Lest Darkness Fall

This book started off great.Archaeologist/historian Martin Padway slips back through time while in Italy,and finds himself in the turmoil of 6th century Italy at the end of the Roman Empire,where a host of factions - Franks,Goths,Vandals,Greeks etc are fighting for power.Martin sets up some businesses - setting up brandy distilleries,inventing the telegraph and printing presses etc,and this part of the book was great fun,lots of humour. But when Martin decides that he must try to change history enough to prevent the Dark Ages from swallowing up scientific developments in a darkness of ignorance and intolerance, the tone becomes darker as Martin increasingly gets entangled with politics and eventually war.I got a bit overwhelmed with the countless warring factions,and we are left hanging as to whether his inventions will survive if he dies in such turbulent times,though he feels sure the printing press will change the world enough to hold back the darkness.

This was a quick fun read for the most part.The novel was published in 1941,and I wonder if it was partly written as war propaganda,since it shows a good old practical no nonsense American guy going in to prevent the fall of civilisation,where all these European bloodthirsty factions cant keep the peace? Just a thought!