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Ireland's Saint: The Essential Biography of St. Patrick

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A very readable and enjoyable book. It wasn't clear how much was edited out of the The Life Of St. Patrick And His Place In History, but the marginal notes made me feel the book was up to date. I was glad to learn about the history of Ireland. I didn't know Ireland was converted to Christianity before England. The book also shed light on the so-called fall of the Roman Empire.

As winter ends and March begins to slip into the rear view mirror, let's take a look back (albeit belated) at the hero of the month.
To many people March 17th means little more than clover, Irish crosses, and Guinness. On this day very few actually stop to consider the influence and contributions made by St. Patrick.
Author/historian J.B. Bury tackles the saint in his 1905 biography "Ireland's Saint-The Essential Biography of St. Patrick". Mr. Bury who was formerly professor of Modern History at Cambridge walks us not only through the life of Patrick from his birth through his captivity, and his ultimate conversion, but also gives us a "mind blowing" look at Ireland both before and after the Patrick's life. As professor Bury states; "To understand the conversion of Ireland, we must take it first as an episode in the history of Europe, glancing first at the general conditions of the early propagation of the christian idea."
Patrick was born to a Briton deacon in or around 389 a.d. . He was taught the scriptures but not until much later did he embrace them. At the age of 17 a group of Irish raiders landed, plundering menservants, maidservants, and of course Patrick. He was taken to Ireland and forced into slavery and it was at this time that he turned his eyes to the Lord. We pick up here with professor Bury; "He had never given much thought to his religion, but now that he was a thrall among strangers, 'the Lord' Patrick says 'opened the sense of my unbelief.' The ardor of religious emotion, the 'love and fear of God,' so fully consumed his soul that in a single day or night he would offer a hundred prayers. And he describes himself, in woodland or on mountainsides, rising form his bed before dawn and going out to pray in hail, rain, or snow."
Patrick continued to fasting and praying through his captivity when on a certain night he heard a voice telling him that his ship was waiting on the coast, and that liberty was at hand. He then made his way to the sea ( Mr. Bury conjectures that he probably went 180 miles to the port town of Wicklow). It was here that he gained passage on a ship and eventually found himself on the Lerins Island on France's southern coast. On Lerins Patrick joined the monastery. Among the Monks of Lerins Patrick had his first exposure to Monastic living. He stayed among the monks for several years before returning to England.
Mr. Bury explains "Then Patrick returned to his old home, his kin welcomed him 'as a son.' In using the expression 'as a son', Patrick shows that parents was intended to mean kinsfolk, not parents, because it is most likely that his parents were dead by this time. They implored him to stay and never leave them again. But if he had any thought of yielding to their persuasions it was dismissed when he became aware all at once, that the aim of his life was determined. The idea of laboring among the heathen, which may have been gradually though quite unconsciously gathering force and secretly winning possession of his brain..."
As Mr. Bury points out, the seeds of Irish Christendom had already been planted before Patrick landed on the shores. But Patrick with tenacity, and a vision changed the hearts of his people.
Mr. Bury's biography is imperative for those who want to understand Ireland's entry into the christian (and dare I say 'modern') world. the Professor lays out a fascinating view of the social and religious climates both before and after Patrick's reformation.
Professor Bury passed on in 1927 and much more of St. Patrick's life has since been uncovered. In the latest printing from 'Parclete Press' noted author and editor Jon M. Sweeney has added some footnotes and made some minor grammatical changes which he explains in the introduction. This book is paramount not only for those who are eager to understand one of the least understood reformers of all time, but also for those who want to see the fulfillment of a vision.

Separating myth from man is never an easy task, and St. Patrick lived during a time when both life and legend were considered part of history. Jon Sweeney provides authentic context and thoughtful illumination for Bury's 1905 scholarly biography of Patrick. The result is a wonderful tale of a humble, heroic and heart-led man.

I've been studying St. Patrick informally...wanting to know how this apostle to Ireland helped the spread of the Christian faith outside of the Roman Empire at a time when Christianity was less institutionalized. This work focused mostly on the historicity of people, places and events. There was little to glean about the person of Patrick himself, his values and life, and his philosophy of ministry.

If you want a mostly academic work, this is a great book.

If you want to see more of the person of Patrick, I recommend Philip Freeman's work.

The is a modern revision of a life of St. Patrick written much earlier by the eminent British historian J.B. Bury. This revision provides a more readable, up-to-date account of Patrick's life and career based upon Bury's sound scholarship. Patrick emerges as a great historical figure in his own right who does not need all the pious legends (banishment of snakes, etc.) which attach to his name. This is a book for every American of Irish ancestry, who takes pride in Ireland's patron saint, and I recommend it highly.

George Snider

There was an Ireland before St. Patrick, but he changed Ireland into the course it is on today. "Ireland's Saint: The Essential Biography of St. Patrick" is a scholarly examination of the Saint who is Ireland's most famous saint. Coming to the island from the Roman Empire over a thousand years ago, he brought Christianity to the island and did what he could to compete with the Druidic shamans and bring peace to the warring clans. "Ireland's Saint" is a vivid and human picture of the man who's responsible for the importance of March 17th.