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| How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe | 
 enlarge | Author: Thomas Cahill
Creator: Donal Donnelly
Publisher: Random House Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy Used: $17.01
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Avg. Customer Rating:  260 reviews
Sales Rank: 341988
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 7
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 4.5 x 1.8
ISBN: 073930965X
Dewey Decimal Number: 941.501
EAN: 9780739309650
ASIN: 073930965X
Publication Date: October 28, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
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. When stability returned in Europe, these Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning, becoming not only the conservators of civilization, but also the shapers of the medieval mind, putting their unique stamp on Western culture.
Product Description
The perfect St. Patrick's Day gift, and a book in the best tradition of popular history -- the untold story of Ireland's role in maintaining Western culture while the Dark Ages settled on Europe. Every year millions of Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but they may not be aware of how great an influence St. Patrick was on the subsequent history of civilization. Not only did he bring Christianity to Ireland, he instilled a sense of literacy and learning that would create the conditions that allowed Ireland to become "the isle of saints and scholars" -- and thus preserve Western culture while Europe was being overrun by barbarians. In this entertaining and compelling narrative, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Europe evolved from the classical age of Rome to the medieval era. Without Ireland, the transition could not have taken place. Not only did Irish monks and scribes maintain the very record of Western civilization -- copying manuscripts of Greek and Latin writers, both pagan and Christian, while libraries and learning on the continent were forever lost -- they brought their uniquely Irish world-view to the task. As Cahill delightfully illustrates, so much of the liveliness we associate with medieval culture has its roots in Ireland. When the seeds of culture were replanted on the European continent, it was from Ireland that they were germinated. In the tradition of Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror, How The Irish Saved Civilization reconstructs an era that few know about but which is central to understanding our past and our cultural heritage. But it conveys its knowledge with a winking wit that aptly captures the sensibility of the unsung Irish who relaunched civilization.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 255 more reviews...
 How the Irish Saved Civilization December 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book came highly recommended by a couple of people. I'm not sure why. It was interesting if you're a history buff, but expect the reading to feel more like you're in school again and have to read something for a paper coming up. It could have been more engaging. I wouldn't recommend it, but I did learn some interesting facts about the Irish.
 I had avoided this book for 13 years September 16, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book came out in 1995. And I've avoided it since then.
I was wrong.
I'd been told the book is superficial. It is: any book of this length that tries to cover a subject of the length and breadth here is sure to be superficial.
And perhaps superficial is too harsh. "A good overview" might be a better way of describing it.
But this is an engaging, entertaining read. I found myself drawn into a subject I knew little about, the history, people, culture and faith of Ireland and the Celts. For those wanting more background, Cahill provides a useful bibliography at the end. Those wishing for more than this overview can find years of study in the books recommended in the bibliography.
An overview gets us started. It's not where we should stop, but it provides a means of seeing the big picture, and understanding how to fit in the necessary minutiae of history. This book is that good beginning for understand how the Irish were the bookmeisters at the end of the Roman empire.
Always on time September 10, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I purchased this book for my husband for his birthday. It arrived right on time and he loved it.
Nay-sayers knowe not what of which they speake August 19, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I listened to this audiobook on a four day road trip, and I had a wonderful experience with the substance of author Cahill's tales which in my mind substantiate the title's claims... that the Irish did indeed save civilization. Such as civilization is. You probably won't find a college course on this topic, however Cahill's conclusion based on the intertwined threads of history makes sense. I was so impressed by Thomas Cahill that I am listening to a second of his audiobooks, which I find just about as interesting. Being an Irish-phile, I favor this book. And I will listen to it again for my listening pleasure. A good read or listen.
Irish Literary and Religious History August 15, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I found the content of this book nowhere near as profound as the title. At times the writing was dry and listless, but I found the history of St. Patrick interesting. All in all, an OK book.
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