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From the fall of Rome to the rise of Charlemagne -- the "dark
ages" -- learning, scholarship, and culture disappeared from the European
continent. The great heritage of western civilization -- from the Greek and Roman
classics to Jewish and Christian works -- would have been utterly lost were it
not for the holy men and women of unconquered Ireland. In
this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little-known "hinge"
of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "island of saints and scholars,"
the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian
despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully
preserved the west's written treasury. With the return of stability in Europe,
these Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning. Thus the Irish not
only were conservators of civilization, but became shapers of the medieval mind,
putting their own unique stamp on western culture. Thanks
to Thomas Cahill, this pivotal era is brought back to vibrant life, its personages
portrayed in all their seemingly contemporary humanity, its issues simply and
compellingly spelled out. How the Irish Saved Civilization will change
forever the way we look at our past, and ourselves. Thomas
Cahill studied at New York's Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University,
and Fordham University with some of America's most distinguished literary and
biblical scholars. He founded The Cahill and Company Catalogue, much beloved by
book readers, and is now director of religious publishing at Doubleday. He lives
in New York City with his wife, Susan Cahill. They have two children, both at
college. |
