The Land of the Hunger Artists

'Agustí Nieto-Galan's book offers the first in-depth and scholarly account of the hunger artists of Italy after unification. Drawing on the rich body of texts, images, and goods that marked the spectacular fasts of these individuals on their global trajectories, he skillfully balances the perspectives of rapt publics, doubting doctors, enthusiastic impresarios, and an expanding media culture. Diverse groups of commentators contended over the veracity or fraudulence of the capabilities of their extraordinary bodies, as well as over what profits could be made out of them. In a period that gave rise to most of our modern categories of food requirements and eating disorders, these men came to exemplify both the limits and the potential of nutrition science, both inside and outside the laboratory. A fascinating book that stands at the intersection of many areas of historical interest.' Emma Spary, University of Cambridge
'In this engaging study of hunger artists in late nineteenth-century Europe, Nieto-Galan pushes the history of hunger in new directions. Were hunger artists freaks of nature, charlatans looking for easy gain, fruitful subjects for medical research, or savvy entertainers? By examining contemporary debates, Nieto-Galan shows how these artists shaped scientific and popular understandings of hunger while simultaneously updating the performative aspects of hunger for the modern world.' Corinna Treitel, Professor and Chair, Department of History, Washington University in St Louis
'An impressively broad and generative examination of its complicated and colourful topic, The Land of the Hunger Artists provides an insightful plunge into the intersections between science, entertainment and Victorian culture, as well as offering a deeply captivating read for those curious.' David Ben Hall, Performance Research
'… the sheer weight of commentary on the hunger artist - by onlookers, experts, fiction writers, fasters themselves - suggests that the author is right to link this material to powerful sociocultural trends. As he convincingly shows, the hunger artist exemplifies a dramatic shift from the religious to the secular body; from a confident materialist science to one that, when turning to human subjects, was often ambivalent and uncertain; and from local to global connections in science, commerce, and entertainment. These insights constitute an impressive achievement, even if, as the author concludes, the hunger artist will still demand 'future historical analysis'.' Elizabeth A. Williams, Journal of Modern History