"The spiritual exploits of Saint Anthony the Great - the prototype of the Christian "Desert Father" - have been immortalized in stories and art since the fourth century. Here is the account of a modern seeker's quest to get beneath the legends that surround Anthony and to determine whether his extreme way of life has something to offer people in today's world. James Cowan's quest takes him to Egypt, to the monastery that still exists near the site of Anthony's hermitage, where he meets the monk who becomes his guide and mentor on the journey."--BOOK JACKET.