Here, together in a single volume, are the two biographies that many critics consider to be Chesterton's best and the best short portraits ever written of these two great saints. St. Francis of Assisi was first published in 1923, shortly after Chesterton was received into the Catholic Church. It is a profoundly Catholic work, explaining and illuminating the life of St. Francis in a way no other biography has. The spiritual kinship the author felt with his subject enables the reader to delve into insights on the character of Francis that have eluded many.
St. Thomas Aquinas was written later in Chesterton's career. It also is enriched by the author's unique ability to see the world through the saint's eyes, a view that shows us Aquinas in a fresh way. Chesterton's pen brings the author of the Summa vividly to life. Acclaimed as the best book ever written on Aquinas by such outstanding Thomists as Jacques Maritain, Etienne Gilson, and Anton Pegis, this brilliant biography will completely capture the reader and leave him desirous of reading Aquinas' own monumental work.
"No two lives are more interesting or more diverse than those of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas. The two stand at almost the opposite sides of how to understand and live the same Christian life. The St. Francis book is especially significant today because it addresses itself on how to reform a corrupt culture, while the St. Thomas book is important because it addresses the problem of disordered minds. Chesterton makes philosophy intelligible and poverty rich. No two short books get at the heart of things better or in a more delightful manner."
—James V. Schall, S.J.
"A great read. Chesterton has a rollicking style. He was an author in love with the English language."
—Ralph McInerny
"G. K. Chesterton is perhaps the only modern writer who could grasp these two amazingly different saints. He matches the mind of Thomas and the mysticism of Francis. He puts it all together."
—Dale Ahlquist
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