Description: McNeil pursues the possibility that coordinated rhythmic movement--and the shared feelings it evokes--has been a powerful force in holding human groups together. As he has done for historical phenomena as diverse as warfare, plague, and the pursuit of power, he brings a dazzling breadth and depth of knowledge to his study.
Brief description: William H. McNeill is Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Chicago and author of, among other books, The Rise of the West, which won the National Book Award in 1964, and Plagues and Peoples.
Review Quotes: In his imaginative and provocative book...William H. McNeill develops an unconventional notion that, he observes, is 'simplicity itself.' He maintains that people who move together to the same beat tend to bond and thus that communal dance and drill alter human feelings.--John Mueller "New York Times Book Review"