A survey of violence in western Europe from the Reformation to the French Revolution.A broad-ranging survey of violence in western Europe from the Reformation to the French Revolution. Julius Ruff summarises a huge body of research and provides readers with a clear, accessible, and engaging introduction to the topic of violence in early modern Europe. Ruff examines the role of the emerging state in controlling violence; the roots and forms of interpersonal violence; violence and its impact on women; infanticide; and rioting. His book will be of great value to students of European history, criminal justice sciences, and anthropology.A broad-ranging survey of violence in western Europe from the Reformation to the French Revolution. Julius Ruff summarises a huge body of research and provides readers with a clear, accessible, and engaging introduction to the topic of violence in early modern Europe. Ruff examines the role of the emerging state in controlling violence; the roots and forms of interpersonal violence; violence and its impact on women; infanticide; and rioting. His book will be of great value to students of European history, criminal justice sciences, and anthropology.This book offers a broad-ranging survey of violence in western Europe from the Reformation to the French Revolution. Julius Ruff summarizes a huge body of research and provides readers with a clear, accessible, and engaging introduction to the topic of violence in early modern Europe. Ruff examines the role of the emerging state in controlling violence; the roots and forms of interpersonal violence; violence and its impact on women; infanticide; and rioting. His book will be of great value to students of European history, criminal justice sciences, and anthropology.List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction: the problem of violence in early modern Europe; 1. Representations of violence; 2. States, arms and armies; 3. Justice; 4. The discourse of interpersonal violence; 5. Ritual groulÃè