How the Irish Saved Civilization
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نقد و بررسی
Starred review from February 13, 1995
With the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, Ireland, according to the author, ``had one moment of unblemished glory''-when Irish monks copied almost all of Western classical poetry, history, oratory, philosophy and commentary. But this book is more than the story of monks preserving manuscripts; it is an irreverent look back at how Ireland came to be. Celts who had traversed Europe, Irish warriors and their women were primitive and blatantly sexual. Next came a taming of the land with the help of St. Patrick, who hated slavery and loved scholarship. Patrick was followed by St. Columcille, a great lover of books who became embroiled in a war and, as penance, exiled himself to the island of Iona, off Scotland. It was here that Ireland became ``Europe's publisher,'' as other warrior-monks followed Columcille's example and began to colonize barbarized Europe. They put Ireland in the vanguard of intellectual leadership, a position the Irish would not surrender until the Viking invasion of the 11th century. Cahill (A Literary Guide to Ireland) has written a scholarly, yet cheeky, book that will have strong appeal to Celtophiles. Illustrations not seen by PW.
This interesting view of Irish history at the time of the Dark Ages begins after the fall of Rome. Cahill's work will particularly interest medievalists and students of Irish culture while the casual listener may be bogged down in post-Roman events and shifts of power. Liam Neeson's rich, smooth voice delineates each element of political, religious and cultural alliance. He adds appropriate emphasis to details and gives context and scale to the narration. The cadence and softened consonants of his speech make appealing and pleasant listening. Though recording this work makes it accessible to an audience who might not otherwise read Cahill's work, the density and detail of this history demand studied listening. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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