"Loneliness is one of the most intriguing and relatively recent additions to the study of the history of emotion, with ramifications both past and present. This ambitious collection significantly advances the subject, by examining intellectual, social and geographical contexts with a number of imaginative chapters, from the early modern period until recent times. The result captures important current findings while encouraging further analysis, including comparative work—just what a compendium of this sort should do."Peter N. Stearns, George Mason Univesity, US