It provides a new introduction reflecting the growth of cultural history, and its increasing influence on 'mainstream' history, as well as an extensive supplementary bibliography which further adds to the information about new research in the area.
Über den Autor Peter Burke
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Peter Burke, 1937 in Stanmore in England geboren, besuchte eine Londoner Jesuitenschule und studierte am St. John's College in Oxford. Sechzehn Jahre lehrte er an der School of European Studies der University of Sussex, bevor er 1978 als Professor für Kulturgeschichte nach Cambridge ans Emmanuel College wechselte. Gastdozenturen führten Burke, der international als einer der bedeutendsten Kultur- und Medienhistoriker gilt, in die meisten Länder Europas sowie unter anderem nach Indien, Japan und Brasilien. Seine Bücher wurden in über 30 Sprachen übersetzt.
