I have just been charmed, provoked and stimulated by reading Knight of the Holy Ghost: A Short History of G.K. Chesterton by Dale Ahlquist (Ignatius Press). Only someone who is not merely familiar with Chesterton’s enormous body of writing but who is saturated with it could succeed in conveying his uniqueness and lovableness in only 170 pages. Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society, has done just this. Something of his favourite writer’s gusto and zest has rubbed off on him. He admits that he has spent 36 years “listening to him talk” – and Chesterton wrote as he talked. The result is both an excellent introduction to Chesterton for those who do not yet have the inestimable pleasure of knowing him and a comfortable, affectionate summary for those who do.