First published in 1893, Paul Sabatier's Life of St. Francis of Assisi transformed the way the modern world understood the beloved saint of Assisi. Written by a Protestant historian with a scholar's rigor and a pilgrim's devotion, it follows Francis from his restless youth as a merchant's son, through his dramatic conversion and embrace of 'Lady Poverty,' to the founding of the Franciscan order, the preaching to the birds, the stigmata on Mount La Verna, and his death in 1226. This edition reproduces the COMPLETE, UNABRIDGED original text, paired with a new introduction that situates Sabatier's landmark biography in its historical moment and reader's notes that illuminate the people, places, and sources he draws upon. Warm, vivid, and quietly profound, it remains an essential companion for anyone drawn to Francis's radical gentleness. Part of The Founding Texts Library.