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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"I love this book! It is my favorite of all Cahill's Hinges of History. I had no idea how interesting or varied the Middle Ages were. I didn't know much about Catholic Saints and I learned some fascinating information about vibrant men and women. It dovetailed nicely with other studying I was doing at the time and much of the information has made it into my lectures."
— Mary (5 out of 5 stars)
" This book is the reason why my daughter's middle name is Heloise. "
— Jenny, 2/20/2014" 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, 2/6/2014" Cahill has been on a steady decline since the Irish saved civilsation. He's really reaching in some of his thinking in this one. "
— David, 1/24/2014" A physically beautiful book- with lovely illuminations on some of the pages and good pictures interspersed with the text. Interesting on Hildegarde and a slightly different take on Eleanore of Aquitaine. Also I liked the part on Francis of Assisi- I knew little of his actual life previously. Quite humorous in places too. A good read. "
— Joan, 1/21/2014" Still reading this, but I love Thomas Cahill, and expect to love this book. The artwork inside is AWESOME! **Update-I finally finished it! This is another good Thomas Cahill Hinges of History book. Starts slow, but good nonetheless. "
— Rori, 1/19/2014" 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, 1/18/2014" 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, 1/15/2014" This book was attractive, but that was the most interesting thing about it. I found the writing sluggish. "
— Erin, 1/15/2014" This man is absolutely brilliant; if only I could retain a tenth of what he has stored in that mind of his. "
— Dora, 12/30/2013" the author puts forth some very interesting theories, and then he backs them up with facts. I really liked this book "
— Leslie, 12/25/2013" I think the book was more of the rise of art from the cults of Catholic Europe than science and feminism. Good historical data to explore. "
— Michael, 12/12/2013" 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, 11/23/2013" I confess, I was not interested enough in this book to finish it. It wasn't like his other books, which were well researched and interesting to read. It was more like a review of well-known bits of medieval history. "
— Rebecca, 11/15/2013" 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, 9/30/2013" Very enjoyable book. Easy for anyone with a slight curiosity of the middle ages to get into. But it's not brain candy. It's definitely a meat & potatoes kind of book. Yes, he can get verbose & loves big words, but I enjoyed the challenge & would rather that then be talked down to. "
— Gina, 8/16/2013" Thomas Cahill's "Hinges of History" series is incomparable. Read them all. "
— Colin, 3/18/2013" Interesting subject matter. Fascinating historical tidbits. Could have done without the preachy references to current events, though. Cahill should trust his readers to make those (obvious) connections on their own. "
— Lindsay, 2/3/2013" This is a beautiful book materially with many useful photos and reproductions of art and Cahill brings to life a time period that many might find dull. However, Cahill's frequent flippant and dismissive comments especially in the conclusion mar an otherwise interesting read. "
— Mark, 11/14/2012" I LOVE READING THIS BOOK "
— Cindy, 10/13/2012" Wonderful overview of major characters of the Middle Ages. "
— Pat, 10/3/2012" 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, 8/4/2012" I listened to the abridged version, so that took some of the interest away, but an interesting book all in all. "
— Cade, 5/25/2012" 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, 2/28/2012" 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.