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The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and Its History
“Remarkably ambitious . . . an impressive tour de force.”
— Washington Post Book World
For Alexander the Great, fame meant accomplishing what no mortal had ever accomplished before. For Julius Caesar, personal glory was indistinguishable from that of Rome. The early Christians devalued public recognition, believing that the only true audience was God. And Marilyn Monroe owed much of her fame to the fragility that led to self-destruction. These are only some of the dozens of figures that populate Leo Braudy’s panoramic history of fame, a book that tells us as much about vast cultural changes as it does about the men and women who at different times captured their societies' regard.
Spanning thousands of years and fields ranging from politics to literature and mass media, The Frenzy of Renown explores the unfolding relationship between the famous and their audiences, between fame and the representations that make it possible. Hailed as a landmark at its original publication and now reissued with a new Afterword covering the last tumultuous decade, here is a major work that provides our celebrity-obsessed, post-historical society with a usable past.
“Expansive . . . Braudy excels at rocketing a general point into the air with the fuel of drama. ”
— Harper's
— Washington Post Book World
For Alexander the Great, fame meant accomplishing what no mortal had ever accomplished before. For Julius Caesar, personal glory was indistinguishable from that of Rome. The early Christians devalued public recognition, believing that the only true audience was God. And Marilyn Monroe owed much of her fame to the fragility that led to self-destruction. These are only some of the dozens of figures that populate Leo Braudy’s panoramic history of fame, a book that tells us as much about vast cultural changes as it does about the men and women who at different times captured their societies' regard.
Spanning thousands of years and fields ranging from politics to literature and mass media, The Frenzy of Renown explores the unfolding relationship between the famous and their audiences, between fame and the representations that make it possible. Hailed as a landmark at its original publication and now reissued with a new Afterword covering the last tumultuous decade, here is a major work that provides our celebrity-obsessed, post-historical society with a usable past.
“Expansive . . . Braudy excels at rocketing a general point into the air with the fuel of drama. ”
— Harper's
721 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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494 people want to read
About the author
Leo Braudy
28 books16 followersLeo Braudy is among America's leading cultural historians and film critics. He currently is University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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July 23, 2013Rushdoony spoke about this book on December 9, 1986:
Braudy begins by citing a particular example and I quote. “‘How many times do I have to kill before I get my name in the paper or some national attention,’ complained a murderer in a letter to the Wichita police. Only with his sixth killing, he continued, he had he begun to get any publicity. This was in February 1978. In a cursory reading of any daily newspaper it is easy to find similar stories that illustrate the various insanities to which individuals have been driven by the lust for recognition. Who knows whether the urge to fame drove this man to murder or has murderous nature found the language of fame seeking a comfortable normality to wrap around himself? But it is clear that particularly since World War II the increasing number and sophistication of the ways information is brought to us have enormously expanded the ways of being known. In the process, the concept of fame has been grotesquely distended and the line between public achievement and private pathology grows dimmer as the claims grow more bizarre,” unquote.
We can add to that that in recent years television has increased this kind of frenzy to have fame. Many demonstrations, many revolutionary activities are held for the benefit of the camera. The Communists in particular make use of this media and a great many of their actions are staged for a television audience to give the idea of massive movement.
Braudy begins his study, of course, with ancient times with Alexander the Great. He has a great deal of documentation here, but I think he passes up a very important aspect from the very personal life of Alexander the Great. Alexander liked to pretend that he was above enjoying food or above enjoying women, as though these were grudging concessions to the flesh. And, of course, behind this lay his belief that he was a god, his claim to be a god. And, as a result, he could not act like a human being. He had to conceal his humanity.
Braudy begins by citing a particular example and I quote. “‘How many times do I have to kill before I get my name in the paper or some national attention,’ complained a murderer in a letter to the Wichita police. Only with his sixth killing, he continued, he had he begun to get any publicity. This was in February 1978. In a cursory reading of any daily newspaper it is easy to find similar stories that illustrate the various insanities to which individuals have been driven by the lust for recognition. Who knows whether the urge to fame drove this man to murder or has murderous nature found the language of fame seeking a comfortable normality to wrap around himself? But it is clear that particularly since World War II the increasing number and sophistication of the ways information is brought to us have enormously expanded the ways of being known. In the process, the concept of fame has been grotesquely distended and the line between public achievement and private pathology grows dimmer as the claims grow more bizarre,” unquote.
We can add to that that in recent years television has increased this kind of frenzy to have fame. Many demonstrations, many revolutionary activities are held for the benefit of the camera. The Communists in particular make use of this media and a great many of their actions are staged for a television audience to give the idea of massive movement.
Braudy begins his study, of course, with ancient times with Alexander the Great. He has a great deal of documentation here, but I think he passes up a very important aspect from the very personal life of Alexander the Great. Alexander liked to pretend that he was above enjoying food or above enjoying women, as though these were grudging concessions to the flesh. And, of course, behind this lay his belief that he was a god, his claim to be a god. And, as a result, he could not act like a human being. He had to conceal his humanity.
January 14, 2023
Somewhere in these 600 pages is a fascinating history of fame. As is, this is the most needlessly verbose work of non-fiction I’ve ever read in my life. Perhaps Braudy’s own sense of fame caused him to forego an editor? Bring them back, Leo! There’s a solid 200 pages in here!
December 29, 2025
Exhaustive and extremely thorough look at what it took and takes to get widespread renown starting with Alexander and moving throughout western history to modern (as of the publication) times. Makes you wonder if all the trouble is worth it.
February 28, 2016
The Frenzy of Renown can change your life: with its abundance of ideas, its thoroughness, and the relentless way Braudy has of pursuing his study through the ages, the reader is taken on a historical and sociological journey like no other, and given a complete picture of how we have arrived at our own contemporary notions of fame, honor, recognition, and our place in the world in 2016 A.D. I don’t doubt the book took ten years to write. The author’s patience, restraint, and erudition are extraordinary. I see why there is no Kindle edition (though there should be): this volume is not much in demand by casual readers because, of course, it takes time and dedication to get through, and in scope resembles something the Victorians might have envisioned and brought to completion. My complete review is here: http://alexmfrankel.com/alex/the-fren...
April 24, 2012
What makes fame so alluring to audiences and yet so disillusioning for the object of fame? How have the criteria for what deserves or attracts fame changed in different historical eras? What makes people famous? Is it their exemplary conduct as public figures? Or is it their uncompromising resistance to a social paradigm which is trying to absorb them? The Frenzy of Renown is both a who’s who of western history’s heavyweights and an insightful exploration of the human urge to be recognized. The Frenzy of Renown is an intriguing approach to some of history’s most significant figures, especially in that it analyzes why and how these famous figures became, and remained, so recognized.
Full review at My Writes, http://wp.me/p17lXk-jS.
Full review at My Writes, http://wp.me/p17lXk-jS.
February 17, 2011
I haven't finished this book, but minus one star already because it's a beast at 600+ pages (which means I might not finish it in this lifetime). Fascinating, though. And thanks to Braudy, it's at least a readable 600 pages.
November 27, 2012
A (frighteningly) thorough history of fame in Western civilization. It's a must-read for anyone interested in celebrity studies.
July 12, 2014
Que livro gigante e interminável, mas eu gosto de celebridades.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews