Try free for 30 days
-
A World Lit Only by Fire
- The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
A World Lit Only by Fire
Buy Now for $27.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
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)
What listeners say about A World Lit Only by Fire
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cathy thompson
- 13-07-2023
I didn't like the narrator.
I found the narrator's voice dismissive and supercilious- I didn't enjoy that.
I enjoyed the story although it wasn't what I expected. There was no mention of the development of different lighting - apart from fires - which I expected from the title. It was more like a history of the Dark Ages and the Renaissance - which is fine but it seemed to me that the emphasis was often uneven - the detail on Luther and Magellan seemed to make the whole narrative uneven.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah Green
- 03-12-2022
Epic storytelling
A fascinating synthesis of major and minor historical events, skilfully woven together with top-notch story craft.
The narrator handled the quotes skillfully and was easy to listen to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Amy V
- 06-04-2016
Absolutely loved this book!
Highly recommended for medieval history lovers. Good narrator and thoroughly researched down to fine details.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rachel
- 12-06-2018
Engaging narrator, excellent prose but slightly dodgy on historical fact.
Absolutely a fun listen if you are after an interesting overview of history. The prose is deliciously written. Where it went off the rails for me is where the author consciously decides to take printed gossip regarding an historic figure as fact, on the basis that it was recorded. In the case of,say, the Borgia family, much of what has come down to us are the crazy rumours. The more scandalous a rumour the likelier someone would have recorded it. I think as an introduction to broad ideas it's fun, but take it with a grain of salt and listen to a few other books on the subject.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Stacey
- 20-02-2022
Christianity-bashing bias
Couldn't get very far into this text before the Christianity-bashing became too noisome. Judging the past by the standards of today doesn't make for very good historiography.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!