Synopses & Reviews
and#147;Stimulating, encyclopedic, and often downright funny, this is a book worth remembering.and#8221; and#151;
Stephen Oand#8217;Shea, Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada)and#147;A lively, full-to-bursting history of the turbulent tenth century in Europeand#133;. Collins presents chaotic upheaval across Europe in an organized and riveting fashion.and#8221; and#151;Kirkus (starred review)
The tenth century dawned in violence and disorder. Charlemagneand#8217;s empire was in ruins, most of Spain had been claimed by Moorish invaders, and even the papacy in Rome was embroiled in petty, provincial conflicts. The stability once provided by Imperial Rome had dissolved, leaving a perilous landscape behind. Yet the story of the tenth century is the story of our cultureand#8217;s birth. This was the moment that civilization emerged from the Dark Ages into the light of day.
The Birth of the West tells the story of a transformation from chaos to order, exploring the alien landscape of Europe in transition. It thoroughly renovates older conceptions of feudalism and what medieval life was actually like. The result is a wholly-new vision of how civilization sprang from the unlikeliest of origins, and proof that our tenth-century ancestors are not as remote as we might think.
and#147;The Birth of the West is a re-making of what we think we know about the end of the Dark Ages. It is also the gate to the utterly unexpected cosmos of European forebears.and#133; The characters who people The Birth of the West are as familiar as relativesand#151;as indeed they areand#151;groping their way to a cohesive Western culture. The Birth of the West is thus the tale of our birth, and Collins tells it with a narrative grace and elegance which will make readers cherish it.and#8221; and#151;Thomas Keneally, author of Schindlerand#8217;s Ark
Review
Stephen Oand#8217;Shea, Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada)and#147;The Birth of the West offers a refreshing breather from the ambient buzzkill of our era.and#133; [Collins] is not your usual Western-civ cheerleader, jumping up and down about the glory that was Greece and#133; his is a wider tour dand#8217;horizon, encompassing also Mulsim Spain, Ireland, Briatin, Poland, and Hungary.and#133; Stimulating, encyclopedic, and often downright funny, this is a book worth remembering.and#8221;
Thomas Keneally
and#147;The Birth of the West is a re-making of what we think we know about the end of the and#147;Dark Agesand#8221;. It is also the gate to the utterly unexpected cosmos of European forebears. In some ways, from waterlogged England by way of the folk beliefs of French peasants, to the ambitious consolidation of Germany, corruption and reform in the Papacy, the machinations of Constantinople and the continuing presence of Moorish culture inand#160; Western Europe, the characters who people and#145;The Birth of the Westand#8217; are as familiar as relativesand#151;as indeed they areand#151;groping their way to a cohesive Western culture as yet dominant in the world. The and#145;Birth of the Westand#8217; is thus the tale of our birth, and Collins tells it with a narrative grace and elegance which will make readers cherish it.and#8221;
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
and#147;A lively, full-to-bursting history of the turbulent 10th century in Europeand#133;Collins presents chaotic upheaval across Europe in an organized and riveting fashion.and#8221;
Jay Rubenstein, Professor of History, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and author of Armies of Heaven: The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse
and#147;In The Birth of the West, Paul Collins makes accessible and exciting the world of tenth-century Europe. With a sense for both the grand narrative and for the quirks of particular personalities, Collins makes this central medieval century seem not so dark. Rather, lit by the fiery eyes of three German kings named Otto, who stand at the heart of Collins' story, it is an era of significant cultural achievement and political advanceand#151;though no less bloody for it.and#8221;
Publishers Weekly
and#147;Western Europe claws its way out of the Dark Agesand#151;just barelyand#151;in this hair-raising history.and#133; Writing with a supple prose and an eye for colorful detail and vivid characters, Collins shapes some of historyand#8217;s most appalling behaviorand#151;first prize might go to Pope Steven VI, who exhumed his predecessorand#8217;s rotting corpse and placed it on trial for heresyand#151;into a lively narrative with a comprehensible story line.and#160; Behind the blood-lettings and betrayals of medieval politics, he sketches an illuminating interpretation of a society and worldview shaped by insecurity, superstition, and personal loyalties. The result is a fascinating account of how a desperate struggle for survival bequeathed a civilization.and#8221;
Booklist
and#147;Collins provides a broad panorama of the age, presenting characters great and small, including kings, magnates, popes, and peasants. This is a well-done study suitable for both scholars and general readers.and#8221;
