Neil MacGregor

A wonderful, comprehensive, accessible book. 'Germany' is a relatively modern nation. Parts of the whole have found themselves in the Holy Roman Empire, the Hapsburg Empire, Saxony, Prussia...and so on. So its history is particularly rich and diverse. MacGregor examines these roots, looking at politics, monarchies, religious movements, language, writing, industry, the arts; as well as the battering, bruising history of the twentieth century. It's an illuminating, thought provoking read: a book to keep and return to.… (altro)

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/living-with-the-gods-by-neil-macgregor/

A lovely book, based on a BBC Radio series of the same name, lavishly illustrated (as the radio cannot be) with photographs of art and architecture, and enriched by quotes from commentators who know what they are talking about. Some people like to simply dismiss religion as at best a distraction and at worst a force for conflict and division; MacGregor doesn’t shy away from that side of things, but he goes deep into what religious people are actually doing – symbolism, practice, history, politics. He draws some very interesting parallels between religions separated by continents and centuries.

I found it a very healthy perspective on what is and isn’t unique to each of the main strands of world belief. It’s also a surprisingly light read, despite its length and weight, perhaps because of its origin as radio scripts. Recommended.… (altro)