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How the Irish Saved Civilization (Hinges of History) |  | Author: Thomas Cahill
Publisher: Anchor
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Seller: thrift_books
Rating:  288 reviews
Sales Rank: 3192
Media: Paperback
Edition: Anchor Books ed
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0385418493
Dewey Decimal Number: 941.501
EAN: 9780385418492
ASIN: 0385418493
Publication Date: February 1, 1996
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
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. K. AB.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 288
 starts poorly, doesn't recover June 18, 2010
T. Burket (Potomac, MD United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the first two chapters, I kept wondering, "so where are the Irish?", as the author chatted about the Romans, the barbarians, and some Latin poetry, among other off-topic matters. The Irish finally appeared in the third chapter (after maybe a third of the audio book), with some nuggets of historical interest, such as the arrival of the Celts. Even so, the informal style again concentrated on extended excerpts from Irish tales of marginal interest. By the time St. Patrick joined the book, I'd lost interest and had enough.
The narrator's presentation was sluggish and not especially appealing, which didn't help a book that certainly wasn't what I expected.
 Overdue Book May 29, 2010
Michael E. Bass (Hot Springs, AR)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The eyebrow-raising title pretty well says it all for this book, which presents, in a popular format, the rich heritage and influence of Irish Christianity upon the whole of Western Europe in the early Middle Ages. (Although the citizens of the Eastern Roman Empire would have laughed at the notion that their civilization was in any sense "saved" by the Irish!). The author does a creditable job of casting light on a part of Western history that often gets short shrift in the history books: how the Irish monks of the 6th and 7th centuries "jump-started" literacy and learning during the darkest part of the Dark Ages. A very informative and enjoyable read!
 A fun read May 8, 2010
G. Davison Jr. (Little Rock, AR)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mr. Cahill states that there seems to be missing in the annals of history the "Irish contribution." He says "this is probably because it is easier to describe stasis (classical, then medieval) than movement (classical to medieval)." I take him at his word on this. Describing how this transition took place is the main purpose of the book.
The highlight of the book for me though was the history of St. Patrick. Those chapters alone warrant giving the book a good rating, they're that much fun and that informative! Second to the history of St. Patrick, for those so inclined, there is a good bit of old Irish poetry interlaced in his storytelling. The eight pages of pictures were pretty cool too.
I would probably rate the book at 3 & 1/2 stars if that were possible, taking away a half star for all of the Latin that is used without giving the meaning of the phrases. Just a pet peeve of mine. Cahill also writes about characters as though the reader should be familiar with them, many of which I was not. It's something I'm hesitant to fault him for though, I like being introduced to new people in history.
All-in-all, a very nice contribution to history. It's a mere 218 pages and very easy to read prose (minus the Latin).
entertaining snippets of history April 28, 2010
Kathleen Mccahill (san jose)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book. Well written! interesting and entertaining. Mr. Cahill has a wealth of knowledge and does not mind sharing generously. The book is a history listen and glides quickly through a selection of events that at times are touching. It is a great overview and highly recommend.
 An unaccomplished promise April 9, 2010
Simon Ramirez Guerra (Santiago, Santiago Chile)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Despite the fact that the main thesis of this book is plainly on debate, one expects to read about HOW the Irish saved the civilization. Instead of that, we find a lot of BLA BLA. The book obtaines its title from its last 5%. Even if there is NO PRECISCE EXPLANATION about the content of the book. The question as follows: you cannot decide whether the thesis is false or true, simply because the book is about anything but the title.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 288
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