Francis of Assisi is one of the world's most popular and charismatic religious figures in the history of christendom, and also one of the most misrepresented. Such is the assertion of Mark Galli, who here attempts to strip away the modern gloss in order to discover the real man and the world in which he lived. Chronicling the story of Francis from the affluent lifestyle of his hedonistic youth to his emergence as a Christian leader of great charisma and intensity, and his creation of a new and radical order of poverty and Christian witness, the author roots Francis in his medieval world showing, for example, the violence of the Middle Ages and the corruption of the Church. The saint revealed here is not the romantic free spirit of popular imagination, but a complex and contentious figure who combined a deep mysticism with radical commitment, and above all, sought to glorify God, the creator.