St. Patrick of Ireland : A Biography

by Philip Freeman

Ireland's patron saint has long been shrouded in he drove the snakes out of Ireland; he triumphed over Druids and their super-natural powers; he used a shamrock to explain the Christian mystery of the Trinity. But his true story is more fascinating than the myths. Late in the 4th century Irish pirates captured a young, British citizen named Patricius from his parents' Roman villa. The boy was sold into slavery and sent to tend sheep in Ireland. After walking nearly 200 miles across bogs and mountains to the coast, he managed to escape on a ship full of pagan sailors and returned home to the astonishment of his family. Patrick was destined for the privileged life of nobility but, when he experienced a profound religious awakening, he decided to become a priest and return to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. The Patrick who emerges is even more extraordinary than the patron saint of legend - a passionate, courageous, and very human figure who exerted an incalculable impact on the course of Irish history.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Religion, Historical, Christian

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

I teach Classics and Celtic studies at Luther College in the beautiful little town of Decorah, Iowa. I did my doctoral work at Harvard and taught at Boston University and Washington University in St. Louis before coming to Luther to help run the Classics department. I love teaching and see my writing as an extension of my work in the classroom. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip Freeman has taken St. Patrick off his pedestal and presented him as a man - a man who never sought the adoration he was given. He only wanted to serve God as a slave who escaped who escaped from his masters; then as a bishop who would return to the country of his former masters to serve once again by spreading Christianity. A meticulously researched biography that is even more powerful than the legends.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad to have come to the end of this fascinating book that my dear friend, Kellie, lovingly sent to me. I want to spend the time writing the review it deserves but there will be a full RTC 🔜

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

(fitting that this book, that deals among other things with slaves and free men, is written by a man with a surname of 'Freeman')

This is a biography seeking the true, historic man and talks about the world of the time too, which tells us things that any written material may not be able to (through archaeology). A few black and white pictures are included, and the chapters are just the right lenght. There is also map of the Celtic lands and of Ireland in Patrick's time.

We follow Patrick's life from his early years to his old age, we witness his slavery in his youth, guess what he did between escape and comic band, what he did in Ireland - no, there were never snakes in Ireland, as a Roman writing from 200 years before Patrick also states - and the two letters of his we still have (lucky thing they were copied often enough, because originals are lost, and many copies are not in full or just fragments).

At the end are two letters of Patrick (that show both his character and his lack of learning (due to slavery)), the spelling of some Irish names and words, timeline and some suggested reading.

The text shows the time around the fall of Rome, and how it wasn't as disastrous as I thought it could've been, nor how those who experienced the fall feared. It shows what influences three groups of people in Ireland had on Patrick's ability to spread his faith (the numerous small kings, the druids of both sexes, the women of both free and slave kind). A chapter on Corocticus, who Patrick wrote to, to free some Christian slaves that the man, as a Christian, shouldn't have taken - whatever the result was, it did no doubt give some influence in all the places it was read.

We also get a chapter on what the Ireland was like after Patrick (his life's end is quite open, but whether it was peaceful or not, there is no grave, as he wished it to be so). At leas for the next 200 years not all were Christians, nor were times peaceful, but the faith stayed. Some Irish monks and clergy did travel eastwars, to Britain and Gaul at least, and gave influence to certain areas.

This is the historical Patrick, not so much the religious legend with the evading poisoning, driving out snakes etc., and it's a better view this way. It shows Patrick's deep trust in God for guiding and protecting him during his life - and although at first Patrick was forgotten for a while, he eventually because the popular figure we have today; this book adds the real, faith-driven man into it. A very worthy reading for anyone interested :)

[Kellie O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5 heart and clover rating from me!! ☘️💚☘️💚☘️

I absolutely loved this book and was surprised at how much I learned about St. Patrick!! Being Irish, I was raised knowing about him and while reading this book, it's amazing how much more I learned!! Isn't that one of the reasons we read books? Reading this book also fulfills one of my goals to read more books that I have at home! ✔️ It's been sitting on my bookshelf for a while now and I just decided to finally read it! I also really wanted to finish it before St. Patrick's Day was over and thanks be to God, I did!! 😄 My thoughts are overflowing with what to share with you, because there's so many amazing things about St. Patrick, some I knew, others I didn't know but since I want you to read this book, I will share some of my thoughts.

