A biography of the Irish missionary and saint, Columbanus: Light on the Middle Ages also serves as a guide for understanding the pivotal sixth and seventh centuries, when Roman and barbarian cultures merged in Europe. Through the life of Columbanus, a highly influential participant in the development of the medieval church and the invigorating transmission of Irish culture to the emerging civilization on the continent, readers gain an understanding of thetransition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages.As a citizen of multiple cultures, Columbanus provides an excellent introduction to an entire era. Each interpretive biography in the Library of World Biography Series focuses on aperson whose actions and ideas either significantly influenced world events or whose life reflects important themes and developments in global history.