After the long period of cultural decline known as the Dark Ages, Europe experienced a rebirth of scholarship, art, literature, philosophy, and science and began to develop a vision of Western society that remains at the heart of Western civilization today. By placing the image of the Virgin Mary at the center of their churches and their lives, medieval people exalted womanhood to a level unknown in any previous society. For the first time, men began to treat women with dignity and women took up professions that had always been closed to them. The communion bread, believed to be the body of Jesus, encouraged the formulation of new questions in philosophy: Could reality be so fluid that one substance could be transformed into another? Could ordinary bread become a holy reality? Could mud become gold, as the alchemists believed? These new questions pushed the minds of medieval thinkers toward what would become modern science. Artists began to ask themselves similar questions. How can we depict human anatomy so that it looks real to the viewer? How can we depict motion in a composition that never moves? How can two dimensions appear to be three? Medieval artists (and writers, too) invented the Western tradition of realism. On visits to the great cities of Europe—monumental Rome; the intellectually explosive Paris of Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas; the hotbed of scientific study that was Oxford; and the incomparable Florence of Dante and Giotto—Cahill brilliantly captures the spirit of experimentation, the colorful pageantry, and the passionate pursuit of knowledge that built the foundations for the modern world.
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"Despite the misleading name (mysteries?), this is a cheeky, opinionated, and very entertaining examination of some of the key places and players of the Middle Ages, and the convoluted transformation of Greco-Roman ideas and themes into those of the modern era. As Cahill writes, he wishes to examine the "hinges" of history - a person or event that suddenly changes the turn of history into a different direction. Fascinating stuff. And now I want to read the rest of the series, especially the first volume, How the Irish Saved Civilization. Well, now. Do tell."
— Elderberrywine (5 out of 5 stars)
" A good read, very easy to follow and entertaining. Only thing I didn't like was the postlude where the author went off topic(I thought) and spent a long time censuring the Catholic Church for pedophilic priests. Not entirely sure where he was going with that chapter. "
— Sara, 2/18/2014" Wonderful overview of major characters of the Middle Ages. "
— Pat, 2/7/2014" Cahill is so accessible and fun to read. I loved finally getting to know people whose names have flitted around in my consciousness--Hildegard von Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux :( This book is definitely a keeper--I'll refer to it over and over. "
— Sharman, 2/5/2014" While it's not the most intensive history, I always thoroughly enjoy reading Cahill. You can't help but get pulled in by his storytelling. "
— Nicole, 2/2/2014" I really enjoye this historical overview of the Middle Ages, from 900 to 1400 AD. I have also read How the Irish Save Civilization, the first book in this series, and now realize that I should read the rest of the books in the series. "
— Ron, 1/28/2014" Excellent book about the middle ages with emphasis on women's role. "
— Jane, 1/5/2014" A nice walk through key developments of the Middle Ages, done in the popular vein. "
— Jonathan, 12/28/2013" This book is the reason why my daughter's middle name is Heloise. "
— Jenny, 12/9/2013" rented space in my head................ "
— Juli, 12/7/2013" Fun for those who like the middle ages -- unsystematic, personal take, sometimes very opinionated, but there seems to be solid historical knowledge behind it. "
— Charles, 12/1/2013" Although laden with aspects of Church and European Religious Doctrine and history, is fascinating with the Characters it features, as the heros of The Middle Ages. "
— Ted, 11/16/2013" A good read for the armchair historian. For something a little more meaty I would suggest Morris Bishop's book on the Middle Ages. Still, this was a good easy to read book with some interesting insights and takes on the medieval era. "
— Tom, 10/26/2013" I liked this book less than the others in this series. "
— Mike, 9/12/2013" so far very interesting--I really like other books by this author. He's got a series: Pillars of History or something like that--this is the 5th I think. Go, read, and learn! "
— Claudette, 8/24/2013" This one seemed more colloquial and hodge-podgy than I remember the others being, but the author insists that's the nature of the middle ages and who am I to argue? "
— Stacey, 8/8/2013" "How the Irish Saved Civilization" was a blazing supernovae. This is match struck on your arse. Readable, but not convincing. Indeed, I'm not sure of what I was intended to be convinced. Weak thesis. "
— Craig, 5/22/2013" This is the second book that I've read by Thomas Cahill. I really enjoy his books and am looking forward to reading How the Irish Saved Civilization. "
— Carolyn, 8/8/2012" Not as easy a read as his others. It's a difficult topic to give it cohesiveness. Again I liked his perspective. He's definitely done the background research. Lots of pics of Middle Ages art which made it easier to follow. "
— Elsie, 3/7/2012" I read this right after returning from Italy. It really added to the whole experience. "
— Jamie, 2/3/2012" Easy to read. Very informative. Great "
— Trisha, 12/30/2011" I found this book absurdly easy to get through. It was wide encompassing and taught me things I previously did not know! I'd like to read more of his books. "
— Hayley, 10/3/2011" Once again, the library needed a book back before I was finished, but I look forward to finishing this one in the near future. A great read. Cahill has a talent for making history read like a novel. "
— Christina, 8/16/2011" I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but after reading other people's review, I 'm beginning to think I'm not a very critical reader. My job is to buy books so, perhaps, I judge books on how they'll appeal to our customers rather than as a scholarly critique. "
— Susan, 8/15/2011" Fun for those who like the middle ages -- unsystematic, personal take, sometimes very opinionated, but there seems to be solid historical knowledge behind it. "
— Charles, 5/8/2011" Entertaining to read, but obviously a popular rather than scholarly history book. Cahill has some odd digressions that were jarring, but the book was a generally enjoyable, if not substantial, read. "
— Katie, 5/3/2011" This is the second book that I've read by Thomas Cahill. I really enjoy his books and am looking forward to reading How the Irish Saved Civilization. "
— Carolyn, 3/31/2011" Voy por la página 17, en el capítulo "Alejandría, ciudad de la razón" y no he podido parar... La Historia sobre la Gran Biblioteca, El Faro y la bellísima ciudad, me tiene cautivada. "El alma sólo lleva al otro mundo su educación y su cultura" Platón "
— Dafne, 2/15/2011" Not as easy a read as his others. It's a difficult topic to give it cohesiveness. Again I liked his perspective. He's definitely done the background research. Lots of pics of Middle Ages art which made it easier to follow.<br/> "
— Elsie, 2/11/2011" Cahill is an incredible writer. He makes the past come alive with interest and humor. I'm looking forward to reading his whole series. "
— Kathy, 2/2/2011" I found this book absurdly easy to get through. It was wide encompassing and taught me things I previously did not know! I'd like to read more of his books. "
— Hayley, 12/30/2010" Thomas Cahill is very opionated and a bit esoteric at times but his relatively informal style of history appeals to me and he comes up with enough interesting ideas and intriguing facts to keep me reading. "
— Judy, 12/22/2010" Didn't get past the first few pages. Did not enjoy the writing style at all. "
— Chris, 11/29/2010" Parts of the book make for a very interesting read, and the layout is beautifully done. However, I found Cahill's take on the islamic faith to be unnecessary and unprofessional. "
— Natalie, 9/24/2010" I think the title is misleading. It should be (in my opinion): "Notable Figures of the Middle Ages: People who changed the way the world was viewed and experienced. Plus, numerous excerpts of famous writings, in their original language, that make the book drag on". <br/> "
— Laurie, 8/26/2010Thomas Cahill, was a historian best known for How the Irish Saved Civilization, which he published in 1995 that made him a publishing star. He was also author of the Hinges of History series. His appealing approach to distant history won the attention of millions of readers in North America and beyond.
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.