The Real History of the End of the World explores beliefs and
prophecies relating to the end of the world. Sharan Newman ranges from
ancient Mesopotamia to the Y2K panic and the recent fascination with
apocalyptic 2012 scenarios. Newman showcases the diversity of historical
belief about the end of the world, as well as dispelling some common
misconceptions about those beliefs.
The book is therefore a whistle-stop tour of the history of
eschatology. In just under 300 pages, over 40 sets of beliefs about the
End are covered, proceeding in roughly chronological order. For
example, chapters 19–24 cover the Hussites and Taborites, Savonarola,
Nostradamus, Sabbatai Sevi, the Old Believers, and the Fifth
Monarchists, each in no more than seven or eight pages. Although most of
Newman’s examples focus on Western Europe, America and the Near East,
there are examples from elsewhere, including Chinese utopian-apocalyptic
groups, the Mayan calendar, the Hopi Fifth World, and Melanesian cargo
cults. Newman also covers modern scientific predictions of global
catastrophes, as well as the occasional case of ancient cultures without
clearly defined beliefs about the End of the World.
Newman’s style is engaging, conversational, and easy to read,
making her overview a pleasure. From time to time, she pokes gentle fun
at those who believe the End is coming. It’s hard not to read her
penultimate chapter, which is simply a table of predicted dates for the
End, as a tongue-in-cheek demonstration of the folly of making hard and
fast predictions. Their vast range is a powerful testament to the human
desire for certainty about what is to come, even if it’s terrible. It’s
certainly true that believers in the End can often do things that seem
absurd to non-believers. Their actions are well outside the normal range
of human behaviour. But does this mean they’re simply credulous? Or are
there deeper social and psychological reasons for these actions? Newman
doesn’t really engage with this question.
While The Real History of the End of the World is an
enjoyable survey of the world of eschatology, there won’t be much here
for those who take the subject seriously. Because of the broad scope of
the book, each of its chapters is only an introduction, although Newman
provides references for readers who want to investigate further. It’s
therefore ideally suited for the fortean or history enthusiast who’s new
to the whole End-Times subject. It would also make a great gift for
that friend or relative who won’t stop banging on about Nostradamus or
2012.
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