You know, I started this book with such high hopes. The narritive was so interesting, but as I progressed, I found the effectiveness of this book obscured by Manchester's prejudiced view of the Church and the people of the Middle Ages. I would strongly recommend checking this book out of the Library before buying it and checking the basic facts out against more reputable authors before accepting any of this man's book as factual or unslanted in the telling of this period of history.