States of enmity

Stephen Cummins is a Researcher at the Center for the History of Emotions at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

'This fascinating volume represents a significant contribution to the study of early modern history in the Kingdom of Naples. Through a series of meticulously researched and thoughtfully presented case studies, "States of Enmity" investigates the cultural and anthropological framework that influenced the dynamics of hatred, vendetta, law-breaking, dissent, peace-making and religious devotion. As the author convincingly shows, these factors played a crucial role in defining the connections and distances between the provinces of the Kingdom and the centres of power in the capital, Naples.'Lorenza Gianfrancesco, University of Chichester'All in all, this is a significant contribution to our understanding of why the Kingdom of Naples began to diverge from Northern Italy... Cummins is to be congratulated for showing the extent to which enmity continued to shape Neapolitan society at the end of the seventeenth century and the ways in which it shapedthe Neapolitan Enlightenment.'Stuart Carroll, European History Quarterly'In States of Enmity, Stephen Cummins offers a significant contribution to the history of violence through the lens of enmity and hatred, focusing on the mid-seventeenth century in the Kingdom of Naples...This is an ambitious but compact book, which attempts to cover a lot of ground through a case study approach, allowing Cummins to advance several arguments...This book offers scholars of the history of violence and of early modern Naples a foundation for understanding the patterns of violence and hatred that plagued southern Italy.'Celeste McNamara, American Historical Review

• Introduction: Enmity and Peace in the Kingdom of Naples1 Contours of vendetta and violence in the Kingdom of Naples2 The ‘abominable traffic’: negotiating justice, money and blood 3 The politics of enmity in the provinces4 Bandits and the politics of enmity5 Jesuit missions and the emotional politics of enmity and peace-making6 The politics of hatred in the aftermath of 1647-8ConclusionIndex