Millennium by Tom Holland

I just finished Tom Holland's fabulous dense book Millennium, not surprisingly a historical rundown of the European situation in the years surrounding 1000 a.d.. The book, was super interesting even though it took be about two months to read because of it's density. Basically, while I'm a huge fan of Medieval art, I had no idea so much was happening in the world around the first millennium. I thought things picked up around the 1200s or so. True, I did know the central premise, that in the years leading up to 1000 a huge amount of people were certain Jesus's return was eminent. And when that didn't happen, they had to adjust plans and Western culture began accelerating. What I didn't know was all the details and progress that was occurring in the period. Also, I started the book a few days after I was told that Jesus is coming back soon NOW, so it was a fitting parallel that in the last millennium people thought the exact same thing and had lots of interpretations of scripture to back up their claim.

While, I'm not sure about Jesus's return in this millennium, well I do know what I think (see Marcus Borg), I can definitely see why people in the year 1000 ad thought he might be coming back. There world was pretty awful in the run up to 1000. However, as Holland narrates, things started getting better, modern Europe began developing. Most interesting for me was the relationship between Pope Gregory VII and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, which exemplified the church's struggle to maintain power over the state. Since, prior to this period the Holy Roman Emperor was able to elect bishops and dispose popes.

Also interesting were the lengthy chapters on the Normans. I never realised how crazy they were, like in a blood thirsty and ruthless way. AKA I never realised that they were another name for the vikings, like Normandy was a viking colony. Fittingly, I read part of these chapters while flying to Iceland. Also, the Norman invasion is covered extensively, another area of history that I knew the gist of but never the solid facts. Now I know allll about pre-Norman English history and the Battle of Hastings. Fun times!

Anyways, I don't want to spoil the book for all of you who are going to run out and buy it, but it was a good read that showed me how much was happening in the year 1000.

My next read: 1599: A Year in the Life of Shakespeare by James Shapiro.