Rating: 
Summary: A colorful presentation of life in the Middle Ages.
Review: One reviewer here, the author of a rather scathing evalutaion, asked that high school students submit their reviews of this book. I'll happily comply (I'm currently a college student, but read 'A World Lit Only By Fire' for the fist time while in high school), though I doubt my review will please her, as I found this book absolutely fascinating, highly enjoyable, and very easy to read. As far as I'm aware, no one else in my AP European History class had trouble with it either.Rather than detailing events in chronological order as many historical books do, Manchester takes us through subject by subject. Beginning with an explanation of the Medieval mind and how it came to be, Manchester goes on to address every possible aspect of life in the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. In addition to recounting events of historic significance and discussing prominent people of the times, he takes us to the very core of Medieval being, describing in vivid detail the dress, eating habits, beliefs, and living conditions of all classes, from peasantry to nobility. The book closes with a section devoted to the explorer Ferdinand Magellan, telling of his voyage to circumnavigate the globe by which he inadvertantly helped bring about the twilight of an age. There are some things which set this book apart from the bulk of scholarly historical texts I have read. Perhaps the most unique is its organization. Most historical texts begin at one point in time and continue on, year by year, until they reach the end of the period they are covering. Manchester has done things differently. He does not stick to a chronological line in his writing, but rather begins with one aspect of Medieval life and winds his way back and forth through each topic until everything has been told to satisfaction. Now, such a system might prove choppy if not for Manchester's great skill in weaving topics together. The crossover between one subject and the next is sometimes all but imperceptible. He takes one idea and, when finished with it, shows precisely how it ties in with the next. The writing is seamless. Manchester develops a beautiful literary illustration of the interconnectedness of different aspects of Medieval life. As he himself states in his note at the beginning of the book, "each event [leads] inexorably to another, then another..." (pg. XV). The organization and fluency of the writing makes this book easy and pleasurable to read, but there is yet another feature which makes 'A World Lit Only By Fire' special. Manchester's tone brings the author to life. It is plain to see that he has his own opinions on what he is writing, and lets them come through with an easy humor that pokes fun at history's idiosyncrasies without being vicious. While one can see that he has some biases (and everyone does), he covers all aspects of an issue without letting his feelings distort it, but still managing to make his opinion known. It is these characteristics, and a meticulous attention to detail, that separate Manchester's work from the ordinary, cut-and-dried textbook writing we see so often. It draws the reader in just as a novel might. The book is thorough and comprehensive, but the presentation makes it seem almost as if a story is being told. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about life in Medieval Europe.
Rating:
Summary: Nevermind the naysayers-- READ THIS BOOK!
Review: Upon reading the collection of negative and indignant reviews of _A World Lit Only By Fire_ it seems obvious to me that many readers completely misunderstood Manchester's purpose in writing it. If you are looking to pass a pop quiz on medieval history or to find the standard party line on the Middle Ages, don't look to Manchester's daring piece. If you are interested in an observant, insightful, juicy, and imaginative portrait of the Western World in upheaval, this book certainly qualifies. The book is anything but clinical and objective. That fact has obviously ruffled the feathers of dusty, party-line medieval history buffs who want a 300-page series of facts and dates. But the book's honest subjectivity and willingness to judge the important people of the past are what make it worth reading. Anyone who believes historical writing is anything but the author's opinion about the past is fooling themselves, and at least Manchester does not attempt to cloak his conjecture in a stodgy air of authority. _A World Lit Only By Fire_ is a fascinating and colorful take on the transition from Roman Empire to Renaissance and Reformation, written by a superbly intelligent, articulate, and bold historian. It is not a historical reference manual and does not pretend to be. Hopefully, you wouldn't want to read one of those things, anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: So inaccurate as to be a staight lie!
Review: Just because it is well written, it doesn't mean it's a good book. Full of misconceptions and inaccuracies this book will mislead anyone who does not know something about the subject already. STAY AWAY FROM THIS BOOK! and more importantly, get it OUT of our schools and universities!
How can anyone claim this book is good when the whole point of it is to inform on history and yet it fails to do this in every possible way...
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly entertaining and packed with things to know
Review: Mesmerizing. I saw some salacious quotes at http://www.dimensional.com/~randl/tmanc.htm and couldn't resist digging deeper. I wanted to know all about the decadent Pope Alexander VI, his sexually ravenous daughter Lucrezia, the burning of heretics, orgies in the Vatican and other scintillating details my history teachers seem to have glossed over. Manchester delivered. This book is littered with delightful, little known facts.
