Customer Reviews

Dictionary of Saints (Wordsworth Collection)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In many ways, this is a very good dictionary. Lots and lots of saints, with average entries of c. 20-25 lines per saint. This dictionary doesn't have more errors than the average saints' guide, and less than some. (Farmer's Oxford Dictionary of Saints has the most scholarly and thorough coverage, but fewest saints; the Benedictines of Ramsgate's The Book of Saints has an enormous number of saints but with very brief entries AND NO INDEX LISTING SAINTS BY THEIR FEAST DAY.) What is truly annoying about Delaney's volume is the listing of saints by feast day---which is really the shoddiest thing I've seen in ages. There are dozens and dozens of errors, ranging from wrong date to listing the saint by a variant of name that doesn't actually appear in the text. It's very frustrating to use.

Like a dictionary or encyclopedia, has a short paragraph about each of the Saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Also contains a calendar listing of the saint's day. Very basic descriptions

This book has a solid listing of all the saints, most of whom I've never heard of. There are several saints with the same name which is confusing to the novice, but the details are informative and help keep things in order. Obviously a lot of effort went into researching this book and for that the author is to be commended.

Funny how sometimes a book comes along and everything is easily explained. I was curious about Saint Christopher after seeing the movie: Crash.

I am a Southern Baptist and have no clue when it comes to Catholic practices. I had no idea that people actually carry statues of saints to give them comfort.

So after seeing the movie: Crash, I wondered just who Saint Christopher was. And this book gave me a detailed description of the kind and generous acts Christopher performed.

If you ever wondered why St. Patrick is so popular or which Saint is the basis for Santa Clause this book will enlighten you. Learn and Enjoy! ~J.R. Fitzgerald

I bought this intending to look up some of those obscure saints who feature in the place-names of Cornwall- St Endellion etc- but had no luck as the introduction tells us that a complete hagiography runs to 12 volumes. This is nonetheless a useful and interesting little book with a page or two devoted to each featured saint, each with a 'headline' summing up their achievements: 'the bride of Christ', ''the apostle of Cumbria' etc. From Adalbert of Prague to Wilfrid and including occasional b/w illustrations. Printed on cheap, news-type paper

This is an excellent book to have when you are learning about the saints.Very educational.I would recommend this book for anyone

It has the largest listing of saints that I've seen in a book, BUT it has a lot of stupid errors in it, like typos... or just inaccuracies. For instance, in the entry for Bl. Margaret Pole, it says she tutored Henry VIII's daughter "Anne," when he had no daughter named Anne. Pole was the confirmation sponser / godmother of Princess Mary. Annoying things like that make me give this book three stars. The text is kind of dry. It's a good place to start but cross-check everything you read in it with your own research.

This was the third book on saints that I purchased and although it lists them in alphabetical order as opposed to feast days, I find that it has more listings than the other two books and appears to be very well researched. No one book can have everything, but this book goes far in listing a huge amount of saints and information about them. I enjoy all three of my saint books, but this one I like the best.

Its not quite what I thought it would be, but its okay. Very informative, just not extremely interesting.