A World Lit Only by Fire, William Manchester
A World Lit Only by Fire, William Manchester
List: $23.95 | Sale: $16.77
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A World Lit Only by Fire
The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance Portrait of an Age

Author: William Manchester

Narrator: Barrett Whitener

Unabridged: 11 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/01/2007

Categories: Nonfiction, History


Synopsis

From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth, the Renaissance, a dense explosion of energy that spawned some of historys greatest poets, philosophers, and painters, as well as some of its most spectacular villains.

About William Manchester

William Manchester was a hugely successful popular historian and biographer whose books include The Last Lion, Volumes 1 and 2, Goodbye Darkness, A World Lit Only by Fire, The Glory and the Dream, The Arms of Krupp, American Caesar, The Death of the President, and assorted works of journalism.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on August 12, 2019

This was a fantastic book that is highly readable for fans of art and history alike. It describes the way the world was on the cusp of modernity as we moved from the Middle Ages towards the Renaissance. It is similar to other books on the subject (Panofksy comes to mind), but this one is written a b......more

Goodreads review by Riku on January 21, 2015

Magellan in Context Manchester starts off writing a biography of Magellan, but in his attempt to put a context to his life, motivations and adventures, ends up expanding his scope until some six centuries of the medieval period are swallowed up by the story. Manchester then repackages the book as a b......more

Goodreads review by Christian on August 15, 2012

If you are looking for a well researched and reasoned history of the Dark Ages and the Renaissance do not read this book. If you are looking for a starting point for the Intellectual History of Europe during the Dark Ages and Renaissance; this book might be a good way to go. The historical accuracy o......more

Goodreads review by Benjamin on April 15, 2024

"If I were to teach a history course for highschoolers, I'd use this book." "It describes how people lived, ate, took care of personal hygiene, worked, and played to compare (not criticize) live in 1500. For those who are jut getting into history it engages on the social aspects of history and create......more

Goodreads review by Daisy on January 31, 2022

I studied History of Art so spent many years looking at the Renaissance, not just the paintings themselves but the cultural context, the political and religious events at the time. That does not make me an expert but I know a fair bit. What I know less about is the Middle Ages before this rebirth. I......more