The rumour

Rumors have always left an enigmatic trace through history. In an illustrated, accessible and novel discussion beginning in Greek antiquity and culminating in an examination of the rumor in the technological age, Hans-Joachim Neubauer takes the reader on a tour of its historical and cultural manifestations. Seeking out choice examples from such diverse areas as the French Revolution, the poetry of Chaucer, the American Civil War, through to the internet, Monica Lewinsky and urban myths, the author examines the conditions that breed rumors and explores the way they have been represented in art and literature.