Lest Darkness Fall

L Sprague de Camp

1941

Dr Martin Padway is an archaeologist on his first trip to the Eternal City where the only danger appears to be the appalling driving of the average Roman.

But a bolt out of the blue strikes him and as he recovers he has to wonder where he is. Or as his senses recover from the blow, when he is!

It's clear that he's still in Rome - the Collesium is still there as are the ancient buildings of antiquity. Only they do not look as antique as they should. And, though the streets are still crowded with traffic it's all horse drawn!

Gradually, Padway realised that he's not in his familiar world of the nineteen thirties, but in a time quite a great deal earlier! Fortunately this is Rome! No longer the capital of an empire, true but still a place where the Native Italians mix with their Gothic overlords and most roads still lead there, so Padway is able to gather together his limited Latin and persuade the natives that he is a traveller from the far continent of America.

But he has to find a way to earn some money before he is forced to sleep on the streets. But he's a man from the future with almost fifteen hundred years of development. Surely it won't be too hard to turn that knowledge into a source of wealth?

---

This was written in the late thirties and it will be important to keep this in mind when reading the book. His attitude towards women and the various tribes making up the society could be considered to be rather non-PC by today's standards - but it is important to note that Padway does not get the girl!

It is also important to note that historical knowledge has improved vastly in the intervening decades and the dark ages were not as dark as first thought.

What can you say, though? This is a romping classical AH book and if you are even slightly interested in the field I would strongly advise you buy the book.

---