The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots, a review

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Some books are so good that you rush through them to get your ‘fix’ (what I call brain candy books.) Yet, some books demand you read a little slower to really ‘get’ all that is contained within its pages.

The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots is one such book…you can’t pick it up and just speed read through the pages without feeling like you’d leave something behind.  This is the autobiography of Archbishop Philip Hannan (now retired and in his late 90’s) which he has written with the help of Nancy Collins and Peter Finney, Jr.

I have to say that I was really looking forward to reading this book.  The two biggest reasons it was on my reading list included the fact that (1)he was Archbishop of New Orleans when I lived in Slidell AND (2)my mom read the book shortly after it’s publication and couldn’t stop talking about it.  My parents just had the good fortune to attend a book signing with Archbishop Hannan and now have an autographed copy on their shelf.

While it might have been a slower read when compared to many of the fiction titles I have been reading, it was well worth every minute.  Having a glimpse into Archbishop Hannan’s life provided insight into the different decades of the 20th century as well as his unique view on events such as World War II and the assassination of President Kennedy.  The subtitle of this book is “Memoir of an Extraordinary Life”, something I would definitely second after having read it. 

Archbishop Hannan’s life is inspiring and contains for more of note than I suspect mine ever will.  Reading of how his Catholic faith permeated all areas of his life along with his willingness to be head God’s call has me longing to continue making changes in my own life.   To me, this is an indication of someone positively influencing our journey towards being a saint in heaven. 

The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots is available in hardback format for $24.95.

Disclaimer ~ This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Archbishop Wore Combat Boots. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.