Father Vincent McNabb

Father Vincent McNabb, OP: The Portrait of a Great Dominican by Ferdinand Valentine, OP, 414 pages

Father Valentine's book was never intended as a comprehensive biography of his former teacher and fellow Dominican, but rather as an outline of his life and a collection of primary sources, particularly those gathered from Fr McNabb's own family.  Nearly half of the 414 pages are devoted to a collection of letters from McNabb, primarily to family members, disclosing much of the author's personality but rarely touching upon his public views.  As such, those looking for a detailed record of McNabb's work as a Catholic apologist or social reformer will be disappointed.  At the same time, as a brother in religion of his subject, Valentine brings to his study a special understanding, and this is further supplemented by the personal material.  The result is an intimate though uneven portrait of the man behind the work, the conflicts that drove him, and the loves that sustained him.