
A World Lit Only by Fire
The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age
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Narrated by:
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Barrett Whitener
About this listen
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Critic reviews
"An absorbing and readable history." (School Library Journal)
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- By: Carlo Ginzburg, Anne C. Tedeschi - translator, John Tedeschi - translator
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The Cheese and the Worms is an incisive study of popular culture in the 16th century as seen through the eyes of one man, the miller known as Menocchio, who was accused of heresy during the Inquisition and sentenced to death. Carlo Ginzburg uses the trial records to illustrate the religious and social conflicts of the society in which Menocchio lived.
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Great book, robotic narrator
- By Andrea Bellevue on 07-22-21
By: Carlo Ginzburg, and others
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Vanished Kingdoms
- The Rise and Fall of States and Nations
- By: Norman Davies
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 30 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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There is something profoundly romantic about lost civilizations. Davies peers through the cracks in the mainstream accounts of modern-day states to dazzle us with extraordinary stories of barely remembered pasts, and of the traces they left behind. This is Norman Davies at his best: sweeping narrative history packed with unexpected insights. Vanished Kingdoms will appeal to all fans of unconventional and thought-provoking history, from listeners of Niall Ferguson to Jared Diamond.
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needs a good editor.
- By Ryan Anderson on 09-25-21
By: Norman Davies
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The Anglo-Saxons
- A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 - 1066
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Grand cities and luxurious villas were deserted and left to crumble, and civil society collapsed into chaos. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters. The Anglo-Saxons traces the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries. It explains how their earliest rulers fought relentlessly against each other for glory and supremacy, and then were almost destroyed by the onslaught of the vikings.
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"Pretty Good"
- By Stephen on 05-30-21
By: Marc Morris
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A History of Britain: Volume 1
- By: Simon Schama
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 15 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of Britain from the earliest settlements in 3000BC to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. To look back at the past is to understand the present. In this vivid account of over 4,000 years of British history, Simon Schama takes us on an epic journey which encompasses the very beginnings of the nation's identity, when the first settlers landed on Orkney. From the successes and failures of the monarchy to the daily life of a Roman soldier stationed on Hadrian's Wall, Schama gives a vivid, fascinating account of the many different stories and struggles that lie behind the growth of our island nation.
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Some History. Mostly a Monarchy Tabloid Rag
- By Carrie on 03-22-19
By: Simon Schama
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The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
- A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Imagine you could travel back to the 14th century. What would you see? What would you smell? More to the point, where are you going to stay? And what are you going to eat? Ian Mortimer shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived. He sets out to explain what life was like in the most immediate way, through taking you to the Middle Ages. The result is the most astonishing social history book you are ever likely to read: evolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its detail.
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Detailed, Interesting and Entertaining
- By Marc-Andr? on 05-13-10
By: Ian Mortimer
What listeners say about A World Lit Only by Fire
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- James
- 11-19-10
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.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 05-08-17
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.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Eliyahu Parker
- 09-28-21
Great book
one of the better 'included' titles I've listened to. May be the first one I've actually finished.
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- Faycal Ikhouane
- 11-06-23
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.
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- Rabbit
- 08-20-20
Manchester the Great!
This man will always be cherished for his meticulously researched, discerning works of history.
This is one of them. Excellent!
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3 people found this helpful
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- F. Cerillo
- 01-06-23
An excellent portrait of an age.
This is a fascinating book that delves into the history behind the history that we all have learned about. It takes you far beyond what you may have learned in high school or even college. I loved this book and the performance is perfect for the stories being told.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Provident
- 01-19-23
Easily the best book I've read on history.
He doesn't pull back. It's just the unvarnished account. love his work. Really would have liked to have read this in school instead of the politicized "here's how we think you should view history" text books I got.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jessica
- 09-02-14
A Cure For Insomnia
Would you listen to A World Lit Only by Fire again? Why?
I re-listen to it all the time. When I can't sleep, this is a surefire way to drift off. It's fascinating stuff. And the perfect degree of dryness, so that I can fall asleep guiltless.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A World Lit Only by Fire?
To be sure, it has to be the section on Martin Luther, a certifiable nut job of the first order! I sleep like a baby until old Barrett starts reading the writings of this bat case and I pop awake completely riveted. How on earth does anyone take Martin Luther seriously?
Which scene was your favorite?
Without a doubt it's ol' Martin's fascination with bodily processes. How does anyone read this and not go into hysterical convulsions? Really! And all of it read in Barrett's entertaining monotone. It has the quality of a computer reading porn. Insanely, and, I'm sure, unintentionally funny!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Nothing in particular.
Any additional comments?
This is a fascinating book that is unintentionally hilarious to me. I listen to parts of it all the time because it is William Manchester after all. For some reason it just tickles me.
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1 person found this helpful
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- EDWIN ROMANI MARCOS
- 03-12-24
Great book for a simple but a butchery time
book endeavor is outstanding. simple, direct and easy to understand. this book must be read in all high schools and colleges
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- Doug
- 09-28-07
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.
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12 people found this helpful