St Columba is one of the most important figures in the early history of the British Isles. A native of Donegal and a nobleman of royal ancestry, his outstanding religious career spanned both sides of the Irish Sea. On the Scottish island of Iona he founded his principal monastery where he served as abbot until his death in AD 597. Iona eventually became the centre of a powerful federation of monasteries that preserved a memory of Columba and nurtured the saintly cult that grew around him.

Written by the author of The Bruce Trilogy, The Captive Crown, and Margaret the Queen, this is the story of a very human, fallible but courageous and indomitable man, born an Irish prince in the troubled and pagan sixth century, who rejected the high kingship of all Ireland to be an abbot.

Around 563AD a monk called Columba set off in a small boat with a few companions from the shores of his native Donegal, in the north-west tip of Ireland. Some time later they landed on the tiny island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland. Their journey is rightly perceived as one of the most significant events in the early Christian history of the British Isles. lan Bradley examines the life, character and achievements of St Columba and attempts to strip away the layers of myth and histo...

ColumbaByProsper Merimee

The original works of foreign classics, including the most representative literary masters and the most influential representative works.

"No Frederick Forsyth thriller could be as gripping as this real-life story" of British intelligence, brave WWII resisters, and 16,000 homing pigeons ( Daily Mail).Between 1941 and 1944, Britain dropped sixteen thousand homing pigeons in an arc across Nazi-occupied Europe, from Bordeaux, France to Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of a spy operation code-named Columba. Returning to MI14, the secret government branch in charge of the "Special Pigeon Service," the...

Founding father of the famous monastery on the island of Iona, a site of pilgrimage ever since his death in 597, St Columba was born into one of the ruling families in Ireland at a time of immense expansion for the Irish Church. This account of his life, written by Adomnán - the ninth abbot of Iona, and a distant relative of St Columba - describes his travels from Ireland to Scotland and his mission in the cause of Celtic Christianity there. Written 100 years after St Columba's death, it d...

«Essi lo crocifissero, e due altri insieme a lui, uno per parte, e Gesù nel mezzo» (Joan. XIX, 18). Gesù si abbandona ai suoi carnefici come un agnello senza aprire bocca. La tortura della crocifissione delle mani e dei piedi è inenarrabile. Chi potrebbe descrivere i sentimenti del Sacro Cuore di Gesù tra questi tormenti? Egli doveva ripetere senza dubbio le parole che aveva già dette facendo l'ingresso in questo mondo: «Padre, voi non v...

Columba And All That is a real-life adventure packed with historical facts about the legendary Celtic saint. Join Columba as he leaves his home in Ireland for the undiscovered country of Scotland. Witness magic and miracles as Columba confronts the Loch Ness Monster and mysterious painted warriors.Packed with fantastic illustrations, Columba And All That is one man's epic quest to spread the Word of God in a strange land - and hoping the natives like what they hea...

Christ, the Ideal of the Monk is a profound meditation on monastic life, centered on the figure of Christ as the ultimate model of consecration, obedience, and union with God. Dom Columba Marmion, with theological depth and spiritual sensitivity, presents the fundamental principles of Benedictine spirituality, emphasizing the central role of divine grace, liturgy, and community life in the path to holiness. The work transcends strict monastic life...

When morning came Eithne told her husband of the dream, and the two took counsel together. That his son should be a great prince in no way surprised Fedhlimidh. Was not he himself a grandson of the great king Niall of the Nine Hostages, so called because he had subdued nine Kings of Ireland to his will and made them his vassals, and was not the reigning king of all Ireland his near kinsman? No strange thing would it have been in those turbulent days, when the lives of kings were short and ...

"The Life of Saint Columba, Apostle of Scotland" by F. A. Forbes is a captivating biography that delves into the life and legacy of Saint Columba, a pivotal figure in the spread of Christianity in Scotland. Forbes meticulously chronicles Columba's journey from Ireland to the Scottish Isles, highlighting his dedication to faith, his founding of monasteries, and his role in converting the Picts. The narrative is rich with historical context, offering readers insight into the cultural and spi...