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 barbaric wars that plagued the European continent, Ireland's monks and scribes laboriously and lovingly preserved the written treasury of the West. Many great pieces of Greek and Roman literature, almost sure to be lost in the chaos of the Middle Ages, were saved by the monks of Ireland. This brilliant audio edition of the bestselling book is read by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson.

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.