Really? I'm only halfway through the second book, and it's been mouthwatering so far! So many honeyed and spiced braised lambs!
Oh. I find he is not as descriptive as others in general, which is why I like his books more than some Tolkien ones for example. They are both descriptive, but I find Martin to be more relevant to the setting and less wandering so it fits in better. But like you said, it really makes you want to see or touch or eat what he describes. I guess the second half of 2 and 3 so far are pretty bleak by comparison to the early "elegant" times.
Well some of his arguments are weaker than others, but he paints a fairly clear line from the evolution of papal doctrine of infallibility and absolutist autocratic power and how it directly impacted Catholicisms ability to effectively counteract the growing threat of Nazi Germany. Specifically, Pacelli (Pius XII) is shown to be woefully out of his sphere of understanding when it comes to the potential diplomatic impact of many of his decisions (including some of the stuff he had a hand in prior to when he was Pope, some which directly contributed to the tensions leading up to WWI), and completely ice cold when it comes to having any empathy for the plight of the Jewish peoples. He essentially refused to outright condemn the Nazi atrocities throughout the war, which could have certainly had an impact given how much influence the Pope had on his followers during this period.
In any event, the book gets a little unfocused at times, particularly by the end when it leaves Pacelli's papacy and starts following the popes that followed briefly, but it's a very interesting read. And depressing!
Interesting. I will track it down but I remember some years back reading a book that was similar but about the plight of Africans and American Indians during colonial times. It dealt with European political, social and religious leaders and their indifference and single mindedness in similar circumstances.