Book Annotation — Life of St. Columba

This book published in the Penguin Classics Series, is a translation of the early hagiography written by Abbot Adomnán who did not know Columba personally but who was abbot soon enough after Columba's death that he was able to speak to monks who did know Columba. This is an important Life of Columba and penguin has found a keen translator in Richard Sharpe. I commend this if you want to have a solid hagiography of Saint Columba. Sharpe provides 108 pages of introduction prior to beginning the translation! However, far from being tedious, the introduction will got far in helping get you ready for the hagiography  — my advice is "do not skip the Introduction."