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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Very interesting. And at one point refers to breasts as the tidbits of the devil. Worth the read for that alone.
I've been looking for a paper copy of this book for the better part of a year, and I have to say, having finally laid my hands on one, that it did not disappoint. Having previously read In the Shadow of the Sword, this functioned very much as a companion book for me.
In Millennium, Holland chooses to recount mostly the growth of the Christian faith in Europe over the course of the first millennium, although he does take the time to talk about Al-Andalus, the Fatimid caliphate, and Constantinople when he feels that more information will form a clearer picture. I particularly appreciated the parts about al-Andalus since I was lucky enough to live there for 8 months, and you can still see the influence of the Caliphate of Cordoba across the region.
Historically speaking, Holland chooses to jump very quickly through the first few centuries of Christianity from Constantine, stopping only to talk about particularly noteworthy events, most of which happen in what would probably be labelled the Byzantine empire at this point. He doesn't start recounting the story in more detail until about the time of Charlemagne, and his primary focus appears to be the 11th century, leading up the declaration of the First Crusade by Urban II. Because of this, and in all probability a lack of sources, there's very little about the centuries immediately after the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire. Even after the appearance of more familiar figures, Holland's history is somewhat hamstrung by a lack of sources, and even more so, in my estimation, by a lack of sources not part of the Catholic church.
Nonetheless, Holland does a wonderful job at covering what must surely count as the most momentous events across about 300 years of history, give or take a couple of decades. He manages to track the investiture of the title Holy Roman Emperor in Germany without ending up hopelessly bogged down in either secular or ecclesiastical politics, although they remain largely one and the same at that time. He does his very best to explain the rise of castles and knights in France. His retelling of the Norman invasion of 1066 probably doesn't take up as much space in the narrative as his (I assume) largely anglophone audience might like, but I think he does a very good job categorizing all the factors leading up to it.
What struck me as particularly engaging with this book was how Holland managed to weave all his disparate strands of history--from Scandinavia to Kiev to Constantinople to England and France and the Italian States and even al-Andalus and the Fatimid caliphate--into one coherent narrative tapestry. For me, this surely ranks as the biggest challenge of trying to tell the story of the rise of Christendom in this time, and Holland is more than up to the task. It never felt particularly forced, and his jumps between places and people felt natural, as if spurred on by the narrative itself. Never once did it have a sort of textbook feel to it, i.e., one chapter on France, next chapter covering the same time period in Britain etc.
This was, without doubt, the most scholarly of Holland's works for me, even though I'm well aware it's supposed to fit into the same popular history mold as his others. On the large, paragraphs in this book are long, sentences are long, and the language is much more scholarly than in any of his other books. (Keep in mind that I have yet to read his latest, Dynasty, so this may not be 100% fair.) Still, Holland's customary love of and passion for his subject matter bleeds through and makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
In Millennium, Holland chooses to recount mostly the growth of the Christian faith in Europe over the course of the first millennium, although he does take the time to talk about Al-Andalus, the Fatimid caliphate, and Constantinople when he feels that more information will form a clearer picture. I particularly appreciated the parts about al-Andalus since I was lucky enough to live there for 8 months, and you can still see the influence of the Caliphate of Cordoba across the region.
Historically speaking, Holland chooses to jump very quickly through the first few centuries of Christianity from Constantine, stopping only to talk about particularly noteworthy events, most of which happen in what would probably be labelled the Byzantine empire at this point. He doesn't start recounting the story in more detail until about the time of Charlemagne, and his primary focus appears to be the 11th century, leading up the declaration of the First Crusade by Urban II. Because of this, and in all probability a lack of sources, there's very little about the centuries immediately after the fall of the Western half of the Roman Empire. Even after the appearance of more familiar figures, Holland's history is somewhat hamstrung by a lack of sources, and even more so, in my estimation, by a lack of sources not part of the Catholic church.
Nonetheless, Holland does a wonderful job at covering what must surely count as the most momentous events across about 300 years of history, give or take a couple of decades. He manages to track the investiture of the title Holy Roman Emperor in Germany without ending up hopelessly bogged down in either secular or ecclesiastical politics, although they remain largely one and the same at that time. He does his very best to explain the rise of castles and knights in France. His retelling of the Norman invasion of 1066 probably doesn't take up as much space in the narrative as his (I assume) largely anglophone audience might like, but I think he does a very good job categorizing all the factors leading up to it.
What struck me as particularly engaging with this book was how Holland managed to weave all his disparate strands of history--from Scandinavia to Kiev to Constantinople to England and France and the Italian States and even al-Andalus and the Fatimid caliphate--into one coherent narrative tapestry. For me, this surely ranks as the biggest challenge of trying to tell the story of the rise of Christendom in this time, and Holland is more than up to the task. It never felt particularly forced, and his jumps between places and people felt natural, as if spurred on by the narrative itself. Never once did it have a sort of textbook feel to it, i.e., one chapter on France, next chapter covering the same time period in Britain etc.
This was, without doubt, the most scholarly of Holland's works for me, even though I'm well aware it's supposed to fit into the same popular history mold as his others. On the large, paragraphs in this book are long, sentences are long, and the language is much more scholarly than in any of his other books. (Keep in mind that I have yet to read his latest, Dynasty, so this may not be 100% fair.) Still, Holland's customary love of and passion for his subject matter bleeds through and makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read.
challenging
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
This book was a pretty good run-through of the period around the year 1000. There was a lot going on but I found it was pretty readable overall.
I enjoyed Holland's tone as he puts a bit of an informal spin on his history, much like Dan Jones does. I liked that the story he told covered as much of Europe as possible, as well as different religions too. The photos and maps were much appreciated, and I liked that there were maps within sections when the location changed. We get a look at the rise of the Christian church as well as the start of castle building, and the start of the villages.
