Il Poverello, 'the little poor man,' as St. Francis of Assisi was called, walked the dusty ways of everyday life and yet transformed the climate of the thirteenth century with his message of God's love for each creature. This new biography, by drawing on original sources and avoiding pietistic myths, sketches a vibrant portrait of Francis as he was, full of joy and simplicity, sometimes disillusioned and blundering, but always touched by a divine charisma