SAINT PAUL

What we know of the complicated life of this early Christian missionary is related through several books in the New Testament. In this biographical compilation, the author uses all the various books of the Bible related to Paul to create a linear narrative of his life, presented in short chapters with abundant spot and full-page illustrations rendered by Cockroft in a muted but pleasing style. A map on the front endpapers traces Paul’s journeys throughout the Middle East and on to Greece and Italy. A final page provides some key facts about Paul, but this chart should have been placed at the front of the volume to aid readers’ understanding of the main text. Paul’s arguably most famous words—from I Corinthians—serve as the conclusion to the final chapter, but there is no clear reference to the specific chapter and verse. The most glaring omission is the lack of a chart of the Bible books that are attributed to Paul; only a vague reference indicates that Paul’s letters are found in the New Testament. (Religion. 8-12)