The story of Christianity is one of colossal undertakings and spectacular successes as well as ferocious intolerance, greed and bloodshed. Bamber Gascoigne traces a clear path through a complicated history, exploring the motives, the passions, the fears and the achievements of the Christians. His approach is objective and he writes in a conversational style, focusing on moments of significant detail and a vast and varied cast of characters.

The Christians - the basis of Granada Television's internationally acclaimed series, and illustrated with over 200 photographs - cuts a clear path through the complicated history of the followers of Christ and their religion by concentrating on moments of significance and on the lives of some of the individuals who helped develop Christianity. It is a story of colossal undertakings and spectacular success as well as ferocious intolerance, greed and bloodshed - of politics and power - side by side with the most intimate personal experience of God.

By far the worst attempt at a history of Christianity I have ever read. This book is more a semi-detailed list of the iniquities of various individual Christians over the last 2000 years than any kind of real historical research. Even many of the apparent iniquities of Christian individuals which the book lists are exaggerated and based on just plain bad history, much of it outdated and no longer in currency amongst decent scholars. Then there's the closing chapter of the book, written even as Eastern European Christians suffered and died at the hands of the atheist communists, in which the author thinks it decent to dare to compare Christianity with communism, even suggesting that the two are entirely compatible and naturally complimentary partners. I would recommend this book for the top of the trash heap. I was very disappointed. ( )

A very good basic introduction to the history of Christianity that covers the major events, trends and personalities in a way that serves as a good bridge to further more detailed reading. This was originally written to accompany a 13 part TV series in 1977 (though it has been updated a little since) and the chapters are therefore all of nearly identical length and readability. The author is balanced in his assessments and has no axe to grind. An excellent book. ( )

following the christian faith from it's beginings to it's attack under communism in russia, where it survived very nicely thank you. A book tie in to the Tv programme on BBC2 way back then ( )