St. Patrick was born in Britain during the closing years of the fourth century and was born into a noble family. Even though he was raised in a Christian household, he admits that he was rebellious and didn't believe in God. He was kidnapped by Irish pirates just before his 16th birthday and taken with thousands of others as slaves to Ireland. He was there for 6 long years and was the lowest of the low slaves. He was a shepherd in care of the sheep 🐑. Cattle and cows were more highly esteemed. He faced death daily and finally escaped and went back home. He was happy to be home and his family welcomed him with open arms!! You'd think he would stay in Britain, but no!! He had a call from God to go back to Ireland and preach the Gospel! Would you want to go back to the very people that enslaved you and you faced death daily? Thanks be to God that Patrick obeyed His call, became a Decean and then a Bishop to Ireland!! 🇮🇪. While he was in Ireland, he did a lot of fascinating things! He started churches, baptized the people who came to believe in God. It was hard work because people still worshiped and made offerings to pagan gods. There's a lot more but I think that you get some idea of his work. Especially, spreading the truth about God and helping to bring Christinianty to the Irish people. Still, he faced death more times than he could ever count. St. Patrick has always had a special place in my heart, but after I read this amazing book, especially his letters, he's more endearing than ever to me!!! 💚 I also read a book a few years ago about Joan Of Arc and in that book, I learned that he knew her!! That book is called " Joan Of Arc" by Mark Twain. He spent 12 years of his life researching that wonderful book! This book also speaks about St. Brigid Of Kildare and the famous Book Of Kells " with it's profusely decorated gospel pages, considered by many to be the most beautifully illuminated manuscript in the world." This was really cool to me, because I also read the book " Brigid Of Kildare" by Heather Terrell!! What a fantastic thing to me to find books that I actually own and read in this one!!! 🤣 St. Patrick was truly a beautiful and humble man, he didn't want any credit or money for his work, even though he could have been paid. His only desire was to spread the Gospel and to live in Ireland and also die there.

Here's a few of my favorite quotes:
" The Breastplate of Patrick -- is a morning song of praise and invocation." It's long, so I will just quote the last part.
" Christ protect me today
from poison and burning,
from drowning and wounding,
so that I might gain an abundant reward."
" Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ below me, Christ above me,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye which sees me,
Christ in every ear which hears me.
I rise today
with a mighty power, calling on the Trinity,
with a belief in the threeness,
with a faith in the oneness,
of the creature of creation." I was taught this growing up!

St. Patrick always said that he was uneducated by the standards of the day, which is partly true because he wasn't taught anything while he was enslaved. He said that he was happy to be in Ireland, even though he was daily threatened, because he became to believe in God!!!! Yay for St. Patrick!! I admire this Saint!! One on particular Easter Sunday, he just baptized a group of men and women in the faith. On their way home, they were attacked and the men were killed and the women were enslaved!! Patrick wrote a letter to Coroticus the evil man and his army. In his letter St. Patrick wrote, " God, I know these horrible actions break your heart -- even those dwelling in Hell would blush in shame." It's said that Coroticus squirmed on his throne in fear. Patrick forgave him and prayed that he would repent and believe in God!

In his Confession, written before he passed away, he said, " Even if I'm not written well, I'm still a solid and faithful letter, written in your hearts not with ink but with the spirit of the living God. As the Holy Spirit says; ' Even unsophisticated people were created by God.' "

What a beautiful treasure written about an incredible man of faith!!!! 💚☘️🍀 I very highly recommend this book!!
Enjoy and Happy Reading 💫✨🍀☘️💚

[Richard Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It explains the sacrifice Patrick made to go from a privileged life in Britain on a life-long mission to Ireland where he had once been taken as a slave. He evangelized among a tribal, pagan people and planted churches.

The book helped me appreciate Patrick's intimacy with God, his courage, and his fruitfulness in ministry. I am inspired to follow Christ more closely. He was a true missionary and an example for today's church.

For me, it didn't read like a biography usually reads. We have so little knowledge about Patrick's life, that Freeman, based on the historical context, often had to write things like, "Surely Patrick must have thought... been feeling... acted..." Lots of the book felt like conjecture - admittedly a well-informed conjecture. But the way things were presented was a bit off-putting to me.

I had previously read the Confessions. I have to say that understanding the historical context makes the Confessions much more accessible and inspirational. The first time I read the confessions, I felt as though I read it in "black and white." After reading Freeman's book, I feel as though I was reading the confessions in "living color!"

