Thomas Cahill has a wonderful sense of humor that pairs perfectly with the style and the topic of this book. Tackling the transition period between the fall of Rome and the Middle Ages, he expertly gives us a glimpse into the world that fell when Rome fell, Ireland before she takes up the torch as the last scion of Roman thought, carries us through Ireland holding the torch, and then shows us how her sons and daughters helped to preserve and transfer the remnants of the lost civilization to the new world that had formed. He speaks of the Irish as a people, speaks of their nature, their temperament, and his writing style evokes that irreverent reverence and common sense that seems to come with being Irish. You can't help but chuckle in many places in the book, whether from the author's expert turn of phrase, or from the material and people he writes about.

A quick read, it's a wonderfully enjoyable book that touches on a dark, transitioning period between two epochs, offering a glimpse into the before, the during, and the after, before leaving you with the speculative final chapter that brings us forwards into the future, making this book applicable and relevant to today. I highly recommend, especially if it's the first book you read on the subject. It's a wonderful starting point.