Subtitle of the book reads "The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom", that should give some idea about the book. Focus of the book is roughly the 100 year span of European history around the first Millennium (10th & 11th century). During that time, a lot of political and religious movements happened the way they happened, as people were waiting for the anti-Christ and then Christ to come once the thousandth year after the Savior was over. While no one exactly knew whether those thousand years were to be counted from the moment of His birth or Passion, or if those years were to be taken literally as 1000 years or even if those years were already gone by. And so even when the years kept going by, the people continued with their games out of fear, despair and hopes of the Millennium and the arrival of the Christ.
The tussle between the Papacy and rulers, Holland explains, first made Church getting too strong (with much fun and at length, he describes how even a emperor was forced to wait on a Pope for three days, standing outside the Pope's castle in snowy winter). And then, this same struggle made rulers to assert themselves more sternly, which made the state more independent and separate from the Church. He says that this would have paved way for secular democratic states ruled by modern ideas (allowing gay marriages etc.), however, the evolution of this modern state is not the focus of the book. So I find it funny that this is exactly what The Independent wants to highlight the most, perhaps because its so catchy- 'A pact between an obscure Pope and a Dark Ages emperor led to gay weddings and Voltaire' :)
Holland also describes at a very high level also the major events since the death of Constantine that led to the momentous years around the Millennium. The evolution of Lord-serf relation, Knights, Castles, Peace of God and so many other things that I used to read about became even more clear. I think best part was the chapter on events that finally resulted in Norman conquest of England. True to his style, Holland named that chapter '1066 and all that'.
Another masterpiece of Tom Holland that matched my expectations after Rubicon and Persian Fire. Just today finished the book. Unlike other books, and like any of Tom Holland's, this one was required you to really focus due to its over-complicated sentence structure; but was still so much enjoyable, interesting and hence a fast read.
