Lepers and Lunacy: An American in Vietnam

Rating:
Summary: Good History
Review: The book itself says that it is a concise history of the Holy Roman Empire. It is not suppose to be thorough, but having said that, I do not know of another history of the Holy Roman Empire which covers as much detail as this one. Since it covers over 500 years of history, it is odd that someone criticizes it for being superficial. The book itself is still over 400 pages. Until a better history comes out, this is the one I recommend.

Rating:
Summary: A Really Awful Book
Review: This is not serious history. It is a naive attempt by a Christian to describe a complex series of events in language appropriate to 14 year olds. Here is the kind of writing and analysis to expect: "While Charlemagne has been criticized for this it must be remembered that paganism and Christianity simply could not coexist together. History had proven this. The pagan gods were vengeful gods who could never accept the idea of monotheism." I was looking for a serious history of the early Holy Roman Empire; this sure isn't it.