Violence and Civilization: An Introduction to the Work of Norbert Elias

"Violence and Civilization is an outstanding book. It is both an extremely valuable addition to the small but growing literature on the work of Norbert Elias and, in its own right, a major contribution to our understanding of a subject central to contemporary social theory - violence." Stephen Mennell, University College Dublin

"Violence and Civilization is a tour de force, a 'must' for the growing number of sociologists who are coming to recognize Norbert Elias as a twentieth-century 'great'. Elias has often been criticized on spurious grounds - for example, for neglecting Nazism and the Holocaust - but, by tackling head-on how Elias actually grappled with such issues, Jonathan Fletcher succeeds in developing a critique which merits serious consideration. He has produced a clear, well-written text which is nicely balanced between exposition and appraisal. Violence and Civilization will be invaluable for those who wish to take Elias's project further." Eric Dunning, University of Leicester

"A valuable addition to the literature on Elias's 'configurational sociology', a study that allows deeper appreciation of Elias's fertile imagination." The Times Higher Educational Supplement

"This book is a welcome addition to the small Elias literature. The book provides a clear and not uncritical assessment of Elias's remarkable capacity to capture social complexity as it relates to the inner lives of human beings. There are not many readers who will not find somewhere in this volume an insight which can be taken on board and used as a point for future reference. Few scholars have the knowledge or ability to even think of writing such a book." British Journal of Sociology