The Seven Storey Mountain

by Thomas Merton

Published 1 October 1948
One of the most famous books ever written about a man's search for faith and peace.

The Seven Storey Mountain tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man, who at the age of twenty-six, takes vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist monks. At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. At the abbey, he wrote this extraordinary testament, a unique spiritual autobiography that has been recognized as one of the most influential religious works of our time. Translated into more than twenty languages, it has touched millions of lives.


The Ascent to Truth

by Thomas Merton

Published 1 January 1951
Showing that the summit of ultimate truth is reached in contemplation, this book offers an exposition of the doctrines of St John of the Cross. The expositions and meditations are nourishment for the spirit journeying towards truth.

No Man is an Island

by Thomas Merton

Published December 1955
This is a discussion about real things that are so solid that people tend to ignore them. It asserts and insists the great truth that life must have a meaning. Thomas Merton shows that meaning has to be worked out for each individual, in their own unique way. It is a book about aspiration, asceticism and above all sacrifice - of oneself and of one's domination of self. It is about the choice between life and death, people's last and most important decision.