The popularity of Charles de Foucauld continues to spread around the globe as the radiance and meaning of his life continues to be revealed. Unknown during his lifetime as a solitary monk in the Sahara Desert, and assassinated by bandits in 1916, this former French playboy had a radical conversion to Christ that compelled him to live a deeply ascetical religious life that has had a great impact on the world since his death.

In the light of the fact that during his lifetime he had founded nothing and converted no one, his life would seem to have been a failure. But his spiritual writings and the greatness of his example were to have an enormous influence. From all corners of the world arose men and women gripped by the absolute, in imitation of Charles de Foucauld, the "universal brother" (Paul VI). Then they formed the 340 fraternities of the Little Brothers and Little Sisters of Jesus.

This definitive biography by Jean-Jacques Antier, a renowned French author of more than fifty books, is the fruit of his exhaustive research on de Foucauld's life, writings and correspondence. He was given access to the complete archives on the life of de Foucauld from the congregation of the Saints compiled for his beatification process. Antier also interviewed numerous witnesses resulting in a powerful, inspiring biography of this holy 20th century figure, a "personality of fire." Illustrated with photographs, and indexed.

"In seeking the true and the good, our contemporaries tend to prefer authentic and modest witnesses, symbols of the salvation of the human family. That was the intuition which guided Charles de Foucauld, a great man of God, who sought to show the Gospel in a hidden, laborious way, in the silence which God signifies his presence as if it were a gentle breeze."
Pope John Paul II

Jean-Jacques Antier has published more than fifty books, translated in eight languages. He passes from history to novel, from essay to spirituality, from external adventure to adventure within. He has published Martha Robin: The Still Journey and with Jean Guitton, The Mysterious Powers of Faith.