His Holiness: John Paul II and the Hidden History of Our Time - Hardcover

Bernstein, Carl; Politi, Marco

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786210508 ISBN 13: 9780786210503

Publisher: Thorndike Pr, 1997

Synopsis

NonfictionLarge Print EditionA gripping, meticulously researched biography that places the reader inside the corridors of power in Rome, Moscow and Washington, D.C. San Francisco Chronicle* A New York Times BestsellerPulitzer Prize-winner Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi, the dean of Vatican journalists, combine their substantial abilities to show how Kremlin elders struggled in vain to overcome the alarming power and influence that Pope John Paul II had on Eastern Europe. The Pope had become the inspiration and protection of Solidarity, and after a meeting in Rome with then-president Ronald Reagan, the pair committed the vast resources of two superpowers one spiritual, the other strategic to hastening the demise of communism. Compelling journalism, drama, history, and biography, His Holiness, reveals the real story behind the end of the cold war and a definitive portrait of a great moral leader of our time.

About this title

Review:

Two veteran reporters, American Carl Bernstein (co-author of All the President's Men) and Italian Marco Politi have teamed up to present the case that Pope John Paul II worked closely with American political figures to cause the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. Their conclusions are controversial, but His Holiness provides an insightful look at the connections between governments, the Catholic Church and the Solidarity movement in the Pope's native Poland.

From the Inside Flap:

e meticulous reporting skills and narrative excitement that went into All the President's Men and The Final Days, journalists Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi provide an astonishing look at Pope John Paul II--the foremost political figure of our time. In their research, Bernstein and Politi have had unprecedented access to rare sources of information in Rome, Washington, and Moscow, including formerly top-secret Soviet files. Through these fascinating documents, His Holiness allows the reader a previously impossible glimpse inside the inner workings of the Soviet hierarchy, and shows how the Soviets recognized the serious threat John Paul II posed to their survival--even a the start of his papacy. Startling Politburo minutes show Brezhnev, Andropov, and other key figures heatedly discussing at length how to handle the pope--even within days of the nearly successful assassination attempt. Yet, John Paul II would come to dominate his era much as Churchill dominated

About this edition

• Publisher: Thorndike Pr
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0786210508
• ISBN 13: 9780786210503
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 853