Dictionary of Saints, The Penguin: Second Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) [Mass Market Paperback]

Donald Attwater (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dictionary, Penguin | Publication Date: January 1, 1995

This reference work gives an account of the lives and legends of over 750 of the most notable saints as well as many of those who are less well-known.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Donald Attwater was born in 1892 and fought in the Near East in the First World War. During the Second World War he was a civilian lecturer in history and current affairs in H M forces. He wrote widely on Christianity, the Church and the lives of Saints. He died in 1997. Catherine Rachel John is the younger daughter of Donald Attwater. She has great experience in working on the liturgy and history of the Catholic Church. She lives in Lostwithiel, Cornwall. --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Revised edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140511237
• ISBN-13: 978-0140511239
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,191,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book on Saints, June 4, 2000

By 

Jonathan Bennett (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Penguin Dictionary of Saints: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a great addition to the library of anyone who wants to know more about the lives of the great men and women of the Christian Faith. It includes Saints from the New Testament/Apostolic Age until the modern day. Each entry gives an excellent description of each Saint's life and work. It also has the reason for canonization (martyr, bishop, etc.) and the date it occurred, the date of birth and death, and the person's feast day in the Church (usually in the western calendar). Although the entries usually include only the basic information (about half a page on average), at the end of each entry the authors have added a reading list for those who wish to learn more about each Saint. The book also has an introduction that addresses such issues as sources, confessors, martyrs, and canonization. A glossary of terms is present, which includes a basic definition of words that may be difficult for some (e.g. Monothelism and Cenobite). The Dictionary has a useful appendix that contains a list of patron Saints, emblems, and a calendar of the feast days of the Saints listed. Although The Penguin Dictionary of Saints is very useful, I should mention that it includes mainly Roman Catholic Saints. Many of those canonized only (or deemed more important) in the Eastern Orthodox Church are not present, although the authors have included most of the universally accepted Saints (and even many minor ones) from both the East and Great Britain. Overall, this is an excellent resource that no Christian should be without; I use it all the time.

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Out of Three, November 15, 2000

By 

Joel M Sax - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Penguin Dictionary of Saints: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

Of the three dictionaries of saints that I use (Delaney's Pocket Dictionary of Saints and the Oxford Dictionary of Saints are the others), this possesses the most benefits. It not only includes the usual capsule biographies (don't expect any book of saints to include the same information) and appendices about Patron saints and symbols, but also a glossary of terms used in hagiography (the study of saints), something which neither Delaney nor Stone offer. If the book has any weakness, it is that the list of patron saints is too brief and incomplete. (Delaney's appendix is the best of the three, but his work has other faults.) Attwater and daughter also do not treat us to discussions of saintly relics (one of the joys of Stone's excellent work). Despite these minor flaws, I would choose this volume over the other two were I able only to own one of the books. (It is better, still, to own all three.)

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not patronizing (pardon my pun), January 7, 2006

By 

Eric J. Lyman (Roma, Lazio Italy) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Penguin Dictionary of Saints: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

As a Rome-based freelance writer who frequently publishes articles about the Vatican and its history, I knew I needed a good reference book to help me recognize saints in history, art, and tradition and understand why they are important. I did some research to decide between this volume, the Oxford Dictionary of Saints, and the Delany's Pocket Dictionary of Saints and I decided to buy this one.

Then some time passed, and I decided I needed still more information and so I bought the Oxford version about a year later. And six months ago the Delaney edition found its own place in my book shelf. And do you know what? After familiarizing myself with the new additions to my religious library on their arrival, I have hardly opened either of the Penguin edition's rivals.

To be clear, none of these books contains all the information in the other two, but I believe this edition -- in terms of authoratative (even if sometimes brief) biographical information, good organization, data on symbolism related to saints, a helpful glossery of terms, and an impressive bobliography -- is the best to have if you'll only buy one book.

As another reviewer here pointed out, the book's great weakness is its lack of significant information about patron saints. And that's important, because many lay people first decide to learn more about the lives of saints because of the patron saint of some area of interest (the Delaney book is best in that regard).

But I believe that flaw is more than compensated for by the book's strengths. At the risk of envoking a tired cliche, the book is written in a fact-packed and yet accessible style that makes it a good option for the novice and a valuable resource for more experienced saint watchers.