Martin of Tours: Soldier, Bishop, Saint

by Régine Pernoud

Regine Pernoud, the highly acclaimed French medieval historian, and author of best-selling titles on Joan of Arc and Hildegard of Bingen, as well as the book Those Terrible Middle Ages, presents an enlightening biography of one of France's most revered saints, and a man whose impact on France, and Europe, continues to this day. Martin of Tours lived in the 4th century, at that great turning point in history when the Roman Empire fell and the Church took charge in the West. He left a successful career in the military life to become a monk, and later a Bishop who traveled extensively, evangelizing the countryside and creating that particular sort of community life in a village that is now called a "parish". More than four hundred towns and some four thousand parishes in France are named after St. Martin. The term "chapel" is derived from the actual church where pilgrims venerate Martin's "cape" or cloak. Martin of Tours was a servant of the common man, as well as the nobility, and a very humble man who responded to the needs of his times and opened up vast perspectives for ordinary, everyday life. Given the crisis of the Christian Faith now facing France and all of Europe, the story of this soldier and great apostle and Christian evangelist is a timely one indeed.

Genres: History, Biography, Catholic

199 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Régine Pernoud (17 June 1909 in Château-Chinon, Nièvre - 22 April 1998 in Paris) was a historian and medievalist. She received an award from the Académie française. She is known for writing extensively about Joan of Arc.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent biography of St Martin of Tours, in particular because the author explains the historical details of the 4th century: what were the controversies, who was in charge, etc. She draws on the 4th century biographies of St Martin, which were written by people who knew him, but is able to help us understand what made him so impressive for his time and made his story so moving for centuries.

[Quanah Jeffries · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars: I rounded down to two instead of rounding up to three because it eventually became a chore to pick up the book. Reading it began to become more about having established a goal that I would finish it and wanting to meet that goal.

The book is 188 pages. However, there is much more Regine Pernoud in it than there is Martin of Tours. It is largely given to random unpredictable strings of tangents, with a tangent leading to another and that other leading to yet another and another and another. One chapter consists almost entirely of this. The tangents almost always have nothing to do with the subject of the book: Martin of Tours. Rather they drone on and on about a great variety of topics dealing with things far removed from Martin both geographically and temporally. The end result is a succession of opining and musings by the author, rather than a real picture of Martin, his time, and place. If these tangents and musings were taken out it would be approximately half as long. Finally, the book has neither the historical pointedness that would be expected of an historian of Ms. Pernoud's caliber nor the spiritual richness that would be hoped for from a devout Catholic.

If looking for a biography on Martin of Tours, it is probably better to simply go to the first written by Sulpicius Severus.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saint Martin of Tours is considered one of the founding fathers of Catholic Europe. He lived in the fourth century, a time when the pagan Roman Empire was disintegrating and Christianity was expanding, but still a minority religion.

He worked many miracles and converted thousands of pagans across France and Europe. Regine Pernoud is an excellent historian who mixed material from primary sources on Saint Martin's life with descriptions and explanation of 4th century Gaul. Overall, a highly readable and interesting biography of one of Europe's greatest saints.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pernoud is a consummate historian who has done her homework but doesn't' burden with plodding details this biography written for a popular audience. She's also a believer, a faithful Catholic, who at the same time recognizes that the Church in any age is incompletely striving for perfection. I look forward to reading her work on Hildegard of Bingen in the future.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of 4th cetury Bishop, soldier and eventually Saint. The post-constantine growth of Christianity (and the heresies as well) presented un-paralleled opportunties for conversion and confrontation (with heretics and pagans). Martin dealt with both in a humble, yet strong manner. Fascinating stories of miracles.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on an amazing Saint. Even if someone is not Catholic he was still a good man with good moral grounding.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent biography of St. Martin of Tours, based on the hagiography of him from the early Middle Ages.