"[1] "The Medieval Mind" extensively covers notable occurrences centered in approximately the year 500, including a description of the fall of the Roman Empire.

Continuing with his focus in regard to spirituality, Manchester writes on the rise of humanism in the early Renaissance days and its celebration of secularism over piety.

Ron Grossman of the Chicago Tribune, for instance, wrote that "by taking readers along on Magellan's voyage, Manchester provides them with easy access to a fascinating age when our modern mentality was just being born.

"[2] Some professional historians, however, have dismissed or ignored the book because of accusations regarding numerous factual errors and its dependence on interpretations that largely fell out of favor by the 1930s.

"[3] In particular, Adams pointed out that Manchester's claims about diet, clothing, and medieval people's views of time and their sense of self all ran counter to the conclusions of 20th-century historians of the Middle Ages.

Manchester’s views on the transition from medieval to modern civilization, though they were popular in the 19th and early 20th century (and still are current in some segments of contemporary culture), have long been rejected by professional scholars in the relevant fields.