Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

A sweeping survey of the ways crowds have been swept up in feverish belief, this work pulls back the curtain on some of history’s most astonishing episodes of collective folly. From feverish speculation in 18th‑century finance to bizarre fashions and superstitions, the narrative shows how ordinary people can be coaxed into extraordinary madness.

The first volume dives into the wild optimism surrounding John Law’s Mississippi venture, the frantic frenzy of the South‑Sea Company, and the Dutch obsession with tulips that turned flowers into fortunes overnight. It then wanders into the secretive world of alchemists, the allure of modern prophecies, and the strange charm of magnetisers and fortune‑tellers, each chapter a vivid portrait of belief gone awry.

Reading aloud, the author’s clear, measured prose lets listeners hear the rise and crash of each craze, while the detailed anecdotes reveal the timeless human urge to chase hope, even when reason warns otherwise.