Description:
<p>This is an extended review of Jon Mathieu's 1998 book on the history of the Alps in the modern age. Recently translated into Italian, this major work is mandatory reading for all anthropological students of upland societies and has much to offer also to a wider anthropological audience. Of special significance is Mathieu's critique of cultural-ecological models: diverging forms of domestic organisation are shown to be related less to environmental differences than to the accelerated process of state-building that started in the 16th century and differentially affected the various sectors of the Alpine crescent.</p>