Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History

This renowned biography of the great Catholic saint famous for converting Ireland to Christianity is also a stunningly vivid portrait of life in the British Isles in the fifth century. Born in Britain as a Roman citizen and kidnapped by raiders to Ireland as a teenager where he remained to do his holy work Patricks life encapsulates the themes of the era as the new religion won out of paganism as the Roman Empire fell. Almost as valuable as the biography itself are Burys complex appendices which comprise more than half the book and include such important scholarly details as the authors notes on Patricks own writings the memoirs of the saint by other writers including Tírechán and Muirchu an examination of other Irish source materials and a look at the historical evidence for such events as the dates of Patricks birth and captivity his possible visit to Rome in 432 his consecration the location of his burial and much more. British historian JOHN BAGNELL BURY (1861-1927) was professor of modern history at Cambridge. His writings known for a readability combined with a scholarly depth include History of the Later Roman Empire (1889) History of Greece (1900) and Idea of Progress (1920).