The Verge

“The Sack of Rome was the logical endpoint of an overstretched emperor's attempts to have it all”
~
Patrick Wyman did a great job turning 40 years of history into a captivating narrative. Stepping out of my comfort zone I found this book to be not a dry retelling of history, but enthralling short stories of people who lived during this time and their impact on shaping the world we now know. For those interested in the earlier years of European history, the figures who influenced society, and the impactful role of money, or those just looking to step out of their comfort zones and give history another go, this book may be for you.

This book was incredibly disappointing. It's a lot of Wyman stating “things were like this in Europe and this made Europe special.” And what were things like elsewhere? As Wyman points out in the introduction, China and India, for example, were more advanced than Europe before the Divergence; so why didn't they develop these institutions? Wyman's exclusive focus on Europe makes his argument very unconvincing. Decently interesting points about European history, but if I could go back in time to advise myself not to read this book, I would.