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.