“At least since Machiavelli the orchestration of fear has been recognised as a potent weapon in the arsenal of the powerful. But until Robert Peckham's brilliant and breathtakingly wide-ranging historical anatomy of fear - from medieval to modern plagues, from revolutionary terror to electricity, the aversion to the unwashed urban crowd and the post 9/11 angst - no one has revealed just how much the modus operandi of states and societies depends on the mobilisation and management of fear. As Peckham shows in gripping and beautifully written detail fear isn't just the stock in trade of wicked despots; in some circumstances - our present environmental crisis - it can be turned to positive effect. Could it, now, be that fear is our friend? Read Peckham and judge for yourself.”

Simon Schama, historian and broadcaster 

“Fear: An Alternative History of the World by Robert Peckham, an extraordinary book, delves into the fundamental questions of human development, civilization, governance, public values, and individuals’ innate pursuit of happiness, all the while unearthing the underlying reasons at the very heart. Safety, the antithesis of fear, constitutes the foundation upon which nations, rulers, mainstream media, and our civilization are established; it encompasses the very essence of happiness we strive for. Consequently, fear emerges as the most potent, pervasive, and effective tool employed by rulers and is at the centre ofvarious forms of resistance—be it economic, political, or otherwise,addressing the essence of life itself.

Simply put, rulers depend on the governed for their existence, and they do not wish forthe disappearance of the ruled; instead, they desire the latter’s happiness, obedience, orderliness, and support for the established regime. The creation of diverse levels of fear emerges as the most efficacious and indispensable means to achieve these ends, as we can see in times of war, political disputes, and evenbetween family members. Fear is priceless, intertwined with our culture and our deepest yearnings for existence. It permeates every exchange, transaction, and interaction.

This exceptional and thought-provoking book sheds light on the intricate position fear occupies in the unavoidable realities of politics and our spiritual existence.”

Ai Weiwei, artist and activist

“Robert Peckham’s deeply informed and lucidly staged anatomy of fear is a remarkable achievement. Peckham shapes a fundamentally transformative account of the sociology of fear - and of fear as a constitutive element of modern sociality itself. A ground-breaking study.”

Mark Seltzer, Evan Frankel Professor of Literature and Distinguished Professor in the Department of English, University of California, Los Angeles, author ― The Official World.                                             

“We all know what fear is, but who amongst us have considered its history? Peckham is fear’s astute historian-translator in in this big, brave, honest, and learned book. He moves us back and forth across time and place, from fourteenth-century century plague to bombs in Afghanistan, in a profoundly human history of the politics of one emotion. It’s gripping as well as uncomfortable reading, that shows us the stakes when fear and freedom are twinned.”

Alison Bashford, Scientia Professor in History and Director of the Laureate Centre for History & Population, UNSW, Sydney, author —An Intimate History of Evolution.

“Fascinating, compelling and erudite. I have written quite a lot about fear and the brain, but learned so much about fear itself from this book.”

Joseph LeDoux, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science, New York University, and Director of the Emotional Brain Institute, author ― The Deep History of Ourselves. 

“There are two compelling reasons to read this book. First, in a depressing number of places, including China, Russia and India, governments are ramping up their use of fear to keep citizens in line. Second, people’s memories of how such tactics have worked in the past are worryingly hazy.”

The Economist 

“An ambitious deep dive into history.”

Irish Independent

“In Fear: An Alternative History of the World, historian Robert Peckham seeks to provide a history of fear’s impact. It is an ambitious book, global in focus and spanning the period from antiquity to the present. His central argument is that fear can be a way of challenging power as well as of asserting it. Progressive forces can harness fear for their own ends. Peckham convincingly shows how we can learn from the past… readers keen to grasp a better understanding of the history of the world will be entranced by Peckham’s ability to communicate complex political, religious, economic, artistic, medical, medical, military, technological and cultural trends in a clear and engaging style.”

BBC History Magazine

“Well worth reading… an aide-mémoire as well as a great book.”

Jumoké Fashola, BBC Radio London

“An elegant synthesis of centuries of intellectual history … Peckham's mapping of fear across centuries of thought offers an opportunity to reflect on a persistent political geography of anxiety.”

The Lancet

“...a sweeping and thought-provoking look at how things we’re afraid of help shape the world around us, be it in war, politics, health or finance.”

New Zealand Listener