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Francis of Assisi is, after Mary of Nazareth, perhaps the greatest saint in the Christian calendar, and one of the most influential men in the whole of human history. By universal acclaim, this biography by G. K. Chesterton is considered the best appreciation of Francis's life--the one that gets to the heart of the matter.
For Chesterton, Francis is a great paradoxical figure, a man who loved women but vowed himself to chastity; an artist who loved the pleasures of the natural world as few have loved them, but vowed himself to the most austere poverty, stripping himself naked in the public square so all could see that he had renounced his worldly goods; a clown who stood on his head in order to see the world aright. Chesterton gives us Francis in his world-the riotously colorful world of the High Middle Ages, a world with more pageantry and romance than we have seen before or since. Here is the Francis who tried to end the Crusades by talking to the Saracens, and who interceded with the emperor on behalf of the birds. Here is the Francis who inspired a revolution in art that began with Giotto and a revolution in poetry that began with Dante. Here is the Francis who prayed and danced with pagan abandon, who talked to animals, who invented the creche
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My first G. K. Chesterton, a writer I've had recommended to me over and over, and I must say that I find Chesterton absolutely delightful. I can't think of a better match for this fabulous writer than the fabulous Saint Francis of Assisi.
Of course I came away from this book with lots of new facts about Francis, but, more importantly, I came away with a new flavor for Francis. Simple. Natural. Childlike. Devoted to God and God's work.
Short Review: a classic biography of Francis and how he changed the church. This is more than just a biography (in fact the main complaint is that Chesterton probably does not spend enough time on biographical details). It is an assessment of the Catholic church (and to some extent the state of the world) during Francis' lifetime. This is in the public domain so free ebook copies are available.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/saint-francis/