Blood Rush: The Dark History of a Vital Fluid

As a young man Jan Verplaetse saw a hare suspended from a meat hook, skinned and gutted. What struck him so forcefully at the time was not the animal but the blood gently dripping from its mouth. His reaction prompted the start of a quest he undertakes in this book - to investigate our fascination with blood, the most vital of fluids.

Blood Rush shows how, throughout history, blood has had the capacity to intoxicate us. In his deeply researched and provocative narrative, Verplaetse moves from antiquity to the present, from magic to experimental psychology, from philosophy to religion and scientific discoveries, to demonstrate why blood both repels and attracts us.

‘Intricate, poetic, disturbing and indefatigably intense, Blood Rush: The Dark History of a Vital Fluid is unique in its scope. Verplaetse’s enthusiasm for his subject transforms the text into far more than an eccentric history; through it, the book becomes a history of our turbulent, passionate and fearful relationship with the very principle of life itself.’ - The Weekend Australian

‘Both rigorous and highly creative, it will leave many readers awestruck.’ - Raymond Corbey, Professor of Philosophy of Science and Anthropology, Leiden University

‘Jan Verplaetse’s remarkable book explores blood’s physical and metaphysical aspects, throughout history and literature. Highly recommended!’ - Leslie S. Klinger, editor, New Annotated Dracula