Synopses & Reviews
This beautifully illustrated new color edition of the classic New York Times bestseller brings readers more intimately into the medieval world than ever before.and#160;From tales of chivalry and valor to the barbarity of the Inquisition and the devastation of the plague, no era has been a greater source of fascination and horror than the Middle Ages. With extraordinarily crafted prose, acclaimed historian William Manchester takes us on a vividly painted journey into the medieval mind. We travel from the depths of the Dark Ages to the heights of the rebirth that spawned some of history's greatest artists and thinkersand#8212;and that eventually ushered the West into the brilliance of the Renaissance. For Manchester, the man who best epitomized this new quest for knowledge in a changing world was Ferdinand Magellan, the great circumnavigator, whose inspiring story Manchester dramatically recounts, along with the stories of countless medieval men and women from every walk of life who influenced and changed the course of history.
Synopsis
A "lively and engaging" history of the Middle Ages (Dallas Morning News) from the acclaimed historian William Manchester, author of The Last Lion.
From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose, and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth: the dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, painters, adventurers, and reformers, as well as some of its most spectacular villains.
"Manchester provides easy access to a fascinating age when our modern mentality was just being born." --Chicago Tribune
Synopsis
Updated with a new foreword by Tom Hanks: acclaimed historian William Manchester A World Lit Only by Fire is a "captivating and marvelously vivid" popular history of the Middle Ages (Publishers Weekly). From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of the Inquisition and the misery of the Black Death, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In graceful prose, and with the authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth during the Renaissance, a dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, painters, adventurers, and reformers, as well as some of its most spectacular villains. The result is an unforgettable journey into the medieval mind, as Manchester ingeniously re-creates the lives of ordinary people and offers vivid portraits of the era's most astonishing figures, such as Galileo, Machiavelli, Anne Boleyn, and Ferdinand Magellan.
"Manchester provides easy access to a fascinating age when our modern mentality was just being born." --Chicago Tribune
Synopsis
With more than 200,000 copies sold in hardcover and paperback, William Manchester's A World Lit Only by Fire is the preeminent popular history of civilization's rebirth after the Dark Ages. Though the paperback edition remains available, this durable hardcover is an indispensable volume for any Manchester fan or history buff with a serious home library.
Synopsis
From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose, and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth-the dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, painters, adventurers, and reformers, as well as some of its most spectacular villains- the Renaissance.
Synopsis
Now beautifully illustrated and in color, this new edition of the classic New York Times bestseller brings readers more intimately into the medieval world than ever before. With extraordinarily crafted prose, acclaimed historian William Manchester takes us from the depths of the Dark Ages to the heights of the rebirth that spawned some of history's greatest artists and thinkers, recounting the dramatic events and people who changed history.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [297]-306) and index.
About the Author
William Raymond Manchester (1922-2004) was a bestselling author, biographer, and historian, whose 18 books have been translated into over 20 languages. One of his most important books, about John F. Kennedy, Death of a President (BBS Publishing Corporation), won the Dag Hammarskjold International Literary Prize. Manchester also wrote major biographies on H. L. Mencken, Douglas MacArthur, and a trilogy on Winston Churchill. The last book in the Last Lion trilogy (Little, Brown) was published posthumously in November 2012. Manchester won a Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Humanities Medal, among other awards, and was adjunct professor Emeritus and writer-in-residence at Wesleyan University.