Butler's Lives of the Saints (4 Volume Set) [Hardcover]

Herbert J. Thurston (Editor), Donald Attwater (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 1956

First written in the mid-eighteenth century, Butler's Lives of the Saints, now available in a four-volume set was revised in 1956 to include 2,565 saints compared to the original 1,486. Carefully edited by Herbert J. Thurston, S.J., and Donald Attwater to retain the charms of Butler's original prose style, this work of devotion and scholarship offers truths central to Christianity and underlying themes of Christian love.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Walsh is the author of The Triumph of the Meek and editor of Butler's Lives of the Patron Saints.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2932 pages
• Publisher: Christian Classics; Rep Rev edition (January 2, 1956)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870610457
• ISBN-13: 978-0870610455
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.8 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

220 of 230 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Original version is better., March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Butler's Lives of the Saints (4 Volume Set) (Hardcover)

Fr. Alban Butler is considered one of the greatest English Catholic writers. His Lives of the Saints has become the most important work after the Bible and the Imitation of Christ. But this new edition by Thurston and Attwater has destroyed much of the beauty of the orginal "Lives," and for this reason Thurston was strongly criticized by Pope Pius XII. The original, unadultered 4 volume set is still in print under the title THE LIVES OF THE FATHERS, MARTYRS AND OTHER PRINCIPAL SAINTS from St. Bonaventure Publications, and is priced significantly lower than the new edition.

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A useful reference, but not without problems, October 24, 1998

By 

John Knutsen (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Butler's Lives of the Saints (4 Volume Set) (Hardcover)

Little of Alban Butler's work survives in this revised edition--if the reader wants to have access to Butler's own words, with all his wonderful moral judgments, this is not the edition to consult. That said, Thurston and Attwater have done an exhaustive job of updating Butler's original work, including the addition of bibliographical references (mostly referring to foreign-language works) and attempting to sort through the historical inaccuracies that necessarily plague any study of the saints. As they admit, however, this is not meant to be a scholarly reference work.This collection includes more saints than any other I have seen, so it is a very useful and interesting work in itself. While Butler's wonderful 18th-century prose, so unfamiliar and even harsh to our modern ears, has been taken out in this revision, the result is not always easy to read. Some of the language is clumsy and poorly-constructed, but one gets used to it and it is not a major fault. In addition, the binding is not of the highest quality. The biggest failing of this edition--which is not the fault of the revisers, of course--is that many of the feast days of particular saints have been changed since the Second Vatican Council. An updated edition that takes this into account would be welcome, but all in all this is a useful collection.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The classic compendium of hagiography, January 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Butler's Lives of the Saints (4 Volume Set) (Hardcover)

I am not religious, but over the course of the years I have developed a fascination for the lives of Catholic saints. This compendium is a wonderful resource and a browser's delight. I recommend it very highly to anyone with a serious interest on the subject.