"Forget what you think you know about privacy.  In this vivid, discerning book ranging from the 14th century to yesterday, David Vincent knocks over much of the received wisdom about this hotly-debated concept.  Privacy is not now �dead� nor was it invented in the eighteenth century. An original and important synthesis." Deborah Cohen, Northwestern University �Have the reports ... Read moreof privacy�s demise been greatly exaggerated, or is it the dodo of our digitized world? Social historian David Vincent examines that question in this deft study of privacy in houses, cities, correspondence and surveillance, from 1300 to today.� Nature "Those who think privacy is a modern luxury, and those who predict its imminent extinction, will each have their certainties questioned by this wise, deft and well-referenced history." David Anderson QC, Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation "From the crowded tenements of the Middle Ages to the eternal Panopticon of the internet, David Vincent deftly examines the social, political and technological determinants of privacy. This is essential reading for all those interested in privacy." Edward Higgs, Essex University Show Less