One of the reasons for Thomas's broad appeal as a saint is that he meant different things to different people. Each could take from his memory and his image what they sought, whether it was the miracle-worker, the martyr, the champion of the Church or a combination of these. It is not unusual for people to project onto a saint, or indeed any famous figure, what interests them and what they want to see, but Thomas allowed such a range of interpretations because his life presented such rich and varied material. The same may be said of the Lives of Thomas. In their volume, variety and complexity they allow readers to use them as historical sources for Thomas's career, personality and character, and for evidence of the disputes in which he was involved and the world in which he lived, but also as an insight into historical and hagiographical writing of the time, and of patterns of contemporary thought and learning. My approach has been deliberately selective, aiming as I have to give a sense of the literary character of these works, and to highlight features of their portrayal of Thomas which have not received due attention. This approach not only limits the focus on their value as historical evidence but also, by concentrating on their qualities, less has been said about their flaws, and I have tended to emphasize similarities between individual Lives, and between the Lives of Thomas and other medieval writing, rather than looking for differences.