This edited volume, consisting of nine chapters and an introduction by the editors, demonstrates the potential of the new mobilities paradigm for research on the early modern period. Rooted in the social sciences, this paradigm sees movement and mobility as an essential and integral element of human society, rather than as an exceptional, incidental activity. It wishes to take into account all aspects of mobility: mobility of persons and things; the practicalities of movement; the objects, practices, and fixed spaces that make mobility possible and regulate it. Through a series of case studies, this volume shows the connectedness of the actors, actions, objects, and spaces that marked mobility in the early modern world.

The introductory chapter by Nelles and Salzberg offers an inestimable overview of recent trends in mobility studies, useful theoretical concepts, and the possibilities they offer for early modernists. Rather than a simple presentation of the chapters united in the volume, the introduction has the potential to function as an insightful standalone piece for both experienced researchers in the field of early modern movement and mobility as well as for students. Its usefulness in a classroom setting is ensured by the various concrete examples given by the authors, from an early modern treatise on acrobatics and the movement of the human body to the physical object of the city gate as an inert object that enables the movement of people and goods. The introduction comes with an extensive and very valuable bibliography from which students and experts alike will benefit.

The nine chapters of the volume are very diverse in approach and nature, presenting a broad and inspirational array of potential approaches and source materials for the study of early modern mobility, ranging from practices of quarantine in the Adriatic (Bilić) to the spread of information through handwritten newsletters (Molino). They are divided into three parts: ‘Moving Bodies’, ‘Crossing Borders’, and ‘Global Networks’. Although not all chapters deal with global networks, they do all contain moving bodies that cross borders, which makes the structure of the volume less clear. The internal cohesion of the book is ensured, rather, by the shared theoretical framework that is strongly presented in the introduction, and which resonates firmly in some contributions, such as that by Verhoeven on the practical and sensorial aspects of the Grand Tour, though less in others.

While most contributions are firmly rooted in a European context, the three chapters of the final section, ‘Global Networks’, venture more into the ‘early modern world’, albeit from a European starting point. Paul Nelles traces the global distribution of the devotional ‘agnus dei’ through Jesuit networks. Felicita Tramontana describes Franciscan experiences in the Holy Land. The final chapter by Sebouh David Aslanian follows the complex itinerary of a Catholic fundraiser to religious centers in Moscow, Baghdad, and Madras. Together, the chapters cover the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries through a broad variety of sources: letters (Verhoeven); travel journals (Gallagher); newsletters (Molino); judicial, religious, and economic archival records (Fosi, Schmitz, Tramontana, and Aslanian); as well as physical objects (Nelles) and fixed spaces that enable and impact movement (Bilić). They address various types of travelers, from the elite using mobility as a rite of passage (Verhoeven) to the poor traveling on foot to a seek healing in another town (Schmitz).

The first section, ‘Moving Bodies’, clearly shows the inspirational diversity that characterizes the volume as a whole. John Gallagher carefully studies Fynes Moryson’s Itinerary (1617) for the insight it provides into the linguistic experiences of early modern travelers. By contrasting it with other contemporary travel writings, Gallagher demonstrates which different linguistic practices and experiences individuals from different walks of life could face in various parts of Europe and, importantly, how it impacted their travels. Gerrit Verhoeven gives a very insightful overview of the often ignored practical sides of the Grand Tour that many young men in the early modern era undertook. He makes perceptive remarks on the sensory experiences of travelers and the influence of various modes of transportation on not only comfort but also flexibility. Carolin Schmitz subsequently draws attention to mobility on a smaller scale, though with no less impact on the lives of those involved. She studies archival records revealing that in rural parts of Spain, individuals often traveled for health reasons: to seek a change of air, or to consult a healer for oneself or for a family member. These journeys were often undertaken on foot and within the same day.

The contributions to this volume thus perfectly illustrate its central premise that mobility was omnipresent in early modern Europe, even where it was least expected (such as in rural communities where no means of transportation were available). The combination of a strong theoretical introduction and a rich series of highly diverse case studies make it an inspirational read for anyone interested in early modern connectivity and movement.