Puffs from the Locomotive

I read a book several years back entitled How The Irish Saved Civilization. It basically detailed how books and education were being destroyed in Europe back in the Middle Ages. As different group of people conquered different areas, books were destroyed and most people didn’t know how to read or write. The only places books were still around were the few monasteries strong enough to survive.

Ireland was not connected to the mainland and not even to England. Through its monastic system books were being written and spread throughout Europe. The author contended “The Irish saved Civilization.”

I...