Saints are not born; they are made. And many; as Saints Behaving Badly reveals; were made of very rough materials indeed. The first book to lay bare the less than saintly behavior of thirty-two venerated holy men and women; it presents the scandalous; spicy; and sleazy detours they took on the road to sainthood.In nineteenth- and twentieth-century writings about the lives of the saints; authors tended to go out of their way to sanitize their stories; often glossing over the more embarrassing cases with phrases such as; “he/she was once a great sinner.†In the early centuries of the Church and throughout the Middle Ages; however; writers took a more candid and spirited approach to portraying the saints. Exploring sources from a wide range of periods and places; Thomas Craughwell discovered a veritable rogues gallery of sinners-turned-saint. There’s St. Olga; who unleashed a bloodbath on her husband’s assassins; St. Mary of Egypt; who trolled the streets looking for new sexual conquests; and Thomas Becket; who despite his vast riches refused to give his cloak to a man freezing to death in the street. Written with wit and respect (each profile ends with what inspired the saint to give up his or her wicked ways) and illustrated with amusing caricatures; Saints Behaving Badly will entertain; inform; and even inspire Catholic readers across America.
#20621 in Books Ambrose; Stephen E. 1996-05-01 1996-05-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.20 x 5.20l; .90 #File Name: 0385479662560 pagesAnchor Books
Review
51 of 51 people found the following review helpful. A wonderful deep story of two culturesBy professortruthThis should have 10 stars. I an 83 yr. old that has read over a thousand books since I got an adult library card at age 6. I have had to slow down my reading because of eye trouble; but the ability of the paperwhite to increase font size had helped me keep my speed up. But this book is the best thing I come across in years. I was born in upper Minnesota and spent time on the Sioux reservation. I've also read some things about Custer and The Little Big Horn. All were weak in early detail and the culture. This book delves deeply into BOTH the lives of Custer and Crazy Horse.and their opposite cultures. For anyone interested in the early West and the lives of the Indian tribes as opposed to the upbringing of Custer will find it all here.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A history book that reads like a novelBy WWII fanAnother one of those riveting; story like history books that Stephen E. Ambrose seems to put out effortlessly."Crazy Horse and Custer..." is an excellent; well rounded book that takes a topic that is very tender in American History; and presents both sides of the issue; allowing the reader to form their own viewpoint on the Native American's history in the northern Plains. On one side; there is Custer: the ambitious; romantic; and magnetic soldier that in a way is the perfect picture a young; forward thinking America. On the other; there is the calm; powerful Crazy Horse; who embodies everything we love about the noble Plains Indians--fierce; humble; kind; and simply taking life in stride; but like a coiled spring; ready to defend intruders who would disrupt their way of life.Ambrose takes these two; and does a wonderful job explaining how their society made them. Custer comes from a progress driven; hard working society that is the individualistic personae working together for a common goal--but always working; always moving forward; learning from the past to apply it to the future. Crazy Horse comes from the society that has seen it all. and is content with how it worked out for them. They take what they need; and let it go at that. They live as a giant family of independents who are content to reflect on the past; and bring it to the present.It is a gripping tale of blundering West Pointers; undisciplined Sioux war parties; and most of all; brave fighters; on both sides; pitted against one another in a battle for the Plains.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I see them both in a very different wayBy Steve C.I found this to be a superbly researched book. I can now better understand these two important historical figures and the world that they lived in. It is in many ways a sad treatise on how we treated the original people's of the United States even after we conquered them. I feel I know these two and what made them do what they did.
