Edward Sorin [Hardcover]

Marvin Richard O'Connell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A skilled biographer and professor emeritus of history at Notre Dame, O'Connell (Blaise Pascal: Reason of the Heart) honors the legacy of Edward Sorin with blunt honesty and fraternal esteem. Drawing on archival resources, many housed at the University of Notre Dame, and on his own travels and studies, O'Connell chronicles the life of the missionary priest from France who founded the world-famous University of Notre Dame. O'Connell has thoroughly researched and documented the life and labor of Sorin, beginning with his birth in Ahuille, France, and concluding some 79 years later in the presbytery at Notre Dame, surrounded by his beloved religious co-workers. Sorin was given the task of creating a college, and in a short 800 pages the reader enters into the world of 19th-century Catholicism and experiences Sorin's challenges and joys as he faced this daunting goal. This encyclopedic work is both engaging and academic and destined to be the definitive work on Edward Sorin. Recommended for all academic libraries. John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin, Platteville
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press; 1St Edition edition (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268027595
• ISBN-13: 978-0268027599
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.3 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,383,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just another Notre Dame book, January 5, 2007

By 

William Reifsteck "UND78" (Newport Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Edward Sorin (Hardcover)

Marvin O'Connell's biography of Edward Sorin is an excellent work of scholarship as well as a superbly written story. Let me preface this review by saying that that as an undergraduate history major at Notre Dame I looked forward to Father O'Connell's classes because they were some of the best. He is a master storyteller and can make the mundane issues of history come to life.

In this book O'Connell tells us the story of a young religious order that has a missionary zeal expands into three foreign continents. As a student of Notre Dame history I found that Father O'Connell was able to give me new insight into the inner workings of the Indiana Provence. The chapter on the rebuilding of the main building after the fire is a remarkable tale. The fact that they were able to rebuild the building in less than five months is almost unbelievable. As a construction professional, I doubt that it could be done today.

I would recommend this book to anyone that would like to learn about early Notre Dame and Holy Cross history, however this book is more than the history of Notre Dame and Edward Sorin. This book gives a great snapshot of Catholic History in the United States.
This book along with Jay Dolan's The American Catholic Experience and Robert Burns' Being Catholic Being American will give you a great feeling for the formation of the American Catholic Church.

This is not a "beach book" but it reads almost like a novel and I found myself reading chapter after chapter late into the night.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true American adventure, December 26, 2001

By 

Gary E. Luffey MD (Ruston, La. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edward Sorin (Hardcover)

Marvin O'Connell has done a wonderful and complete job of describing the life of Edward Sorin. The author begins in a small French village and brings the life of Sorin forward in clear and entertaining language. A story of faith, courage, and determination unfold in the 800 pages without wasting the readers time. The story of Edward Sorin who founded the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana reflects the American spirit. Overcoming difficulties, both human and physical elements, was commonplace for Sorin. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the life of Sorin, and allows his subject to serve as an example for all. This book is recommended as an excellent biography, inspirational writing, and American adventure.