The Awakening

A popular telling of the story of the revival of European intellectual life after the collapse of civilisation that followed the fall of the Roman empire in the West.

Charles Freeman has done it again - amassed a vast body of knowledge on a major subject and infused it with historical understanding and humane wit. Above all else, he makes us realise why the twelve centuries between late Antiquity and early Modernity remain urgently relevant to the world of the twenty-first century. Aquinas, Erasmus, Dante, Descartes... theirs and a host of others' mindbending ideas are made to leap off the page, grab us by the throat and demand our undivided attention
A remarkable work of scholarship by esteemed historian Charles Freeman... The book is a fine production, adorned with coloured images of frescos and ancient manuscripts'
My favourite book of the year... The wonderful images of the art, architecture and books bring to life the detailed argument of Awakening... Freeman makes the subject matter alive and relevant in a way that few historians of ideas can... A book to read slowly, to ponder and enjoy leisurely
PRAISE FOR THE CLOSING OF THE WESTERN MIND:

'An elegant story, engagingly told. Freeman has a talent for narrative history and for encapsulating the more arcane disputes of ancient historians and theologians' Independent.

'There is much here to admire... It is a panoramic view that Freeman handles with grace, erudition and lucidity' Washington Times.

'Entertaining... An excellent and readable account of the development of Christian doctrine'