- Probable year of Christ's birth (no one is sure but it most likely wasn't 0 AD)
- Year of the first designation of saints
- Infallibility of the Church, particularly ridiculous in light of Alexander VI's antics
- Description of various torture devices used in the Inquisition including the hideous Jungfer
- The shameless marketing of indulgences that led to the Reformation
- The origin of non-Latin translations of the Bible and how the Church tried to suppress them
- John Calvin's frightening theocracy in Geneva
We also get to learn about the wise and admirable Erasmus, the brilliant and amazing Leonardo Da Vinci, the cruel and disappointing Henry VIII, the progressive yet flawed Thomas More and of course - the heroic, tragic tale of Ferdinand Magellan. (...) The firm dates for the deaths of Arthur and Robin Hood are a bit disconcerting. And there are undoubtedly other minor errors. One wonders if these folks would be as harsh with those who set firm dates for Jesus' birth and death or if they would have any critical comments on a medieval history that left the out the mistakes of the Catholic and the leaders of the time. I believe the best way to understand history is to read several, preferably conflicting accounts and make your own judgments. One book is never enough - no matter how good the scholarship. A World Lit Only by Fire is certainly a fun place to start.
Rating:
Summary: I'm sad to say, this book is total garbage.
Review: I don't doubt his skill as an author, but as a historian, Manchester fails miserably. Imagine, if you will, an author writing in 4003 about our own time- if that author takes his cues from Manchester, he would get his facts only from The Jerry Springer show, talk radio, and some online bulletin boards. You can imagine the bleak, inaccurate picture such a writer would paint!
See the problem? Manchester breaks the first rule of writing history-- he starts with the thesis first, working backwards to find materials that prove his point. Using this method, anyone can prove anything.
The real tragedy is that he writes for a popular audience- people who have no background in medieval history, and so can't see the giant gaps in his information.
If anyone wants to know more, here's just two names you should look into: Hildegard von Bingen (a "Renaissance" woman, before the renaissance existed-- a mystic, scientist, composer and nun) and Thomas Aquinas (who should need no introduction!)
Manchester also, essentially, ignores the Byzantine Empire (which, though geographically "east," played a huge part in shaping the rest of Europe). This is a real shame, not only because it rips his thesis to shreds, but also because the average, educated reader is so unknowledgeable about the subject.
Medieval history is a fascinating, important field. It's a shame and an embarrassment that a talented author like Manchester would do such a terrible job covering the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: A whopping good read
Review: First let me say that I am saddened beyond measure that it seems as if William Manchester won't be finishing his biography of Winston Churchill. Anyway, while A World Lit Only By Fire may not be premium Manchester, it is pretty damn good particularly in his biographical sketches. And why not? His métier after all is biography. And yes the general picture that he draws of Medieval Europe is the one set in the minds of mainstream historians of the old school, which I think describes Mr. Manchester pretty well. So what? The revisionist historian of today is the old school mainstream historian of tomorrow. From someone like Mr. Manchester I expect a whopping good story, well told and he does that. I can pick nits with it too, and that is part of the fun. For instance, a big hobby horse of mine is the way academic disciplines are so isolated from each other that scholars studying in one may be totally unaware that another discipline might actually illuminate and/or clear up long standing misconceptions. If Mr. Manchester had picked a copy of Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino, he might not have characterized the medieval peasantry the way he did, ie: "Their anonymity approached the absolute. So did their mute acceptance of it." As a compendium of tales pulled directly through the ages from the oral literature of the medieval peasant, Italian Folktales demonstrates that said peasant was anything but mute. Well, never mind, but it would have been such fun to go at it with Mr. Manchester hammer and tongs in a classroom setting. And that is how I think of this book as a long tour de force classroom lecture by a master storyteller. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: History of a profound change in the world
Review: William Manchester's book was a phenomenon. He describes the history of the transition between the medieval ages to the renaissance. Along the way, he makes sure to include much salacious gossip - anecdotes that can't be proved or disproved, but were believed by the people of the era. The most powerful element of the book, however, was the underlying current of the revolution of thought from a faith-based era to a new, logic-based age. Every example in the book comes to this point, and the ending is indeed quite powerful. When I finally closed the book (and it's been awhile since I read a book straight through the way I did this one) I was left with a strong impression on how profoundly the world was changed by the historical fathers of the renaissance.
Rating:
Summary: not for high school students
Review: While it is commonly known that Alzheimer's disease is preventing the completion of William Manchester's current work, I believe that senility was clearly already setting in when Manchester wrote "A World Lit Only By Fire." The book is practically impossible to move through. What pretentious and circuitous writing! All the glowing reviews of this book indicate two possible, yet opposite, ideas. One, that the book is comprehensible to some, probably those well-read enough to be familiar with all the persons, places, history and literature that are referred to. Or two, that this book, by such a prestigious writer as William Manchester, is so incomprehensible that the literati write glowing reviews in order to mask their inability to make sense of the book. To assign this book to high school sophomores is a crime! I am helping a fifteen-year-old friend with her summer reading. She is in accelerated classes and is plenty smart to merit placement in the advanced placement history course that requires this book. Reading it, however, is a bigger task than she can manage, so I offered to help. What an unpleasant surprise awaited me! I have a bachelors degree, cum laude, from Illinois Wesleyan University. I have read many books since graduation, and have had innumerable discussions with my philosophy-major husband and his intellectual friends. All that is to say that I am neither ignorant nor stupid. I now believe, after working on this book, that it is assigned as summer reading because the teachers find it as difficult as I do to help a high-school student make sense out of it. I give this book one star. I would give it zero except for three reasons: one, my respect for the greater body of William Manchester's work; two, I find Manchester's pretentious language use and anti-Catholic/pro-Moslem slants to be quite humorous at times -- although dangerous to those who take his odd phrases and overt biases as historical fact; and three, Amazon.com doesn't offer "zero" stars! I encourage high school and college readers to submit their reviews of this book, in the hope of saving the sanity of future students. P.S. Wouldn't it be nice if Amazon.com offered indenting of paragraphs on these reviews, to all of us that love language enough to read these books?