I recommend this book, especially for those who see Saint Patrick as an ancient relic who is inaccessible and merely sacramental.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed by Philip Freeman's biography of St. Patrick.
The research was clear and quite thorough, relying heavily on two of St. Patrick's own letters. Freeman also gave an extensive overview of Ireland during the time of St. Patrick in order to give historical context, and to separate the man from the myth. The only disappointment that I had was Freeman's hermaneutic/apparent starting point of "none of the myths/miracle stories can be true, because the miraculous is not credible." However, the sense of this wasn't as strong as I have encountered in other secular biographers of saints' lives.
Overall, I would highly recommend Freeman's work as both entertaining and informative.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this, I hardly knew anything about the history presented in this book. I found it to be an interesting overview of the Irish and Roman-British culture in the 5th century and explanation of Patrick's letters. Patrick was not some magical leprechaun, but an inspirational Christian who lived by biblical faith after Irish slavery. He was an incredible example of the second greatest commandment "love your neighbor as yourself" -- a command that if obeyed, would solve many, many of our world's problems.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. We know very little about St. Patrick and Freeman is very conscientious of explaining what is a fact and what is only a good guess. This book is more about the background world of St. Patrick's day than the man himself (...since we know almost no hard facts) and I enjoyed it very much. His translations of St. Patrick's letters at the end of the book are also good; one of the better translations I've read.

[Michael Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy-to-read bio of one of the greatest saints in Church history, St. Patrick is a fine example of the greatness a person can rise up to despite the trials and tribulations. And that greatness is not only for oneself, but also for the greater good of society and the greater glory of God.

[Joshua Bremerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book should actually be called "The Ireland of Saint Patrick." Having read several Patrick biographies, Freeman's is definitely the most imaginative and speculative—built mostly upon a recreation of fifth-century Britain and Ireland. This is not a turnoff for me; in fact, I found a lot of his conclusions well-researched and solid. I will say, though, that I wouldn't suggest this as someone's first foray into Patrick, mostly because I wouldn't want them to form solid conclusions about speculative elements (however grounded).

Freeman's analysis of Confession and Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus was really well done and helpful! I thought he was incredibly insightful, and this analysis was almost better than the actual biography portion of the book.

[Joeybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book highlighting important historical events through the Lifetime of st Patrick. From the Roman Empire falling, to the early expansion of Christianity this book shows what life was like in Ireland in the 400-500s, and how St Patrick became to be.

[Regina Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointment! But, it really isn't the author's fault. It's just that with the exception of two letters written by Patrick himself - Confession and Letter to the Soldiers of Croticus (both of which are at least fully included in this work) - apparently very little historical information remains on Patrick. Unfortunately, Confession reliability is suspect; it seems more of a modern-day retelling of several Old Testament stories in the shape of Patrick's life as if further emphasizing God's direct selection and approval of Patrick and his work in Ireland.

All we know is that Patrick was from a Roman family in Britain. They were a land-owning family and served the church for two generations. At the age of fifteen Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery into Ireland. Patrick claims to have received a vision commanding him to return home. After a one month journey across Ireland he finds a ship willing to take him aboard and back to Britain. Reunited with his family, he claims to have another vision to return to Ireland and convert its people. He eventually became a Deacon then a Bishop and faced opposition with the British church, which used a sin of some kind (we don't even know what it is) from his teenage years as a pretext to investigate Patrick. That's ALL we know. We don't even have the benefit of knowing what towns he was born in, lived in slavery, found a return ship to return home, where he preached, where he died, or where he's buried. We don't know how long he stayed in Britain before returning to England. We don't know the outcome of the investigation.

The book was frustrating for its lack facts and it continuous use of phrases like "you can imagine", "might have", "likely", "probably," "possibly", etc. But, the lack of documents is understandable taking into account Irish culture at the time. It was heavily reliant on oral tradition and writing religious texts was forbidden in Celtic religion. But, it is a shame because the conviction and genuine care of the Irish Christians displayed in the letter to Croticus gives you a glimpse into his heart. It would have been nice to know more. Patrick is probably a subject that should be left to historical fiction writers rather than non-fiction unless more evidence is ever uncovered.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty "historical" biography - lots of information about relationships between Britain and Ireland including ethnic slavery and military rivalries, the history of Celts and the influence of Druids and Romans, pre-Christian religion, the early history of Christianity and its spread into Britain and Ireland, etc. I found it fascinating, though I didn't agree with all the interpretations of early Christianity.

Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century, but was kidnapped by slave traders as a teenager and shipped to Ireland. He worked for 6 years and then escaped, walking across Ireland to a port city and managing to sail home. But a spiritual awakening drew him back to the "barbaric" country where he had served as a slave, and he spent the rest of his life sharing the message of Christianity in Ireland. The biographical details are mostly based on two long letters Patrick wrote near the end of his life; the full text is included in the epilogue. But the letters are brought to life with lots of fascinating historical detail that sets the context.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic outline… very well done!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

'St. Patrick of Ireland' was easy to understand, but thoroughly resesrched!
No parts of the book dragged.

