A World Lit Only by Fire

The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age

By: William Manchester

Narrated by: Barrett Whitener

Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

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 Renaissance. The latter was a dense explosion of energy that spawned some of history's greatest poets, philosophers, and painters, as well as some of its most spectacular villains.

Knight time: explore our list of titles about the Middle Ages.

©1979, 1980 William Manchester (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"An absorbing and readable history." (School Library Journal)
"Manchester provides easy access to a fascinating age when our modern mentality was just being born." (Chicago Tribune)
"Manchester has not forgotten the skills that, with invective, eloquence, and anecdote, make him a master storyteller."(Kirkus Reviews)

Weak for Mancheste

But what makes me give this interesting book only three stars is the reader. He might be OK at popular novels, but he has no refinement (lie-berry for library, etc.), mangles French words and names... What a poor choice! He's American, too, which is not appropriate.

My Favorite After 20 Years

A World Lit Only By Fire was the first audio book I listened to way back in the ninties, and it is still my favorite. I think I've read many of the best books, "Two Years Before The Mast", "Brothers Karamozov", the Sharp novels. This book is different. It makes one ask, how hungry could I get? Do I have any bravery? Have I ever really sinned? If I had the power to force people to do one thing, I would make them read the Magellan section of this book. They would be amazed at the power of human character.

Engaging narrative of an unknown world

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, there's much we can learn about contemporary times by studying history.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A World Lit Only by Fire?

The gross abuses of the Church.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too much for one setting. Vast scope and lengthy. Can't wait to return to another chapter each day. I listen as I walk or exercise.

Any additional comments?

I'm in the midst of listening right now. Manchester writes popular history, not scholarly. He makes some broad generalizations. And, he covers a vast amount of territory, time, and personalities to weave together a narrative that keeps my interest, touches on items of significance to Europe and the Ottoman Empire, and is not afraid to point out the gross sins of The Church (as the Catholic Church then was called). Manchester's writing is stirring my interest in going deeper. This time period fascinates me.

Great book

one of the better 'included' titles I've listened to. May be the first one I've actually finished.

Title isn't accurate

The book focuses on the 15th and 16th centuries, the period spanning between the 5th and 14th centuries briefly mentionned in chapter 1. This isn't a schoraly book, it doesn't have a clear structure, and it is not clear what the aim of the book is. A large part of the text is dedicate to Magellan's voyage leaving out many other important events. This author provides freely his opinion about events and people instead of trying to provide an objective account. This said, the book is not boring in the sense that it provides a glimpse into the daily life of some characters that lived during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.

You will want more...

Manchester does an excellent job of whetting one's appetite for more on the late middle ages and the early renaissance with this interesting tour through several centuries that were both more violent, more immoral, more exciting in the sum than one might think. Heroes, real heroes, abound, along with villains that make today's villains look untutored. The rotten Catholic church birthed the reformation and forced honest thinkers into heroism and martyrdom....the lives of most people were nasty, brutish, and short, but still out of that mass of misery came fabulous individuals who changed the world so that today our lives are only nasty and brutish, but not nearly as bad as those of the past.

Manchester gives you the highlights of art, the church, exploration, political chicanery, and science, and you will finish this book intending to learn more about the age that birthed our own.

My only regret is that the book is not four times as long with this masterful storyteller entertaining me more.

Outstanding...a must read

Tightly written book. Plugs all those holes in the development of Western Europe from a backwater following the collapse of the Roman Empire to the debauchery of the medieval papacy, to the Reformation, Renaissance and Revival.

I'd highly recommend this work to anyone trying to grapple with the period ending antiquity and starting modernity.

Not inspiring

The book's structure was disjointed at best, and the history generic. Magellan was the most interesting part.

A great introduction to the subject

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Manchester's books are all wonderful. While not comprehensive it tells fascinating almost unreal stories giving good insight into the age and the mindset of a people leading up to the Renaissance.

Grim Times

I learned a lot. These were grim times, and we think things have gotten worse! No way!
I got tired of all the Catholic Popes escapades.