mini-REVIEW St Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton

    This short biography is designed to be just a brief introduction and overview of Francis’s life.  And it is a perfect quick read if you don’t know the outline of Francis of Assisi’s life. But it’s more than this. All biographers face both contradictory evidence and total gaps in our knowledge. They have to make choices as to what in include  and what to conclude about the total pattern of the life. What I love about this book is how Chesterton explains what he is including and why. How he is aware of different possible audience viewpoints and how he clearly makes us aware of his. I love how Chesterton makes concise but clear arguments for why he views Francis as he does. And I love the sense of history and of humanity conveyed by this book.