Lives of the Improbable Saints

From St Fillan of Munster, patron saint of the mentally ill, who read by the light of his miraculously glowing arm, to Santa Lucia, who tore out her eyes to dismiss the lascivious attentions of her would-be husband, here are nearly 200 classic stories of the saints of Christian legend. Richard Coles, former half of 80s pop duo The Communards, now a Church of England priest and presenter of Radio 4's Saturday Live, has collected these wonderful tales from around the world. Despite their bizarre, colourful and sometimes grotesque stories, many of these saints are still celebrated and prayed to today. This collection is arranged thematically, with an index of saints' days at the back of the book for anyone who wants to discover or pray to a saint a day. Every page illustrated by cartoonist Ted Harrison, giving the book a saintly Horrible Histories feel.