Rating:
Summary: REAL MEDIEVAL PESANTS ... TOTALLY NAKED!!!
Review: Is this some kind of joke? As a young man, William Manchester served in WWII. He then pursued a career in journalism, spending time overseas. At some point he shifted to an academic career and compiled, probably in part from experience, biographies of Churchill, McArthur, and J. F. Kennedy -- safe territory for a journalist. His list of works include some fiction and essays; we can surmise that first and foremost, he is a writer, not an analyst, and certainly not a researcher. As his "Author's Note" reveals, at the age of 70 during a convalesence, he decided to write a "portrait" of the 16th Century as a backdrop to a study of Magellan. In roughly two years he churned out "AWLOBF," notwithstanding the fact that his background in the 16th Century was no more than "the general familiarity of an educated man." As a result, his efforts to deposit ink on paper yielded a work that has an uncanny resemblance to recently used toilet paper. Anyone should be suspicious of a book that provides firm dates for the death of Arthur and Robin Hood. (Chronology, p. X). Carless mistakes such as misidentifying Grand Duke Ivan III as the first Tsar of Russia (p. 35; Ivan IV (1533-1584) = first Tsar) serve only to shred its credibility. As Manchester himself states, the book is "a slight work with no scholarly pretensions. All the sources are secondary, few are new. I have not mastered recent scholarship on the early sixteenth century." In fact, turning to his "Acknowledgements and Sources," we find that he gives credit above all to the Will Durant's "Story of Civilization" (ca. 1954) and the Encylopaedia Brittanica. In other words, we are blessed with a careless synthesis of dated general compilations, themselves compiled from dated secondary sources. The lack of attribution makes it impossible to discern the basis for Manchester's vast array of brazen assertions. Further, the engrafting of his "portrait of the age" upon the material concerning Magellan yields a singularly disjointed work. It is particularly reprehensible that Manchester unquestioningly accepts scholarship that is invariably two or three generations old. The most prominent theme, repeated ad nauseam, is that someone turned the lights out in Europe in the latter part of the 5th Century and it was only through the sudden and blessed intervention of Humanists who re-discovered the ancients in the 15th century that the world was saved from the "Dark Ages." Yes, he liberally applies that hackneyed and questionable term -- to the entire period. Contradictory evidence such as the writings of Petrarch and Dante are only "lonely execeptions" to the total dearth of anything valuable in the long night that gripped Europe in the rather simple mind of William Manchester. (Augustine, Abelard, Acquinas, Chaucer?) Accordinly, the first 28 pages which purport to summarize the history of the Medieval world should be summarily removed from each copy and thrown away. Even a cursory review of medieval studies since say, 1950, puts the lie to Manchester's basic premise. (For the story of this development in the 20th C., see Cantor's "Inventing the Middle Ages"). For an Emeritus Professor of History at Wesleyan, the lack of effort is astounding. Any old source is a good source. For example, as to Davis' "Life on a Medieval Barony" (1924!!), he says: "Davis was writing about the thirteenth century, but his picture of a medieval community is valid in depicting the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries." How Manchester would know is a mystery. What changes the Black Death (mid-14th C.) might have occasioned must have been just too inconvenient. As so many have commented, no salacious detail is missed by the priapic pen of Bill "Horndog" Manchester: "lore [always a reliable source!!] has it that he was coupling with the older woman when he was distracted by the sight of her adolescent daughter laying beside them, naked, thighs yawning wide, matching her mother thrust for pelvic thrust but with a rhythmic rotation of the hips ...." Dr. Manchester, if he merits that title, has only succeeded in unbuttoning the fabric to expose the withering envy of old age for the sexual potency of youth. Wesleyan should be embarrassed; even casual readers should move on to something more intellectually honest.
Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining read taken with a grain of salt
Review: Let me spare you the expense of the book - the Catholics were bad, then - inevitably, under the circumstances - came the Reformation, and the Prods were a LOT worse. Let me say I love Manchester's other books (American Caesar, Goodbye Darkness, the Last Lion), he is capable of breathtakingly good writing. But in this book - which he confesses in the intro is not a 'scholarly' work - he makes the Hist 101 bonehead mistake of judging a historical period by modern standards. As a result, practically everyone comes out as a bad guy. I can see how some modern PC types might like this, and I shudder to think of this book actually being used as a textbook, as other reviewers indicate. It is a good read - a good story, well written - but once read, don't think you 'know' the period - you only know one narrow viewpoint.
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