A selection from How The Irish Saved Civilization, everything you need to know about the historical St. Patrick, the extraordinary Iron Age man who became Ireland's patron saint. The real St. Patrick neither dressed in green nor chased the snakes from Ireland; instead, he was a kind and courageous former slave who had been stolen from Britain during childhood and brought to Ireland. Though he escaped from slavery, he later returned in triumph to the island of his captivity. From the first volume of his widely acclaimed "Hinges of History" series, Thomas Cahill brings St. Patrick to life, and sheds light on the chaotic but starkly beautiful ancient Ireland. An eBook short.