A World Lit Only by Fire

An enjoyable book. A look at human history to open our minds.

Some interesting content but overall the book is poorly organized. It lurches from topic to topic as if the author has no outline of where to go next. The book is several hundred pages and only three chapters. Tough read.

My old classics professor from SMU, Jeremy duQuesnay Adams, the foremost expert in medieval history of his era, wrote a scathing critical review of Mr Manchester’s book. He criticized it for many outdated interpretations and outright fabrications. However, I do feel “A World Lit Only by Fire” has merit. Normally I will read a book of this length leisurely over a week to ten days. I spent over three weeks on this one in an electronic format. Nearly every page provided an opportunity to follow links or to initiate internet searches to perform wider reading on various topics. Mr Manchester does utilize a great deal of artistic verisimilitude (to quote WS Gilbert) in his writing of this book. For example, his colorful description of the banquet of the chestnuts is not fully supported by the sole account by Johann Burchard. The story of the Pied Piper has a number of possible origins: Manchester picked one of the darkest as the only explanation. I have found, after reading “Goodbye Darkness” Mr Manchester’s references to war, battle, heroism and strategy are deeply influenced by his experience as a Purple Heart awarded Marine Sergeant who barely survived Okinawa and spent months recovering from his wounds. These experiences come through in his interpretation of various events in “A World Lit Only by Fire”. The book is,in my opinion, a good outline of the medieval and renaissance periods. If utilized as a guide to explore the era more widely it can demonstrate merit. I would take all of it with a grain of salt understanding Mr Manchester exercised a great deal of artistic license.

I found this writer a little over-fond of terminology such as “barbaric” to describe cultures his target audience is like seeking information on in earnest. I guess he succeeds in making illustrating several centuries as “dim” and “mindless,” but the entire book really is as parochial as the author describes his previous work. No surprises here, just another boring, old, people-in-the-middle-ages-were-dummies take.

If you say "most driest" you probably shouldn't be in AP anything.

Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of unsavory practices and activities of popes, royalty, and regular folks during the medieval period.
Civilization embedded with a Judeo-Christian ethic has refined most of us, so to some this book may be distasteful.
The info about Martin Luther was 2 parts shocking, one part depressing, 10 parts amazing. I now want to read a biography of Luther. The author makes plain that religious history's linchpin was Martin Luther and his absolute defiance of Rome. "Here I stand; I can do no other."
As a Protestant Christian, what a thrill that Luther went against the grain and stood for ordinary people reading the Scripture in everyday languages rather than Latin, which only the elites of the age understood.
I read on despite the hard-to-stomach details and was glad to reach the distant shore at last, thrilled to see how heroic men stretch for the stars, the 'undiscovered country', the place of discovery and self-revelation.
I've also read the 3-part Winston Churchill biography (5 stars with no qualms) and the Gen. MacArthur bio (5 stars with no qualms).

I am apparently one of the few college-aged people who read this book purely for fun and not as a class requirement. I think it's an excellent book, endlessly fascinating and a unique look at European history.

My only complaint lies in the fact that he spends most of the book discussing the Renaissance and not the Middle Ages. I still cannot believe that he spent almost zero time on Charlamagne, Clovis, William the Conquered...while the topics he did cover were certainly fascinating, I think that a discussion of someone as interesting as King Clovis would have made it an even better book.

I read this way back in high school and loved it. I've read it a few times since and learn something new about our world with each read. It's one of those books that cuts through the stuffy history text and presents the Middle Ages in clear, easy to understand language. Plus it also talks about all the debauchery happening at the time. Read the book with an open mind and you'll soon learn to love it.

If a history book is deemed too offensive, it's got to be sniffing around the truth.

And u kids...shame on you. Bill Manchester is a treasure. Go back to your Harry Potters.

What is so boring about this book? This is an amazing and entertaining read, it is almost as watching a movie and taken through time and learn how far we have come as human race. Of course, those that approach it not knowing the true history of the church find it repulsive. Looking for more reads like this one? Search for Christopher hitches or bart d ermann

Don't keep the faith.