The Map of Knowledge: A Thousand-Year History of How Classical Ideas Were Lost and Found Kindle Edition

This well written and lively history focuses on the roughly 1000 year period from about 500 to 1500 AD, during which ideas from the classical eras of Greece and Rome were dispersed, found sanctuary and expansion in the glittering Islamic civilizations in the Middle East and Spain, and then eventually returned to their original homes and beyond in Renaissance Europe. This is Violet Moller's first published work, and it promises a career of solid scholarship presented in a clear and approachable style.I found Moller's geographical approach to her subject very appealing. She begins with the classical world, appropriately choosing Alexandria and its library as her cornerstone and then traces classical learning's dispersal in the aftermath of the collapse of Rome. Next she focuses on Muslim preservation and expansion of that classical learning with some beautiful chapters describing Baghdad and Cordoba at their heights. As the Muslim empires declined and Christian Europe began to expand, Moller chooses Toledo, Salerno, Palermo, and Venice as her prime examples, then finishes with a short conclusion focusing on the Renaissance.Moller writes clearly, using historical examples like Galen, Emir Rahman, al-Mansur, Gerard, Petrarch, and many others to make her account lively and approachable. The Map of Knowledge makes a fine introduction for those seeking to learn more about the complex, interwoven, and tolerant world in which Muslims, Jews, and Christians traded and interacted, and in which the learning of the ancient world was preserved and expanded.

Marvellous! I like books that are well researched. The concept that various cities provide exemplars of learning isn’t new, and the realisation that Islam, in its Arabic, Persian, and Spanish incarnations was the keeper of the flame during the Western European eclipse is well described as is the transition to a resurgent west. It is compellingly written. And so enjoyable.

While light in tone and intended for non-academics, The Map of Knowledge does carry a message intended to answer some of the more important questions of today.Ostensibly the manuscript history of three works by Euclid, Galen and Ptolemy, Dr. Moller devotes most of the text to invoking the spirit of the cities responsible for handing down and adding to this tradition. These cities include not only the well known ancient Alexandria and Renaissance Venice but also medieval Baghdad and Córdoba. Throughout the text, she finds the same characteristics predominating in regions of intellectual progress: cosmopolitanism, openness to immigration, free exchange of ideas across different religions and cultures...all hallmarks of the modern world.Throughout the narrative a second theme emerges with increasing vigor. The scientific and humanistic revolution which transpired in early modern Europe was partially due to the medieval societies of the Muslim and Hindu worlds. The Renaissance emphasis on a rebirth of culture not only slighted the genuine contributions of medieval Europe but also looked past the cultural importance of non-European peoples.A true history of modernity then would not draw a blank between the fall of Rome and Renaissance Italy but discuss the vibrant societies of Abbasid Mesopotamia and Andalusian Spain. Given that these were emblematic of the multiculturalism so beloved by modernity it seems that the author is suggesting a rewrite of the history of Western civilization that would reach similar conclusions but arrive by a more circuitous route.I’m not a professional historian and cannot vouch for the accuracy of the author’s narrative. It is clearly meant to be not merely an erudite history but also a salvo in the culture wars. But the fact that an academic can translate this material into a popular work makes the book not less but more important. It will be interesting to see if a secondary literature develops around the claims of this book and if it has its desired effect on how the history of Western civilization is taught.

The product was as advertised and expected.

Violet Moller follows a similar pattern used by Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve which followed one book's unlikely survival over the course of two millennia. Moller follows three books of science: Euclid's Elements, Ptolemy's Almagest and Galen's Method of Medicine as they vanished from Europe and found refuge in the Islamic empire, in Baghdad in particular, and in Moorish Spain, the cities of Cordoba and Toledo. These cities become the portals of transmission by which the ancient texts are reintroduced to Europe via Salerno, Palermo and Venice. Susan Duerden's narration is superb, get the audiobook as well.

A fascinating account of how knowledge was increased, preserved, and spread starting in the Dark Ages and extending for 1000 years. The struggle to save our knowledge base was made worse because every book had to be re-written by hand and then carried to others around Europe. This book demonstrates how humanity has striven to understand the world in which we live.