Yes, Francis wore sandals and preached to the birds, but these pages take you beyond the nature-lover of popular myth to the real St. Francis of Assisi, model of holiness and Christian courage.

Here author Michael de la Bedoyere makes Francis and his times live again as he relates - with heart-stopping intensity -the adventures of this man who, precisely because of his great love for God, strove mightily to overcome his sinful nature.

You'll learn the full story behind the famous incidents in Francis's life -including his hugging the leper and his sermon to the birds. You'll hear of Francis's perilous journey into the heart of Islam, where Catholics were killed merely for professing Christ - and where Francis actually offered to be set on fire to establish the truth of the Catholic Faith!

Here, then, is the complete story of the man who cheerfully gave himself to God, without paying the least attention to the cares of this world . . . and did it with constant good humor and unflagging trust in God.

St. Francis of Assisi is a superb model for each of us today: an ordinary man who - by God's grace - was able to do extraordinary things.