St. Francis of Assisi

Chesterton did not so much write a biography of, but more of an introduction to St. Francis of Assisi. The book is specifically written for the modern reader, who may have a distorted view of this medieval saint. Miracles, for example, are only discussed towards the end of the book; before that we read about the character of the man.
From the hundreds of stories about St. Francis' life, Chesterton only chooses a few. With these stories, he illustrates the character of the founder of the Franciscan Order. Chesterton also spends quite some time explaining the difference in times between now (or rather, Chesterton's time, around 1923) and the thirteenth century.
The purpose of the book is to interest people to read more of St. Francis, and I have to admit that Chesterton does succeed in this object.