How the Irish Saved Civilization cover art

How the Irish Saved Civilization

The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

How the Irish Saved Civilization

By: Thomas Cahill
Narrated by: Liam Neeson
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $16.99

Buy Now for $16.99

About this listen

 The perfect St. Patrick's Day gift, and a book in the best tradition of popular history -- the untold story of Ireland's role in maintaining Western culture while the Dark Ages settled on Europe. Every year millions of Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but they may not be aware of how great an influence St. Patrick was on the subsequent history of civilization. Not only did he bring Christianity to Ireland, he instilled a sense of literacy and learning that would create the conditions that allowed Ireland to become "the isle of saints and scholars" -- and thus preserve Western culture while Europe was being overrun by barbarians. In this entertaining and compelling narrative, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Europe evolved from the classical age of Rome to the medieval era. Without Ireland, the transition could not have taken place. Not only did Irish monks and scribes maintain the very record of Western civilization -- copying manuscripts of Greek and Latin writers, both pagan and Christian, while libraries and learning on the continent were forever lost -- they brought their uniquely Irish world-view to the task. As Cahill delightfully illustrates, so much of the liveliness we associate with medieval culture has its roots in Ireland. When the seeds of culture were replanted on the European continent, it was from Ireland that they were germinated. In the tradition of Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror, How The Irish Saved Civilization reconstructs an era that few know about but which is central to understanding our past and our cultural heritage. But it conveys its knowledge with a winking wit that aptly captures the sensibility of the unsung Irish who relaunched civilization.©1997 Thomas Cahill; (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, a Division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Christianity Civilisation Europe History World Middle Ages Rome Ancient History Tradition Ireland History Ancient

Critic Reviews

"Charming and poetic ... an entirely engaging, delectable voyage into the distant past, a small treasure." —The New York Times

"A lovely and engrossing tale ... Graceful and instructive." —Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times

"Cahill's lively prose breathes life into a 1,600-year-old history." —The Boston Globe
All stars
Most relevant
Liam Neeson narrating is the cherry on top!

(Audible requires seven more words written here)

Wonderfully enlightening read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beautifully written and expertly read by the incredible Liam Neeson. Life as it was lived by the Irish, with all the background cultural knowledge necessary for the reader to be fully immersed in this evocative, passionate commentary

lovely listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Heavily religious, biased and jumpy when it could have easily focused better on language and the practical saving of knowledge.
The tone of the text is quite out dated and the musical jingles feel cheap. My ability to finish it was almost entirely due to the soothing voice of the reader.

Saved by Liam Neeson

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.