Strangers and Intimates by Tiffany Jenkins - ISBN: 9781529034189
Paperback
Private life’s dramatic rise and perilous future in the digital age.
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Strangers and Intimates

The Rise and Fall of Private Life

$25.53

  • Paperback

    464 pages

  • Release Date

    1 September 2026

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Summary

‘Brilliantly original … Endlessly fascinating’ - Alice Loxton, author of Eighteen

‘An intricate cultural history … Thought-provoking’ - The Sunday Times

‘Lucid and elegant’ - The Daily Telegraph

From ancient times to our digital present, Strangers and Intimates traces the dramatic emergence of private life, and argues that it is now in mortal danger.

In this sweeping history, acclaimed cultural historian Tiffany Jenkins takes readers on an epic journey…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781529034189
ISBN-10:1529034183
Author:Tiffany Jenkins
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Imprint:Picador
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:464
Release Date:1 September 2026
Weight:314g
Dimensions:197mm x 131mm x 28mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

Compelling … This is the sort of history book that makes you look at all history anew’ * New Scientist *Jenkins’s history of private life is more urgent than ever … Lucid and elegant * Telegraph *A brilliantly original line of investigation, taking the reader on an epic journey through the ages … endlessly fascinating and full of surprises – Alice Loxton, author of EighteenWell written and always provocative – David Aaronovitch * The Observer *Amidst all the current narrow technological determinism, it is refreshing - and empowering - to read such a nuanced, thoughtful history of this slippery concept – Kate Fox, author of Watching the EnglishFrom Tudor Treason Trials to Monica Lewinsky and beyond, this book brilliantly deploys the author’s deep knowledge of literature, political ideas, as well as the history of law and of leisure … a tour de force – David Abulafia, author of The Boundless SeaA magisterial intellectual history of an important and evolving concept … timely and compelling. * Times Literary Supplement *From Thomas More and Oliver Cromwell to Jennicam, Big Brother and Monica Lewinsky … one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in years – Adrian Tinniswood, author of The Power and the GloryAn impassioned argument … Jenkins deploys an array of lively anecdotes to make her case. [Strangers and Intimates] is a far-reaching - occasionally dizzying - book * The Financial Times *Essential reading for all those seeking to understand the dynamics of the current privacy crisis, and why it matters that solutions are found – David Vincent, author of A History of SolitudeA highly engaging read, timely, and impressively broad in its scope * Literary Review *A stimulating history * New Statesman *Jenkins delivers a substantial but still nimble exploration of the modern notion of ‘private life’ … An eye-opening study of the value of keeping some things unseen * Publishers Weekly *Superb … Every page offers fresh revelations … Sharp, insightful analysis. * Spiked *

About The Author

Tiffany Jenkins

Dr Tiffany Jenkins is a writer, cultural historian, and broadcaster. She is the author of the acclaimed Keeping Their Marbles: How Treasures of the Past Ended Up in Museums and Why They Should Stay There.

She is a former honorary fellow in the History of Art at the University of Edinburgh and a former visiting fellow in the Department of Law at the London School of Economics. She wrote and presented the BBC Radio 4 series A History of Secrecy and Contracts of Silence, about the rise of non-disclosure agreements, and has appeared regularly as a critic on Saturday Review and Front Row.

She is a trustee of the British Museum. Her opinion pieces have appeared in The Guardian, The Observer, the Financial Times, The Scotsman, and The Spectator.

She divides her time between London and Sussex. Strangers and Intimates is her third book.

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