James Reston Jr. The Last Apocalypse (1998)

   James Reston Jr. The Last Apocalypse (1998) A history of the turn of the last millennium, focussing on a variety of figures, such a Olaf Trygvesson, Harold Bluetooth, Sylvester II, and Otto III. Far too many typos, the kind that occur when a semi-literate is given the task of using a spell-check, as well as multiple errors arising from cut and paste operations. The book is also piecey, an effect of its plan and the lack of strong editing. The content is interesting enough, but the defects of the book make it a chore to read, and interfere with creating the memorable impression Reston apparently strives for. Reston is also much given to the foreshadowing portentous, which in the event usually disappoints, perhaps because he has forgotten just what he promised, and so changes his emphasis. The overall impression is that Europe of the late 900s was a brutal place, and that Christianity was more of a political ideology than a faith. * (2003)