A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr.****

This novel was first published in 1969. I thought I had read it many years ago, but I was mistaken. The book is in three parts, the first part taking place more than a thousand years after civilization on earth is mostly destroyed by nuclear warfare in the late 1900's. The population includes monstrous beings made by radiation fallout. Most of the action takes place in a Catholic abbey in the Utah desert.
A monk finds an ancient repository of writing and illustrations from 20th century America, and thus begin efforts to rebuild civilization.

After several hundred more years, the people have got the world back pretty much as it was before destruction, and have developed advanced machines and weapons. And so--you guessed it--nuclear wars break out and threaten to destroy the world. Fortunately, several extraterrestrial colonies have already been established on other planets, and a space ship is ready to take the current citizens to outer space just before the world is destroyed.

The text of this book is larded with Latin phrases, mostly from the Catholic ceremonies and readings. I remembered a few words of Latin and a few prayers and quotations.

I really enjoyed the book. The first section is rather amusing, until the major monk, Brother Francis, is shot through the head with an arrow.