This book was fascinating to me. John William Draper, M.D., LL.D., is the author. Not at all flattering to Roman Catholics in particular and Christians in general, this book documents how, to paraphrase it crudely, the Roman Catholic church was responsible for the Dark Ages. Whether the reader agrees that this is the case on a macrocosmic scale, the book is full of evidence and historical data. Here is a list of the chapter headings, to give you an idea of the content:

Chapter 1 THE ORIGIN OF SCIENCE.

Chapter 2 THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY.--ITS TRANSFORMATION ON ATTAINING IMPERIAL POWER.--ITS RELATIONS TO SCIENCE.

Chapter 3 CONFLICT RESPECTING THE DOCTRINE OF THE UNITY OF GOD.--THE FIRST OR SOUTHERN REFORMATION.

Chapter 4 THE RESTORATION OF SCIENCE IN THE SOUTH.

Chapter 5 CONFLICT RESPECTING THE NATURE OF THE SOUL.--DOCTRINE OF EMANATION AND ABSORPTION.

Chapter 6 CONFLICT RESPECTING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD.

Chapter 7 CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE AGE OF THE EARTH.

Chapter 8 CONFLICT RESPECTING THE CRITERION OF TRUTH.

Chapter 9 CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNIVERSE.

Chapter 10 LATIN CHRISTIANITY IN RELATION TO MODERN CIVILIZATION.

Chapter 11 SCIENCE IN RELATION TO MODERN CIVILIZATION.

Chapter 12 THE IMPENDING CRISIS.

I'd recommend this book highly, very interesting historical and religious information that's worth knowing I think, regardless of the author's undisguised contempt for religion (and after reading his book, you'll understand why he, as a professor at New York University in the 1800's, despised the knowledge and wisdom lost during the Dark Ages presumable because of religion, a.k.a. the Roman Catholic Church mainly).

You can get an e-text version of it (and many, many other classics) here:

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/mo...c/DraHist.html