The author drew from two letters we have- written by St. Patrick himself, as well as what we know of Irish culture at his time.

I enjoyed this interesting book and learned many things!
Though I don't believe the author is a Christian, he was even handed, respectful of St. Patrick for the sincerity of his faith, and how it led him to serve others.



The author included a translation of St. Patrick's two letters, at the back of the book! I appreciated that a lot.
There also was a list of options for further reading.

If you'd like to learn about St. Patrick, or even about old Ireland, I'd heartily recommend!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a long, comprehensive biography of St. Patrick. Rather, it is an overview of the world he lived in and a summary of what his life may have been like. There are only two extant writings by Patrick himself, and so little concrete history from Britain and Ireland at this time. Therefore, I appreciated that Freeman kept it simple, not trying to force the thin record of St. Patrick into unsupported conclusions. Freeman does, however, craft a logical and interesting narrative. He also provides full modern translations of St. Patrick's writings, which are enjoyable. He also provides a helpful bibliography for those who wish to dig deeper. While perhaps not a stunning scholarly work, this book is a very respectable armchair history that brings humanity and concreteness back to a character overly steeped in myth in the popular mindset.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this biography of St. Patrick and most especially appreciated the historical placement. I found this book easier to digest than another I read simply because of the presentation of information, and a quick course in the state of the Roman Empire in Britain around the time of Patrick's birth. There was a lot of cultural and time placement in the book before a presentation of some aspect of Patrick's life was given for me it helps to retain the information so I don't get a lot of facts floating in time and space with no place to put them down mentally. Whet my appetite to revisit some Roman history...

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable and authentic. Philip gave a very good background of Irish culture in St. Patrick's day (5th century AD), which goes a long way toward understanding the world Patrick faced. I was very impressed by the book. It's a very quick read, which is refreshing considering what I've been reading recently. It sticks closely to the few things we do know about Patrick, so while it feels authentic, it's rather lacking in details: I don't feel like I have a good knowledge of what Patrick really did (because we don't really know for sure), or why he was so special except vaguely that he made converts and established a church.

[Jonathan Drnjevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholarly and engaging biography of Patrick. Most surprising to me was how little we actually know about him. So much pop-culture and so little fact. Highly recommend.

[Phillip Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a pretty good and interesting biography considering how sparse the historical record is. I've read the book, "Let me Die in Ireland," and I've been annoyed at how many people don't realize that that book is a historical fiction and not a biography so it was nice to find an accurate history for once. One of the best things about this book is that, at the end of the book, it includes both of Patrick's letters in a very accessible translation.

[Jorge Criado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una interesante aproximación a la vida de san Patricio en la que el autor procura alejarse de cualquier elemento mítico o legendario e intenta entresacar la realidad de este santo que tanto hizo y tanto sufrió por la evangelización de la isla Esmeralda.

[Raymond Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, he didn’t drive out snakes and explain the trinity using a clover. The real story is much more fascinating!

Also, I wanted to have this finished by St Patrick’s Day… that clearly didn’t happen lol

[Karen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical read. Fun fact: There are no snake species native to, or naturally occurring in Ireland.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on St. Patrick

I was interested in St. Patrick and what we know about him. This book was fantastic in creating a narrative based around the surviving original text of St. Patrick’s writings. With a great deal about the world he inhabited Freeman does well to leave the reader with a great understanding of exactly who Patrick was, where he lived and his mission.

Included at the end is a translation on the Confessions by Freeman himself. Couldn’t have asked for more!

[Mike Ogilvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography does a pretty good job of interweaving the few facts that are actually known about St. Patrick with a historical backdrop to give us in part a factual history and in part a conjectured picture of his life.

It seems that most if not all of the facts of his life are taken from two surviving letters (well, they survive as copies of copies). One is a letter to a British citizen who had killed and captured some of St. Patrick's followers in a slave raid on Ireland. The other is his "confessions" that tell his general history.

Living in the 5th century, Patrick was born a Roman citizen, son of a noble, in what is now England. At 15 years old he was captured by an Irish slave raid and spent six years as a slave in Ireland. He escaped back to his family and worked his way through the church to eventually become the 2nd Bishop to Ireland. (The first one had a very short, mediocre tenure.)

I picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about St. Patrick. After reading How the Irish Saved Civilization, I was very intrigued by the idea that St. Patrick could have been the first person in modern history to have opposed the general idea of slavery. Unfortunately this book did not make the same conjecture. I think any interpretation of this position would be based on his letter to the person who captured and murdered Irish Christians. He certainly denounces the act and calls for the slaves to be released, but it's a far cry from an out-right denouncement of slavery as an institution. Slavery was such a normal part of life that even the man who had seen his family and friends murdered while he was put into slavery and escaped, doesn't seem to quite come out and say that slavery should be abolished. He certainly calls for the freeing of his Christian Irish friends, but I think you could find people calling for the end of slavery of their own people going very far back. According to this book he certainly doesn't reach the level that I was expecting. I'd like to find out who was the first to universally condemn slavery.

