Books by Alain (University of Paris I) Corbin

Silence is not simply the absence of noise. It characterises our most intimate spaces and inspires writers who have long sought solitude in mountains and forests. Today, when noise is everywhere, historian Alain Corbin goes back to a time when speech was rare and precious, showing how silence can still offer a richer experience of life.

In this book Alain Corbin argues that the 1860s were a crucial period for western civilization, characterized by radical changes in the way Europeans viewed themselves and their world.