Macleansand#147;He makes a livelyand#133; case that the foundations of 11th-century expansionand#151;by the end of which, Europe was powerful enough that, after fighting off or assimilating invaders on all fronts, it was able to start invading its neighbours in the First Crusadeand#151;were laid in the 10th century.and#8221;
Dallas Morning Newsand#147;Very readableand#133; The 900s are a fascinating time in history, and many lessons might be derived from the eraand#8217;s amazing and usually violent changes in reigns and rulersand#133;Collins follows the lead of other recent historians in seeing this period not just as brutish and stagnant, but also rich in its cultural and spiritual life, and his best chapters focus on everyday people and experiences.and#8221;
Shelf Awarenessand#8221;An engaging account of an often overlooked era.and#8221;
National Catholic Reporterand#147;Australian Collins, historian and former priest, has a masterly touch throughout, for he writes the book on the several levels. He describes Europe, physically. He tells us what we are looking at, the stage set of history, the extensive woodlands, the major massifs and plateaus. All the while he is populating this landscape. This is truly history from the bottom up, layering the terrainand#133;Collinsand#8217; history is telling that though the ages were dark, not all the lights had been turned off. What we are receiving from Collinsand#8217; sure hand is what happened after the fall of Romeand#133;This is an intriguing 395-page read that gradually comes together at the end as Collins pulls on all the threads to tie into a fine knot.and#8221;
Shepherd Expressand#147;Paul Collins as he shines a lantern into the Dark Ages. Whether or not Collins is correct in naming the 10th century asand#160;thesignificant turning point for Western Civilization, he uncovers many fascinating details.and#8221;
Synopsis
"Stimulating, encyclopedic, and often downright funny, this is a book worth remembering." --Stephen O'Shea, Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada)
"A lively, full-to-bursting history of the turbulent tenth century in Europe.... Collins presents chaotic upheaval across Europe in an organized and riveting fashion." --Kirkus (starred review)
The tenth century dawned in violence and disorder. Charlemagne's empire was in ruins, most of Spain had been claimed by Moorish invaders, and even the papacy in Rome was embroiled in petty, provincial conflicts. The stability once provided by Imperial Rome had dissolved, leaving a perilous landscape behind. Yet the story of the tenth century is the story of our culture's birth. This was the moment that civilization emerged from the Dark Ages into the light of day.
The Birth of the West tells the story of a transformation from chaos to order, exploring the alien landscape of Europe in transition. It thoroughly renovates older conceptions of feudalism and what medieval life was actually like. The result is a wholly-new vision of how civilization sprang from the unlikeliest of origins, and proof that our tenth-century ancestors are not as remote as we might think.
"The Birth of the West is a re-making of what we think we know about the end of the Dark Ages. It is also the gate to the utterly unexpected cosmos of European forebears.... The characters who people The Birth of the West are as familiar as relatives--as indeed they are--groping their way to a cohesive Western culture. The Birth of the West is thus the tale of our birth, and Collins tells it with a narrative grace and elegance which will make readers cherish it." --Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler's Ark
Synopsis
The tenth century dawned in violence and disorder. Charlemagnes empire was in ruins, most of Spain had been claimed by Moorish invaders, and even the papacy in Rome was embroiled in petty, provincial conflicts. To many historians, it was a prime example of the ignorance and uncertainty of the Dark Ages. Yet according to historian Paul Collins, the story of the tenth century is the story of our cultures birth, of the emergence of our civilization into the light of day.
The Birth of the West tells the story of a transformation from chaos to order, exploring the alien landscape of Europe in transition. It is a fascinating
narrative that thoroughly renovates older conceptions of feudalism and what medieval life was actually like. The result is a wholly new vision of how civilization sprang from the unlikeliest of origins, and proof that our tenth-century ancestors are not as remote as we might think.
About the Author
Paul Collins graduated from Harvard with a master of theology, received his doctorate in philosophy in history from the Australian National University, and was ordained a Catholic priest. Since March 2001, when he resigned from active priestly ministry after thirty-three years of service due to a doctrinal dispute with the Vatican, he has been a full-time writer and radio and TV presenter. He lives in Australia.