re the two biographies that many critics consider to be Chesterton's best and the best short portraits ever written of these two great saints. St. Francis of Assisi was first published in 1923, shortly after Chesterton was received into the Catholic Church. It is a profoundly Catholic work, explaining and illuminating the life of St. Francis in a way no other biography has. The spiritual kinship the author felt with his subject enables the reader to delve into insights on the character of Francis that have eluded many.
St. Thomas Aquinas was written later in Chesterton's career. It also is enriched by the author's unique ability to see the world through the saint's eyes, a view that shows us Aquinas in a fresh way. Chesterton's pen brings the author of the Summa vividly to life.