Thomas Cahill

Thomas Quinn Cahill (March 29, 1940 – October 18, 2022) was an American scholar and writer. He was best known for The Hinges of History series, a prospective seven-volume series in which the author recounts formative moments in Western civilization.

Early life Cahill was born in the Bronx on March 29, 1940. His father, Patrick, worked as an insurance executive; his mother, Margaret (Buckley), was a homemaker. Cahill attended Regis High School in Manhattan, where he studied ancient Greek and Latin. He was thrown out and went on to graduate from Fordham Preparatory School. He continued his study of Greek and Latin literature, as well as medieval philosophy, scripture, and theology, at Fordham University. There he completed a Bachelor of Arts in classical literature and philosophy in 1964, before obtaining a pontifical degree in philosophy the following year as part of his studies to become a priest for the Jesuits. He ultimately decided not to pursue the priesthood, and went on to complete his Master of Fine Arts in film and dramatic literature at Columbia University in 1968. After returning to the US, he taught at Queens College, Fordham University, and Seton Hall University. During the early 1970s, he co-authored two books with his wife, who was also a writer as well as an anthropologist. He also spent two years as a visiting scholar at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he studied Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible. Green made a final statement before his execution: There was a lot of people that got me to this point and I can't thank them all. But thank you for your love and support. They have allowed me to do a lot more than I could have on my own. I have overcome a lot. I am not angry but I am disappointed that I was denied justice. But I am happy that I was afforded you all as family and friends. I love you all. Please just keep the struggle going. I am just sorry and I am not as strong as I thought I was going to be. But I guess it only hurts for a little while. You are all my family. Please keep my memory alive.

Personal life Cahill married Susan Neunzig in 1966. They remained married until his death. Together, they had two children: Joseph and Kristin.

Cahill died in his sleep on October 18, 2022, at his home in Manhattan. He was 82, and suffered a heart attack.

Publications Big City Stories by Modern American Writers, with Susan Cahill, Bantam, 1971. A Literary Guide to Ireland, with Susan Cahill, Scribner, 1973. Looking for Books: How to Find Hard-to-Find Books, Ampersand, 1988. Jesus' Little Instruction Book, Bantam, 1994. Pope John XXIII, Viking, 2002. A Saint on Death Row, from Nan A. Talese/Random House, March 2009.

The Hinges of History series How the Irish Saved Civilization, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1995. The Gifts of the Jews, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1998. Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1999. Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2003. Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2006; some printings are called Mysteries of the Middle Ages: And the Beginnings of the Modern World. Heretics and Heroes: Ego in the Renaissance and the Reformation (2013).