I found it interesting that people of the Dark Ages thought the apocalypse was coming in the year 1000, especially seeing as people really believed in the Millennium Bug back in the late 90's...a very different expectation of the apocalypse, and yet 1000 years later we still feared the end of the world as the millennium approached.
I think this book is a good starting point for someone interested in the period
I enjoyed Holland's tone as he puts a bit of an informal spin on his history, much like Dan Jones does. I liked that the story he told covered as much of Europe as possible, as well as different religions too. The photos and maps were much appreciated, and I liked that there were maps within sections when the location changed. We get a look at the rise of the Christian church as well as the start of castle building, and the start of the villages.
I found it interesting that people of the Dark Ages thought the apocalypse was coming in the year 1000, especially seeing as people really believed in the Millennium Bug back in the late 90's...a very different expectation of the apocalypse, and yet 1000 years later we still feared the end of the world as the millennium approached.
I think this book is a good starting point for someone interested in the period
This was an excellent read covering early medieval European history that focused primarily on the 10th century but gave important context for the events of the 10th century by looking backward at the previous centuries. To put it down to basics, this book tells the story of the rise of what we think of when we think of Western Christendom in the Middle Ages with a powerful pope leading a powerful church. Holland chronicles the rise of the Christian kingdoms throughout western Europe from East Francia, West Francia to England. Basically, what eventually became France, Great Britain and Germany. For the last one I should say "Holy Roman Empire" as Germany wouldn't be a thing until much much later. It is a fascinating story because we look back on the Middle Ages as being the foundational groundwork for the later stages of European civilization in the Renaissance, early modernity, the Industrial Age and now in late modernity. This book was about the foundations of the Middle Ages themselves which is intriguing. The power of the church came about largely due to peasants seeking the Peace of God from the men who set up castles in high places and who used knights to run a protection racket on everyone else.
It took a long time and a lot of war to create Christendom. The Christian kingdoms saw themselves as surrounded by a sea of paganism but slowly through the march of centuries more and more of western Europe converted to Christianity. No longer did they sacrifice to horrific tree idols in the forest and commit unspeakable crimes against their neighbors but were incorporated into the fold so to speak. Leaders saw the advantages of converting and eventually even the feared northmen, Hungarians and such converted.
The church and papacy was comically (or tragically depending on your perspective) corrupt but was reformed by the 10th century. Simony, or taking brides to get to episcopal office was abolished. The popes started actually caring about spiritual matters of God in the world, preparing for the coming of Antichrist, etc. rather than just being Italian princes who got to the papacy by bribery and deceit. The papacy became the powerhouse we know it to be in the Middle Ages through the events of Canossa. Or more precisely the events of Canossa being a sign of things to come so to speak. The change of power from Caesar to Pope. (It is so odd how the nascent Holy Roman Empire believed that their king was the Roman Emperor. No concept that the Roman Empire fell in the west hundreds of years ago and that the heirs of that empire were still around in Constantinople where another man sat on what he thought to be the Roman throne).
I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more Tom Holland books.
It took a long time and a lot of war to create Christendom. The Christian kingdoms saw themselves as surrounded by a sea of paganism but slowly through the march of centuries more and more of western Europe converted to Christianity. No longer did they sacrifice to horrific tree idols in the forest and commit unspeakable crimes against their neighbors but were incorporated into the fold so to speak. Leaders saw the advantages of converting and eventually even the feared northmen, Hungarians and such converted.
The church and papacy was comically (or tragically depending on your perspective) corrupt but was reformed by the 10th century. Simony, or taking brides to get to episcopal office was abolished. The popes started actually caring about spiritual matters of God in the world, preparing for the coming of Antichrist, etc. rather than just being Italian princes who got to the papacy by bribery and deceit. The papacy became the powerhouse we know it to be in the Middle Ages through the events of Canossa. Or more precisely the events of Canossa being a sign of things to come so to speak. The change of power from Caesar to Pope. (It is so odd how the nascent Holy Roman Empire believed that their king was the Roman Emperor. No concept that the Roman Empire fell in the west hundreds of years ago and that the heirs of that empire were still around in Constantinople where another man sat on what he thought to be the Roman throne).
I thoroughly enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more Tom Holland books.
DNF.
There are many good history books on the ending of the Early Middle Ages and the beginning of the High Middle Ages.
This is not one of them.
Excessively purple prose, complete lack of concrete historical analysis, jumbled narrative, persistent unscientific terminology, a creeping eurocentric conservatism, as if the writer wanted to immitate the early christian chroniclers or the 19th century historians who were using medieval history to celebrate the superiority of the European empires.
2 stars because the writer did his research and that is shown in the bibliography.
There are many good history books on the ending of the Early Middle Ages and the beginning of the High Middle Ages.
This is not one of them.
Excessively purple prose, complete lack of concrete historical analysis, jumbled narrative, persistent unscientific terminology, a creeping eurocentric conservatism, as if the writer wanted to immitate the early christian chroniclers or the 19th century historians who were using medieval history to celebrate the superiority of the European empires.
2 stars because the writer did his research and that is shown in the bibliography.
I enjoyed listening to Tom Holland at Adelaide's Writers Week earlier this year. He was charming and engaging and I bought this book on the strength of that. The sub-heading on the cover touts this book as "A blaze of colour lights up the Dark Ages" - unfortunately it didn't do that for me. After 100 pages I wearied of the endless recitation of kings, crowns and kingdoms when I was hoping for something a little more engaging. Perhaps I'm simply shallow, but my life is just too short so I've moved on.