The adjective 'medieval' is now a synonym for superstition and ignorance.
Yet without the work of medieval scholars there could have been no Galileo,
no Newton and no Scientific Revolution.

In God's Philosophers, James Hannam traces the neglected roots of modern
science in the medieval world. He debunks many of the myths about the Middle
Ages, showing that medieval people did not think the earth was flat, nor did
Columbus 'prove' that it is a sphere. Contrary to common belief, the
Inquisition burnt nobody at the stake for their science, nor was Copernicus
afraid of persecution. No Pope tried to ban human dissection or the number
zero.

On the contrary, as Hannam reveals, the Middle Ages gave rise tp staggering
achievements in both science and technology: for instance, spectacles and
the mechanical clock were both invented in thirteenth-century Europe. Ideas
from the Far East, like printing, gunpowder and the compass, were taken
further by Europeans than the Chinese had imagined possible. The compass
helped Columbus to discover the New World in 1492 while printing allowed
an incredible 20 million books to be produced in the first 50 years after
Gutenberg published his Bible in 1455. And Hannam argues that scientific
progress was often made thanks to, rather than in spite of, the influence
of Christianity.

Charting an epic journey through six centuries of history, God's
Philosophers brings back to light the discoveries of neglected geniuses like
John Buridan, Nicole Oresme and Thomas Bradwardine, as well as putting into
context the contributions of more familiar figures like Roger Bacon, William
of Ockham and St Thomas Aquinas.

Besides being a thrilling history of a period of surprising invention and
innovation, God's Philosophers reveals the debt modern science and technology
owe to the supposedly 'dark' ages of medieval Europe.

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