One interesting point is that Philip Freeman makes a point to say that "the Irish did not save civilization" through the disbursement of books and literature after the middle ages. Which seems like a purposeful and direct contradiction to How the Irish Saved Civilization. Which would be a fun argument to investigation, but Freeman doesn't give any real support for his side.

Regardless, this book was overall an interesting read, but not outstanding. Might have garnered only 3 stars except the content is near impossible to find anywhere else.


(NARRATOR: Alan Sklar has a great voice but it felt very flat and monotone for most of the book. Very "historical". I'd have preferred a less weighty approach.)

[Harold Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was both engaging and informative, with thorough and well documented research. While it’s true that historical information on St. Patrick is limited, the author did an excellent job of presenting what we do know, backed by well-cited sources. Where facts were lacking, the speculative insights were clearly identified as such and thoughtfully grounded in the historical context of the time.

The author’s approach was both respectful and scholarly, making the most of the available evidence without overstating the case. Additionally, the book is a relatively short and accessible read, which makes it all the more appealing.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in St. Patrick, early Christian history, or well researched historical biography.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and readable biography of Patricius of Bannaventa Berniae, who was kidnapped by Irish raiders and forced to work as a shepherd for six years, only to escape, return home, and hear a calling to return and spread the gospel of Christ to the very Irishmen who had enslaved him. Though much of the book's material is devoted to Patrick's times rather than to his life (specific areas include the cultures, worldviews and traditions of fourth century Britain and Ireland; Celtic mythology and the pagan priesthoods; the role of women in early Ireland; Christian doctrine and its roots in history; etc.), this information is both relevant and fascinating. Further, Freeman's book makes heavy use of Patrick's own letters, even going so far as to include a translation of their full text as an appendix! Freeman's main concern is evoking the world that Patrick lived in, and the man's response to the tragedies and blessings of his life. Myths and folklore surrounding the saint are all dispelled, but lightly and not dismissively, and only so that the true historical man may be better revealed. Freeman's skepticism of the folklore, moreover, does not go so far as to treat every supernatural element (e.g., dreams and visions) in Patrick's life as falsehood. All in all, I enjoyed the book and thought it a great introduction to the life of a saint, and the world of Ireland in the fourth century

[Andrew Brozyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most people I knew only two things about St. Patrick: he drove the snakes out of Ireland, and his day is a time for drinking vast amounts of alcohol (whether you're Irish or not). Last month I read online somewhere that Patrick was a Romano-British patrician kidnapped by Irish raiders in the 4th century. After 6 years as a slave he escaped, returned home to Britain, trained to become a priest, then traveled back to preach to the Irish. Intrigued, I went to amazon.com, typed in "St. Patrick" and found this book. I then checked it out from my local library.

Philip Freeman writes for those who have little previous knowledge of Late Roman, Pagan Irish, or early Christian history. This makes his book a breeze to read. He tells this true-life adventure story using Patrick's own surviving letters and general facts about the time and place in which he lived. It's really a fascinating adventure.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freeman clearly and concisely relates what precious few details we know about the life of Patrick and the world of the 5th-century British isles. The man led an incredible life that was full of danger and controversy. His example of faith is something which ought to encourage us in much the same way that the list of saints in Hebrews 11 does.

There are moments here and there when Freeman seems to me a bit looser than I'd prefer in speculation; "Patrick must have felt," "He surely would have loved," etc. That may be rather nitpicky on my part, though.

The book ends with an English translation of the two letters we have from Patrick's pen. The translation has more of a dynamic vibe to it than a formal one, but that's just fine for getting a sense of what Freeman calls Patrick's conversational tone. The two letters are fascinating enough on their own!

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure what it is about Patrick that is so fascinating to me but certainly part of it has to do with our inability to truly know anything about him.

I enjoyed this biography immensely, conjecture and all. I feel the author did a wonderful job filling in the gaps by describing the state of affairs in Ireland at the time; so even though we didn't exactly know what Patrick was doing, we certainly could know what he was up against.

I find his Confessions fascinating. I could read his words again and again. I only wish I'd known four years ago when I visited Dublin that a copy was at Trinity College - I'd have spent (a little) less time fawning over the Book of Kells (though totally justified and worth it) and taken a moment to admire the work of such a great man.