Rain of Iron and Ice by John S. Lewis #1

Rain of Iron and Ice by John S. Lewis is a book about the history of asteroid and comet impacts on Earth and the dangers they present.  The book opens with a recreation of "events in Constantinople, A.D. 472" (1).  It describes what people would have seen and their likely reactions to a fiery explosion, thinking that the world would end.  The book continues by describing the early history of recording asteroid impacts.  This was especially difficult in Europe because the people most likely to observe asteroid impacts were 'lowly uneducated peasants' and they're claims weren't taken seriously by 'educated' people from the Church or a university.  Therefore most data about asteroid impacts during the Middle Ages and earlier come from the eastern societies like China or the Middle East.  It wasn't until after the plague that a schism appeared in Europe between Science and the Church which allowed ideas based on observation instead of theology to prosper.

All the info about why there isn't much data about asteroid impacts is interesting, but because I chose this book hoping it had relevant info for my Marketplace of Ideas project, it is at this point proving somewhat disappointing.  However I am certain (based on the cover) that after Lewis covers the basic history he will progress into the effects of asteroid impacts etc.