Lay Siege to Heaven [Paperback]

Louis de Wohl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1991

Continuing his popular series of novels about saints of the Church, de Wohl devotes his considerable talents to an interpretation of one of the most unusual women of all time, St. Catherine of Siena. The daughter of a prosperous dyer in 14th-century Siena, Catherine devoted her life to Christ, persuaded the Pope to move from Avignon to Rome, subdued the warring City-States of Italy, and changed the face of her world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 361 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (September 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898703816
• ISBN-13: 978-0898703818
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lay Siege to Heaven, An Appreciation, November 26, 1999

By 

Sean Wright (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lay Siege to Heaven (Paperback)

I first read this book in 1963 - as it was being serialised in Extension Magazine. I was drawn to Catherine Benincasa, the stubborn, forthright, reclusive young woman who refused to allow herself to be used for any reason by her mother or her city - or even the Church. Catherine was a woman of rare courage and spirit. She was spiritual - but that did not stop her from denouncing cardinals & bishops as "whoremongers" when she found them chasing after wealth and political advantage. Mr DeWohl's wonderful introduction to Catherine is a bit superficial, but if this is understood at the beginning the reader will not be disappointed. It must also be remembered that DeWohl wrote during a less critical age when the culture of the Faith was stronger and an effort to demean th subject of a biography was not the all-consuming sine qua non of such books as it is now. Because of this book I began to read as much of DeWohl as I could find. He was a straightforward wordsmith and his Faith shines through in every page. Mr DeWohl has many titles to his credit while also contributing to journals and articles to World Book Encyclopedia. I am very happy to see that his novels are being reprinted in time for another generation to discover him. DeWohl made saints much more real than their official hagiographies ever did. Teenagers especially will find the story of St Catherine eye-opening as they will find DeWohl's other saintly subjects were not made of plaster and synthetic feelings but were men and women of the world who overcame the carnality of life, but only through the help of Jesus Christ.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very powerful, July 17, 2004

By 

Paul Iacovitti (Downey, Ca. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lay Siege to Heaven (Paperback)

This is a very uplifting and entertaining read. St.Catherine was one of the most amazing saints the church has ever had. She was a very humble person yet she had great influence on many of the politcal and church leaders of her day. The book starts off with her struggle with her mother who was very stubborn. She wanted Catherine to marry, but Catherine wanted to dedicate her life to God. In the book you read about the many people Catherine led to Christ, many of them were very hard hearted, and her influence on the pope convincing him to come back to Rome. Catherine lived in a very difficult time, there were many wars going on, the church was very divided, and it was also the time of the plague, but through it all Catherine was a shinning light who inspired others. I think anyone interested in the lives of the saints will love this book. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Following God's Will, February 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lay Siege to Heaven (Paperback)

I read this book in a matter of days. St. Catherine has always interested me, and this book put a new dimension to a very well-known and loved saint. Among other things, this book showed me how Catherine prayed. As she spoke to her Lord, she was filled with fire and persistence, saturated in love for her Lord. Truly a book that sheds light on the true strength of an incredible woman.