St. Patrick of Ireland

St. Patrick of Ireland

With midterms becoming one of those monstrous realities in life my extra-curricular reading has slowed down a bit, but I'm blessed that it hasn't stopped. St. Patrick of Ireland was an excellent read and far better than I anticipated. If you like Ireland, history, mythologized saints, or all three you'll like this book.
The author, Philip Freeman, is a Harvard educated classical historian and professor at Lutheran College as well as a guest lecturer at Oxford among several other schools. He uses his knowledge of ancient history and a very limited number of sources to construct his biography and shed light on the world of Patrick (who in Roman fashion was actually named Patricius). Freeman offers lucid and lively insight on the man behind the myth and the crazy lives lived by Irish kings, slaves, and druids. The book is factual and honest but reads like fiction. I highly recommend it, impress your friends next Patty's day!