The Frenzy of Renown: Fame & Its History

What an incredible book! I had to remind myself that this was not a work of fiction. I was thoroughly impressed by the style , soul and intellect of this beautifully written work.

Can you name the ten most famous people in western European history? After reading this book, you will. A monumental study of the human craving for attention, and the ways that people (mostly men) have sought it. I recommend this book for anyone who has wondered what all the fuss is about regarding celebrities today. This book was originally published in 1987, and Braudy has written an afterward for the 1997 edition -- it's very interesting to read what happens when you write "the book" on fame in the era of O.J.Simpson, Monika Lewinsky, et al.

In charting the course of fame, Braudy written a compelling and original history of Western culture. This is an amazing piece of work, clearly the product of insight, devotion, and many years of study. I've recently been seeing references to it in various mainstream publications, so I'm glad it's finally getting some of the attention it deserves, and it's nice to see that it went to paperback. It's ambitious, and I believe successful as well. It's fun to read, and it'll help refresh all that western history you forgot from school. If you don't completely love this book, you're a moron. (OK, that last statement's probably a bit much...) Anyway, note that I have no connection to the author, publisher, author's department (USC Literature), their families, or anything like that, other than having read this book.