After the fall of Rome, as civilizations collapsed and libraries burned, ancient knowledge that would eventually fuel the Renaissance was at risk of being lost. Uncovering the rich history of such locales as Baghdad, Cordoba, and Palermo, Violet Moller delves into the sparkling intellectual life that flourished there, highlighting the crucial role played by Arab scholars in preserving and improving the cornerstone ideas of Western thought. Reflecting on a thousand-year odyssey, she shows us how foundational works by Euclid, Ptolemy, and Galen eventually reached Venice, the major center of scientific printing, where their legacy was assured—having been rescued by the passionate curiosity of generations of readers.