Thomas Cahill

Bringing readers to the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells, a historical examination of Ireland's role in the rise of medieval Europe cites the work of countless monks and scribes in the preservation of the West's written treasury. Reprint. Tour.

The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

How the Irish Saved Civilization

More than anything, the frequent use of the term barbarian set me on edge and left me wholly unimpressed with this book. The idea that ancient Roman culture is absolutely central to the notion of civilization is so absurd I don't even know where to begin. And the implication late in the book that a further spread of Islam in the Middle Ages would have been an unmitigated horror? Yeah I see your ass there, buddy. Newsflash: civilizations have sprung up all over the world completely separate from the particular brand of civilization centered on the Mediterranean Sea. There's something to mourn in losing a large body of literature, regardless of which culture it originated from, but civilization as a whole wasn't going to completely disappear if Europe never remembered anything of its Greek and Roman past. 

I'm still interested in learning more about the history of the Irish people and specifically about the transition from an oral to a written tradition (which is ostensibly the topic of this book), but I didn't really learn much of anything about that from this book, so I'm gonna have to look elsewhere.

Tori Carrillo

A must read if you love art, classic literature, and history! Also a great read right around St. Patrick's Day! If you read the summary on the back, the book is about exactly what is in the summary. If you are expecting a history book full of battles and war imagery, this might not be what you're looking for. I think some people get drawn in by the title and don't understand what Cahill is considering to be "civilization". Cahill does not mean humankind, but by "civilization" he means cities with a literate culture, learned men/women, and history/language/literature that could have been lost without the Irish monks.

While, Cahill can get a little carried away with his historic connections between people and has a tendency to list people and their accomplishments at times (which gets a bit confusing if you aren't as well versed in this time in history), overall I really enjoyed this book and it definitely got me more interested in this time period in history! Cahill has a really great way of breathing life into the historic figures he talks about and also, not only has a sense of humor about the time period, but also gives the people of the time period a sense of humor as well. 

I will probably read it again for better understanding, which is why I only gave it 3 stars instead of 4. But, will definitely keep it on my bookshelf for many years!

How the Irish Saved Civilization The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

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