Alcohol, violence, and disorder in traditional Europe /

Martin (Univ. of Adelaide, Australia) skillfully investigates the role of alcohol and drinking establishments in early modern England, France, and Italy. She shows that while levels of alcohol consumption were high, levels of drunken violence were low. In fact, drawing on anthropological literature, Martin argues that alcohol promoted conviviality and that taverns, alehouses, and other drinking establishments served as public spaces for the celebration and socialization of community members. Court records and documented legal regulations indicate that political authorities recognized alcohol's role as a dietary and sociable mainstay of daily life in early modern Europe and, therefore, were often concerned more with implementing quality controls that protected consumers than with regulating the behavior that occurred at drinking establishments. Martin points out that the infrequent disorderly incidents at drinking establishments were driven mostly by the character of the clientele, especially young honor-bound men seeking to define their positions within society. Martin creatively investigates other aspects of drinking establishments, including gambling, prostitution, adultery, and gossip. This important comparative study also contrasts experiences of the wine-drinking southern Europeans and the ale-drinking northern Europeans, and addresses Catholic and Protestant attitudes toward drink. Martin's historical anthropological approach is cleverly constructed and offers a valuable model for alcohol studies research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. F. H. Smith College of William and Mary