Best Biographies of St Francis (2026): 5 Books Compared

Finding the best biographies of st francis means choosing between the scholar’s Francis and the saint’s Francis: some readers want archives and chronology, and others want the life that inspired eight centuries of devotion. We compared five books by print length, publication date, publisher and what each description says, so you can match the book to the reader.

ShelfAnswers earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.

The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	A New Biography by Thompson	9.8/10	Buy
2	Complete Francis by Sweeney	9.8/10	Buy
3	Reluctant Saint by Spoto	9.7/10	Buy
4	St. Francis by Bonaventure	9.6/10	Buy
5	St. Francis by Chesterton	9.6/10	Buy

1

A New Biography by Thompson

Augustine Thompson·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For an adult reader who wants a scholarly, source-based life of Francis.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• Annotated edition from Cornell University Press
• Uses modern historical methods on the surviving evidence
• Reading age 18 years and up suits an adult reader

Cons

• 312 pages of scholarly method may feel dense
• Published April 15, 2012, so newer research is not included
• No grade level is stated

2

Complete Francis by Sweeney

Jon M. Sweeney·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For a reader who wants biography, writings and stories in one volume.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• Combines biography, writings and The Little Flowers in one volume
• 416 pages, the longest print length here
• Illustrated edition from Paraclete Press

Cons

• No reading age or grade level is stated
• Three works in one may overwhelm a first-time reader
• The biography portion is Sabatier's, not Sweeney's own

3

Reluctant Saint by Spoto

Donald Spoto·9.7/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For a reader who wants an archive-based modern life of Francis.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• Draws on archives and Francis's own letters, per the description
• 272-page reprint edition from Penguin Books
• Strips away legends for the historical man

Cons

• Published August 31, 2003, the oldest publication date here
• No reading age or grade level is stated
• Reprint edition rather than a new edition

4

St. Francis by Bonaventure

Bonaventure St. Bonaventure·9.6/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For a reader who wants the classic devotional life of the saint.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• Classic account by a near-contemporary of Francis
• 184 pages, a shorter read than the modern biographies
• Updated typesetting and binding in the TAN edition

Cons

• No reading age or grade level is stated
• Miracle accounts in the description may not suit a skeptic
• Published April 1, 2010

5

St. Francis by Chesterton

G.K. Chesterton·9.6/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For a reader who wants Chesterton's classic take in 110 pages.

Check price on Amazon

Pros

• Classic 1924 biography in a 110-page edition
• Shortest print length here for a quick read
• Published August 31, 2020 in a new edition

Cons

• Independently published edition
• No reading age or grade level is stated
• A century-old perspective on the saint

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

More picks to compare

• St. Francis by Chesterton102-page Chesterton sketch for a quick read, per the listingCheck on Amazon
• Life of St. Francis by Bonaventure165-page classic edition with foreword, per the listingCheck on Amazon
• The Road to Assisi by Sabatier220-page anniversary edition of the 1894 biography, per the listingCheck on Amazon
• St. Francis 800th Anniversary Ed.126-page illustrated edition for art lovers, per the listingCheck on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 18 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for a reader seeking a Francis biography, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age or grade level. Only the Thompson listing states a reading age, 18 years and up; none of the five states a grade level. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best biographies of st francis

Scholarly or devotional

The two modern biographies work from evidence: Thompson sifts medieval accounts with modern historical methods, and Spoto draws on archives and Francis’s own letters. Bonaventure’s Life is the devotional classic, written by a Franciscan about the founder. Decide which Francis you want before you buy. Browse the history and biography shelf for more lives.

One book or the whole library

The Sweeney volume packs three works into 416 pages: a biography, Francis’s own writings, and The Little Flowers. If that sounds like too much, the 110-page Chesterton or the 184-page Bonaventure give the life in an evening or two. Page counts here run from 110 to 416, so match the length to the reader’s appetite.

Check the edition and date

Publication dates run from 2003 to 2020, and editions matter: the Thompson is an annotated edition, the Spoto a reprint, the Bonaventure a TAN edition with updated typesetting, and the Chesterton an independently published 2020 edition. Older perspectives like Chesterton’s 1924 original read differently from modern scholarship.

Before you buy

• Check the format: the Chesterton listing is the 110-page 2020 edition, not the original 1924 printing.
• The Sweeney volume contains three works; confirm you want all of them before buying.
• Compare the reading age with your reader; only the Thompson listing states one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which biography of St. Francis should I read first?

For the full picture in one volume, the Sweeney collection gives biography, writings and stories. For a scholarly start, the Thompson biography is the most methodical.

What is the shortest biography here?

Chesterton’s St. Francis of Assisi at 110 pages, followed by Bonaventure’s Life at 184 pages.

Are these biographies religious or historical?

Thompson and Spoto work as historians from sources; Bonaventure writes as a believer about the founder. The descriptions make the stance of each clear.

Still deciding? Our top pickA New Biography by Thompson

Check price on Amazon

Related lists

See every history and biography list and all nonfiction lists. Also see our best biographies of US presidents list. Also see our best biographies of writers list.

More lists: biographies of visual artists, biographies of Van Gogh and biographies of Winston Churchill.