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361 reviews for:
The End Is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses
Dan Carlin
3.74 AVERAGE
361 reviews for:
The End Is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses
Dan Carlin
3.74 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Some interesting ideas that comes off as a collection of blog posts or podcasts instead of a cohesive book. There are at least 100 pages missing from a 5 star version of this. Carlin goes light on details in a lot of places and doesn't even attempt to answer the harder questions raised in the book. There are many pieces of history relevant to future apocalyptic scenarios that are missing. I still would recommend the book if you're interested in the topic because there is a lot of great research here and there isn't a better alternative I am aware of.
What I'd add to the 5 star version of this:
* Chapters specifically dedicated to the open questions (vs. just repeatedly referencing them)
* Chapter(s) on the Mayans and Incans
* Chapter(s) on the Permian extinction event and potentially other mass extinction events
* Full chapter on the Fermi paradox vs just an afterword
What I'd add to the 5 star version of this:
* Chapters specifically dedicated to the open questions (vs. just repeatedly referencing them)
* Chapter(s) on the Mayans and Incans
* Chapter(s) on the Permian extinction event and potentially other mass extinction events
* Full chapter on the Fermi paradox vs just an afterword
informative
fast-paced
Carlin descr bes this book as a collection of historical vignettes without any overarching theme, and he is mostly correct. Themes do emerge, but it remains a collection of largely disconnected pieces that vary greatly in quality.
The sections on the Bronze Age Collapse or the history of pandemics were competent if shallow pop-history (3 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐). Frustratingly, Carlin acknowledges the shaky foundation of historical tropes like the Dark Ages or bartering economies and then proceeds to uncritically reference those ideas through the rest of the book.
The last third of the book, covering nuclear weapons and the increasing deadliness of human conflict, is downright horrible (1 star ⭐). Sophomoric historical analysis is accompanied by war crime apologia that by the end made me actively dislike the author. Even the book's interesting parts are weaker and less well researched than other works of historical nonfiction, while its worst sections fail on both literary and moral levels.
The sections on the Bronze Age Collapse or the history of pandemics were competent if shallow pop-history (3 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐). Frustratingly, Carlin acknowledges the shaky foundation of historical tropes like the Dark Ages or bartering economies and then proceeds to uncritically reference those ideas through the rest of the book.
The last third of the book, covering nuclear weapons and the increasing deadliness of human conflict, is downright horrible (1 star ⭐). Sophomoric historical analysis is accompanied by war crime apologia that by the end made me actively dislike the author. Even the book's interesting parts are weaker and less well researched than other works of historical nonfiction, while its worst sections fail on both literary and moral levels.
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
informative
fast-paced
Goed dat iemand geschiedenis meer benaderbaar wil maken, maar zorg dan in ieder geval dat het klopt wat je zegt.
dark
informative
slow-paced
Very entertaining read. The parts about Rome, Nuclear weapons and WWII were my favourites.
The future’s uncertain and the end is always near.