Nick Page (1) (1961–)

This was a very funny book about a very serious subject. Page goes from the beginnings of the Christian church all the way to present. He pulls no punches about all the things that the church did but with his sense of humor helps to deal with the horrors that happened. The research is solid with good notes if you want to do more yourself. The footnotes are the best and how Page tracks the organ from creation to modern day was hilarious. He gives famous people little boxes where he talks show more briefly about them but again his humor is all over the descriptions. The chapters are long but he does give good break in them so that it is manageable. I would like to read more by Page.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. show less

Nick Page takes the traditions of Christmas and shows us when they began, why they began, where they began, and what is myth.

I had so much fun reading this. I laughed out loud throughout the book. He is snarky. He is tongue-in-cheek. And he has it documented in the back of the book! I loved the way he parodied A CHRISTMAS CAROL and its ghosts as he takes Scrooge and the Ghost-of-Christmas-that-never-was through the myths and truths of Christmas. The carols he talks of are a hoot as is show more everything we think of tradition is from the Nativity to Christmas trees to mistletoe, etc.

This is one book everyone should have on their shelves to read as it is a blast for required Christmas reading! show less

A Nearly Infallible History of the Reformation – Horrible Histories for Adults

Usually when you read books about church history they are serious and heavy tomes, giving all due respect and deference, the church sometimes does not need or require. But Nick Page has written a funny account that will at times will make you laugh out loud a sense of humour is definitely required if you are going to read it, and not be easily offended. This is definitely a Horrible Histories style of book for show more adults, and they may just retain some of the facts, or the funnier stories.

The book is packed with facts, even some ‘biblical’ facts, it is not a perfect history and as the title tells you it is not aiming to be, it is irony at its best. At times things may seem to be rather unbalanced but the facts are true, even if some have been pushed to the limit of their meanings. But it is easy to see why Nick Page is a popular public speaker, as he draws his audience in, and without boring people to death, guides you through 2000 years of history, and make it a pleasure at the same time.

For those of us who are historians I suppose we are supposed to look down our collective noses at this ‘history’ but I am of the generation that believes history is open to everyone, and people like to learn in different ways. Page leads the reader via saints, sinners and kings to the various council and creeds that have become the back bone of Christianity, it is also an important reminder that what has ever happened in the Church’s history, it has influenced much of the modern world over the last 2000 years.

This really is a fun book, a horrible histories for adults. show less

An interesting and compelling argument for the authenticity of the Gospels, and a helpful companion for those interested in the political and historical context of the time.

The longest week is a history book, but it is as readable as a novel and flows like one too. Nick Page attempts to approach the issues and arguments raised by the Gospels from a historical rather than a theological perspective, but he does not shy away from putting forth his opinions. I've found this to be annoying in show more some of his other writings, but it's not so bad here. At the end of the day, they are just his opinions and shouldn't be taken as anything other than that. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid book. It's well-researched and everything is referenced accordingly, making use of historical and theological sources outside of the Bible, both religious and secular accounts.

Whether you're a Christian looking for further insight, a passerby generally interested in the history surrounding the Gospels or an opposing party looking for something to argue about, this is well worth a read. show less