Michael S. Malone explores the "dark ages" idea in his new book "The Guardian of All Things:The Epic Story of Human Memory". His conclusion was that it was pret

Michael S. Malone explores the "dark ages" idea in his new book "The Guardian of All Things:The Epic Story of Human Memory". His conclusion was that it was pretty dark for 5 or 6 centuries after Rome fell - then the "high Middle Ages" began and learning and writing and schools and scholarship were rampant all over Europe and the Middle East. Really opened my eyes on that period.