G. K. Chesterton

St Thomas Aquinas: 'the Dumb Ox', a Biography of the Christian Divine (Aziloth Books) G. K. Chesterton

The scion of a noble Italian family, Tommaso of Aquino turned his back on privilege and - to the consternation of his family - took the strict vows of a Dominican friar. G. K. Chesterton's biography views the life of this saint through the glass of the historical and revolutionary changes he brought about as one of the most influential thinkers of his day. Chesterton explores the nature of the Gothic revolution and Aquinas' place in it, contrasting him with St Francis of Assisi - a near contemporary - and finding their differences 'complementary'. St. Dominic, Albertus Magnus and St. Bonaventure all figure in the tale, with Chesterton's famed wordplay and sense of fun giving a light touch to a work that has been described by Aquinas scholar Etienne Gilson as "without comparison the best book ever written on St Thomas. Nothing short of genius can account for such an achievement."