Bringing light to the shadows of history through a "rich weave of citation and archival evidence" (Publishers Weekly), scholar A. Roger Ekirch illuminates the aspects of life most often overlooked by other historians-those that unfold at night. In this "triumph of social history" (Mail on Sunday), Ekirch's "enthralling anthropology" (Harper's) exposes the nightlife that spawned a distinct culture and a refuge from daily life.

Fear of crime, of fire, and of the supernatural; the importance of moonlight; the increased incidence of sickness and death at night; evening gatherings to spin wool and stories; masqued balls; inns, taverns, and brothels; the strategies of thieves, assassins, and conspirators; the protective uses of incantations, meditations, and prayers; the nature of our predecessors' sleep and dreams-Ekirch reveals all these and more in his "monumental study" (The Nation) of sociocultural history, "maintaining throughout an infectious sense of wonder" (Booklist).

About the Author
A. Roger Ekirch is a professor of history at Virginia Tech and the award-winning author of At Day's Close, Birthright, and American Sanctuary. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia.

Reviews
"An enthralling anthropology of the shadow realms." -- John Leonard - Harper's
"Absorbing...fascinating...[Ekirch] has plundered an extraordinary range of cross-cultural sources for his material, and he tells us about everything from witches to firefighting, architecture to domestic violence...[A] monumental study." -- Terry Eagleton - The Nation
"This is an irresistibly fascinating book. It has a hypnotic, feverish pace that will have its readers up all night wondering, expectant." -- Ken Burns
"Perfect reading for insomniacs and star-gazers alike." -- Jonathan Spence, Sterling Professor of History, Yale University
"An absorbing social history...A wonderful revelation of a vanished age of darkness." -- Raymond Carr - The Spectator
"Engrossing...Ekirch's narrative is rooted in the material realities of the past, evoking a bygone world of extreme physicality and pre-industrial survival stratagems." -- Publishers Weekly



Book Information
ISBN 9780393329018
Author A. Roger Ekirch
Format Paperback
Page Count 480
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 384g
Dimensions(mm) 211mm * 140mm * 30mm