John Holland Smith

A good, readable biography of this most influential of late Roman Emperors, under whom Christianity came to the fore within the Empire. He himself was a contradiction, demonstrating, at least in his early years, religious toleration when other Caesars and Augusti persecuted Christians and other non-Roman religions such as the Manichees, but also demonstrating a ruthless Stalinesque intolerance of potential rivals during his latter years, being responsible for the death of his second wife Fausta and his eldest son Crispus by his first wife. Some of the discussion of religious disputes is a little arcane, but this is generally very readable and non-academic. One minor point: is it Milvian or Mulvian Bridge? - the book uses the words interchangeably.… (meer)

1340. The Great Schism 1378, by John Holland Smith (14 June 1975) One of the beauties of forgetfulness is that when one forgets he can enjoy discovery over again. I read this book with great interest: it treats in rather popular style the shattering events leading to the Great Schism in 1378, and then tells the story of it and its healing. I am reasonably sure much of this was covered exhaustively by Msgr. Mann or Ludwig Pastor, but my reading of those great volumes has grown dim--so I read this book with great interest (one of a series called Turning Points in History). The Great Schism was a catastrophe, but the survival of the Church attests to me its divine origin. This was an excellent account even though the subject is not inspiring.… (meer)

An interesting study of the life of Joan the Maid (d'Arc is a late 16th century poetic invention) and how she altered the fortunes of King Charles VII at the expense of the Anglo-Burgundians (it's too simple to portray it as simply English v French). There is clearly a distinction to be drawn between the heroic/wicked Joan of French/English legend and the real historical figure. A fascinating, probably almost unique study of a medieval woman from humble origins (indeed that is so unusual a phenomenon that some conspiracy theorists say she was really a daughter of King Charles VI's wife Isabelle's relationship with the king's brother Louis d'Orleans, so was simply helping her half-brother gain the throne). From the point of view of historical knowledge, her trial was fortunate as the evidence given there comprises almost all we know about her. Well worth a read.… (meer)