Lives and Legends of the Saints [Hardcover]

Carole Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

A lavishly illustrated volume--featuring the famed works of Raphael, Bosch, and Giotto--recounts the dramatic histories of many Christian saints, including John the Baptist, Francis of Assisi, and Joan of Arc.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Joan of Arc to John the Baptist, here are the stories of twenty of the best-known and best-loved saints in Christian history as portrayed by the world's greatest artists. Beautifully printed in rich color.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up?The 20 saints and martyrs gathered here are, with few exceptions, either biblical figures central to the Christian story (John the Baptist, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene) or heroes of the early church. The biographies are brief?two or three paragraphs at most. Most of the selected martyrs lived under the pagan Roman emperors and proved their piety by dying in bizarre and horrendous ways. Some are famous for their legendary deeds?Christopher, for example, and Saint George. Also included are the two great medieval figures, Francis of Assisi and Joan of Arc. Details from works by Raphael, Giotto, and lesser known artists of the 14th to 16th centuries show the veneration in which these saints were later held in Europe. However, the confusion of Renaissance costumes and details with events that occurred back in the Roman Empire takes the book out of the realm of history and places it firmly in the category of religion, with some application to art history. The emphasis, both in text and in the artistic renderings, is on legend and miracle; the stories are drawn from church tradition and hagiology. The volume concludes with an index of the paintings and a complete calendar of the saints venerated on each day of the year. Handsomely designed, and with a text that elaborates on the curious and intriguing legends that surround the Catholic saints, the book is particularly appropriate for church schools and public libraries with extensive and balanced religious collections.?Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; First Edition edition (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689802773
• ISBN-13: 978-0689802775
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,265,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Saints That Touch Our Lives, June 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lives and Legends of the Saints (Hardcover)

This special book is a treasure. As a child, our school celebrated the feast day of many saints in the Catholic faith. This book gave me the opportunity to learn about why their lives (and their deaths) were significant. Each saint's story is one page and accompanied by a beautiful work of art depicting their life. The book also identifies each saint's honor as the "Patron Saint" of people in certain situations, or professions. Did you know that St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers? Did you know Saint Dorothy is the patron saint of florists? With the exception of St. Patrick's day on March 17, most people do not know the dates we honor specific saints. I am pleased to inform you that this is included inside the back cover of the book. As a CCD teacher I have used this book to teach children in 5th grade about the saints and it is one of their favorite lessons. I have shared this book with friends as well have children. I strongly recommend this book for all ages.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good For Adults Who Love Museum Art, August 22, 2005

By 

Miryam Shoresh (Adirondack Mountains, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lives and Legends of the Saints (Hardcover)

This book portrays the lives of 20 saints in 35 pages. Two pages are devoted to to each saint, accept for Andrew, Peter, Luke and Christopher. Half of the space of each portrayal is devoted to a historical narrative of the saint's life. The remaining space has a picture of the saint from an art museum of the world. I would not recommend it for children. It reads more as a historical text than as true stories. And I believe that adults would more appreciate the pictures in this book. For books that I believe which may have more of an appeal for children please check out my other reviews.
The saints who are portrayed in this book are:
Andrew.....................Dorothea.................Joan of Arc............Martin of Tours
Apollonia...................Eustace...................John the Baptist.....Mary Magdalen
Catherine of Siena.....Francis of Assissi.....Joseph..................Michael
Cecilia......................George....................Lucy......................Paul
Christopher...............Jerome....................Luke......................Peter