A saint with universal appeal, Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) cultivated a faith that found peace in simplicity and nature. Much of what we know about Francis can be attributed to Brother Ugolino Boniscambi, who penned these reminiscences of the holy man, his friends Bernard and Leo, the ferocious Brother Wolf, the King of France, and the honorable Sultan of Egypt. Offering a fresh translation of this Christian classic, Jon Sweeney has also restored the chronological order of these pieces, making the book a de facto biography of Francis as well as a sustained look at how his faith developed and deepened over the years.