Controlling Time and Shaping the Self: Developments in Autobiographical Writing Since the Sixteenth Century

This book explores new questions and approaches to the rise of autobiographical writing since the early modern period. What motivated more and more men and women to write records of their private life? How could private writing grow into a bestselling genre? How was this rapidly expanding genre influenced by new ideas about history that emerged around 1800? How do we explain the paradox of the apparent privacy of publicity in many autobiographies? Such questions are addressed with reference to well-known autobiographies and an abundance of newfound works by persons hitherto unknown, not only from Europe, but also the Near East, and Japan. This volume features new views of the complex field of historical autobiography studies, and is the first to put the genre in a global perspective.

Arianne Baggerman studied history at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She has published various books and articles in the fields of book history and cultural history. Professor Baggerman previously taught at the Utrecht University, and is now teaching history at Erasmus and is Professor of Book History at the University of Amsterdam.

Rudolf Dekker studied history at the University of Amster¬dam. He has published a number of books and articles on social and cultural history. Recently, he published a survey of the History of the Netherlands.

Michael Mascuch read Modern History at Cambridge University. His research has focused on early modern English culture and society. He now teaches in the Department of Rhetoric at the University of California at Berkeley.