Thomas Kunkel's biography of Norbert of Xanten is written in clear, fast-moving prose which deftly balances the known details of the medieval saint's life with the context needed for most modern readers to understand their importance. The book's accessibility is its strength. However, it is a work of synthesis rather than something based on independent archival research—Kunkel largely draws on a small range of contemporary Premonstratensian scholars—and one which is forthright in its Catholic convictions. While Kunkel tries his best to present Norbert as a flawed person rather than a plaster saint, that latter element does hamper the analysis at points. This is better thought of as a work of faith rather than one of history. ( )