Book Review
Mysteries of the Middle Ages By THOMAS CAHILL
Reviewed by PEGGY BARNETT
Thomas Cahill is a one-man publishing industry. In a series, in which this book is the fifth, he is retelling "the story of the Western world as the story of the great gift-givers." He calls the series "The Hinges of History." The first four were How the Irish Saved Civilization, The Gifts of the Jews, Desire of the Everlasting Hills, and Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea.

The subtitle of the current volume is "The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe." One can see that Cahill is not shy, nor is he afraid to tackle mighty topics. Here he begins with reference to Geoffrey Chaucer himself and moves on to the great city of Alexandria. And he hasn't even gotten to the Middle Ages yet.

He writes smoothly and engagingly, but occasionally he tries too hard to be accessible. "But, hey, not everybody was a philosopher." Many of us readers want to be entertained while we are being informed, but we could prefer not to be "talked down to."

Cahill's books are certainly full of information, much of it presented from new angles and perspectives. In each section, there is a chart summarizing some of the content of the chapter. "Alumni of Alexandria" lists politicians, scientists, philosophers, and churchmen. For instance, among those I had heard of were Cleopatra, Euclid, and Origen.

After "Relevant Romans," we reach the body of the work, which begins with an analysis of the influenceof the "Cult of the Virgin" Mary. Throughout, the focus is on individuals who represent a segment of society and were influential in their time. Hildegard of Bingen began as a child in a closely cloistered setting. She became an abbess who advised popes and kings.

Eleanor of Aquitaine shares a chapter with St. Francis of Assisi. The history of the struggle between secular kings and the church is traced. For more than one hundred years, monarchs learned "that the church was not to be trifledwith." Monarchs and common people alike participated in the building of the great medieval cathedrals. The work went on for years, for generations, "all of whom thought themselves well rewarded by the grand edificerising in their midst."

Mysteries of the Middle Ages is beautifully illustrated, and marginal notes and footnotes are designed in almost medieval manuscript fashion. The notes include pertinent and usually intriguing information, from word origins to early customs.

Cahill is clearly proud of his accomplishments, as well he should be, and he does not mind sharing his religious and political opinions with the reader. His charm forestalls our impatience, however, most of the time. It is difficultto be annoyed with someone who can tell us about Thomas Aquinas on one page and the history of Oxford University on the next. Cahill's Roman Catholic background is reflected in his choices and his opinions, but one cannot tell the story of the Middle Ages without dealing with the history of the church.

An absorbing book, Mysteries of the Middle Ages is available at the Mary Willis Library.

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