This is the first biography of Thomas Merton that tells about him as he wanted us to know him. Merton did not choose to keep his most personal writing secret (he provided for his diaries to be released 25 years after his death), but rather chose to be remembered as a monk whose most human faults should be revealed. He proved he had flaws by carefully recording them; it was a most generous gift. In the bargain, he wanted his readers to believe that the principles he espoused are in fact practicable for anyone, not just those who live like a saint.
This biography combines the details of those diaries with the more widely known and published circumstances of his life. Here we meet Merton, first as Tom, then as Thomas, the writer both before and after The Seven Storey Mountain. We see the all-too-human fellow traveler we have come to know as he climbs the final mountain of his life; Kanchenjuga Mountain was a symbol of this journey. Within these pages Merton reveals his hopes and dreams against the backdrop of an incredibly turbulent period of social change that both frightened and energized him. We witness his love of the rich Cistercian tradition and his adjustment to its evolving practices following Vatican II. Here he interacts with some of the most notable international figures of his time, and he confides to us the difficulties he had in everyday relationships.
This is the first biography to present, along with a comprehensive publishing history, a detailed picture with photographs and other previously unpublished illustrations of events significant to him.