Harvard professor Dawson (1889-1970) was a major Catholic historian. His 1958 tome has fallen out of favor among historians at least partly because of its emphasis on the role of religion and spirituality in shaping and sustaining civilizations. Mulloy's preface to the first edition and introduction to the 1978 edition are augmented with a new introduction by Dermot Quinn (history, Seton Hall U.) Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)