Edward Muir

A stunningly researched and lively survey of several centuries of Venetian governmental life through the lens of civil ceremony. Lively enough to be enjoyed by a nonspecialist.

This is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. The history presented is good, but what really takes the cake are Muir's ideas on ritual, and how well his assertions fit into both history and modern life. In fact, I often applied this book to literary studies and criticism ... it earned me several high grades and a few awards.

Excellent, influential social history of La Serenissima in its salad days. Unfortunately it's a cheaply produced edition that Princeton ought to be ashamed of. The illustrations look like four-cent photocopies.

A superb study of the role of and importance of ritual in Early Modern Europe. Muir's is a probing analysis of varieties of ritual and their numerous uses.