Warren H. Carroll died yesterday at age 79. Founder of Christendom College, he earned a BA from Bates College and an MA and Phd in history from Columbia. He converted to the Faith in 1968 and thereafter fought a tireless battle in defense of the Faith. The author of a number of popular histories regarding events in Church history, his most significant scholarly work was his five volume History of Christendom. I highly recommend the first four volumes. (The fifth volume was written after he had a debilitating stroke and basically is largely a rehash of earlier writings on the events surrounding the French Revolution and is not up to the high standard of the first four volumes.) He never pretended to objectivity: his histories were always written from a strongly Catholic point of view. However, his scholarship was usually of a high order and he demonstrated a complete command of the historical literature involved in the subjects he wrote about. His notes and annotated bibliography in the History of Christendom are a joy to read for any lover of history. I will miss him. May he now be enjoying the Beatific Vision.
His books on Christendom are the best I’ve read on the subject by far.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord…
Vol I-IV of Dr. Carroll’s History of Christendom are to this day some of my favorite books. I agree with your assessment of Vol V.
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