A World Lit Only by Fire

„A World Lit Only by Fire”, written by William Manchester and published in 1992, is a non-formal retelling of the history of the Middle Ages. The author is a journalist, and that is why the book is so interesting- the language is vivid and sparkling and the book is written in such an interesting manner that it seems like one is reading a work of fiction, not a book of history (but that can probably be explained by the fact that the most of the book-writing historians are not outstanding journalists).

The book consists of three parts: The Medieval Mind; The Shattering; One Man Alone. In each part of the book the author examines specific phenomena and events that took part during the Middle Ages, thus explaining the medieval man’s and woman’s thinking pattern and the chain of events that brought this way of thinking to its end.

In the first part of the book, “The Medieval Mind”, Manchester introduces the reader with the environment of the medieval times and the customs of that time as well as the medieval people’s access and understanding of Christianity, which is crucial in understanding the times.

The Middle Ages started with the collapse of the Roman Empire, which was initiated in 410 when the Visigoth Alaric led forty thousand Goths, Huns, as well as freed Roman slaves into Rome [1;4], demolishing a huge part of the city and destroying priceless pieces of art, thinking only of the material gain (they even melted down artefacts made of valuable metal).[1;5] After that, Huns, Goths, Alans, Burgundians, Thurigians, Frisians, Gepidae, Suevi, Alemanni, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Lombards, Heruli, Quadi, and Magyars saw their opportunity to steal, rape, and ravage as well, thus invading what was left of the Empire and destroying the re...

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...nged blind, ritualistic assumptions of a thousand years. But Magellan’s voyage exposed its central myth. Europe was no longer the world, and the world was no longer the center of the universe.”[1;292] If Earth was round and there was no “up” or “down”, then there was obviously no heaven. And, if there was no heaven, there was no God, either.[1;292]

Manchester concludes with:

“Hardest of all is the sense of loss, the knowledge that the serenity of medieval faith, and the certitude of everlasting glory, are forever gone.”[1;292]

In conclusion, the book was very enjoyable and easy to understand, though, seeing that the author is a journalist and some events described have raised questions regarding their authenticity, it makes me wonder what other places I have missed that a historian or a theologian would object to.

Works Cited

A World Lit Only by Fire, The Bible