A Fiery & Furious People

[A] compendious, fine-grained … magisterial book … The outlaw's song has surely never been better rendered. * Times Literary Supplement *
A deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking examination of violence in England from the Middle Ages through to the present day … genuinely hard to put down. * BBC History Magazine *
The richness of this wonderful book is testament to nearly 50 years spent working on the history of violence … a fascinating and rare example of a beautifully crafted scholarly work. * Times Higher Education *
Entertaining and instructive. -- Books of the Year * The Times *
Deeply researched, thoughtfully considered and vividly written … Read it. * History Today *
A Fiery & Furious People is often a sobering read … Sharpe’s empirically grounded argument is a powerful and persuasive one. * Literary Review *
Fascinating . . . James Sharpe draws on court records, verbatim accounts and bloodcurdling contemporary records to chronicle the changing aspects of brutality through the ages. * Daily Mail *
A history of violence in England, from the Middle Ages onwards, this looks back to a time when violence was part of everyday life and asks what’s changed and why. -- Books of the Year * Sunday Telegraph *
Brings the subject memorably to life -- Book of the Week * The Week *
A vivid survey of our enthusiasm for violence … For a survey of violence, its pages overflowing with duelling, hooliganism, domestic abuse and even serial killing, Sharpe’s book is actually quite a cheering read. … The strength of Sharpe’s book lies in its anecdotes, with almost every page containing an arresting or colourful detail. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *
[An] engrossing history of violence … You’ll leave battered and bruised, but with a better understanding of the darker side of our nation’s history * BBC Revealed Magazine *
Wonderfully entertaining, comprehensive and astute … This book is a welcome corrective to the reductive explanations and simplistic solutions favoured by populist politicians and fearmongering journalists. * The Times *
Sweeping and ambitious … packed with gripping anecdotes … Sharpe is a humane and clear-eyed guide to a series of intractable and timely questions. * Observer *
[An] encyclopaedic history of violence in England. . . Sharpe's book will tell you much about the creativity of the human mind when it comes to conceiving of ways to mistreat others. -- Paul Kingsnorth * New Statesman *
Sharpe's eye for detail ensures that the shock value never dwindles -- Four star review, Francis Wheen * Mail on Sunday *
Offers the reader a vivid and interesting insight into the history of violence in England. * LSE Review of Books *
Examines a history of English violence from riots to highwaymen, and from executioners to serial killers. Mr Sharpe is a crime historian of many years and his book’s strength lies in its scope, which allows the reader to survey the changes and customs of English society. * Economist *
A compelling and endlessly fascinating book examining the history of violence in England, A Fiery and Furious People is, like the best history books, one that contrasts our history to our present with startling effect – making this an immediate and gripping read. * Bookbag *
A fascinating romp through history * Your Family History *
Satisfyingly detailed, yet with a convincing overarching thesis. -- Books of the Year * History Today *