“Pujo’s Vincent makes seventeenth-century France the world of ‘never a dull moment’ for the Church. Readers will delight in Vincent’s lack of fear of women, readers will take comfort in his gentleness, and they will come to respect the man who couldn’t say it was right if it was wrong. Those who find history demanding and tedious can rely on the appended notes and charts after a good, enjoyable read. The only warning readers should heed is this: careful, Pujo’s Trailblazer is contagious!” —Cistercian Studies Quarterly
"...an informative and thoughtful examination of this remarkable saint from his peasant origins to his position as a powerful broker of Catholic Reformation good works." —H-France Review
“Pujo’s biography makes excellent use of sources and he is judiciously critical of earlier biographers. A useful timeline and thorough index are also included. Vincentians and all who are drawn to their charism—to say nothing of historians of early modern France—will find Pujo’s work amply rewarding.” —Catholic Books Review
“Pujo has penned a fascinating biography of one of the most proactive saints in Roman Catholic history. ... No other biographer has taken the care to place all his good works so firmly into historical context.” —Booklist
“... Pujo carefully documents Vincent’s transformation from seeking a comfortable church benefice to recognizing the poor as one’s masters. Pujo, unlike most previous biographers, emphasizes the wide historical contexts of Vincent’s vision of service. Well written and translated, this fine religious biography is recommended for public and academic libraries.” —Library Journal
“Vincent de Paul, The Trailblazer is a remarkable biography of a truly great hero of France and of the Church itself.” —The Priest
". . . Pujo's bibliography is full, and his notes provide capsule biographies of almost every person who figures in Vincent's story. The evidence provided here fully justifies the 'trailblazer' quality of Vincent's career, and makes the book valuable.” —Sixteenth Century Journal
“Bernard Pujo has written a popular biography of Monsieur Vincent that presents him as a 'Trailblazer.' The work's greatest strengths emerge in the author's descriptions of the political realities of seventeenth-century France.” —The Catholic Historical Review
“Vincent de Paul, whose good influence is still felt today, is one of the most attractive saints of modern times. His complex life, set against the tumultuous period of seventeenth-century France, demands high historical skills for any potential biographer. Bernard Pujo more than adequately rises to that challenge. This book was a joy to read.” —Lawrence S. Cunningham, University of Notre Dame
