Saint Patrick Retold: The Legend and History of Ireland’s Patron Saint

Flechner (Converting the Isles), professor of early medieval history at University College Dublin, attempts a bold reconsideration of the life and work of St. Patrick, unsuccessfully aiming to speak to both a general and academic audience. Flechner begins with Patrick’s life in Britain, then his initial captivity in Ireland, his return to Britain, and his final missionary work in Ireland in the fifth century CE. Flechner takes each chunk of Patrick’s life as a chapter, and in each he attempts to situate Patrick in a greater context through the use of other medieval documents, as well as archaeological evidence. In attempting to appeal to two audiences at once, Flechner seems likely to appeal to neither: a general audience will find his dense style hard-going, while academics are likely to be put off by his oversimplifications (for instance: “It is the archaeology and the Roman sources that are the best windows on contemporary Ireland, and they compensate for the absence of any Irish written source from the period”). Flechner also has a habit of continually referring to a discussion taking place at a different point in the book, forcing readers to flip back-and-forth between chapters in order to follow his lines of argument, only adding to the confusion. However, those really interested in the life of St. Patrick might enjoy Flechner’s account, despite the frustrating presentation. (Mar.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review mischaracterized the nature of some of the source material referenced in the book.