Prisoner of the Vatican by David I Kertzer
Based on a wealth of documents long buried in the Vatican archives, Prisoner of the Vatican tells the story of the Church's secret attempt to block the unification of Italy and seize control - not in ancient times, but in the late nineteenth century. For more than fifty years, the pope was a self-imposed prisoner within the Vatican walls, planning to flee Italy, to return only as the restored ruler of Rome and the Papal States. The scheme to dismantle the newborn Italian nation involved not only the cardinals and the Curia but also attempts to exploit the rivalries among France, Germany, Austria, Spain, and England. Kertzer brings to light an untold drama played out among fascinating characters: Pope Pius IX, the most important pontiff in modern history; King Victor Emmanuel, working behind the backs of his own ministers; the dashing national hero Garibaldi; France's ill-starred Napoleon I, and many more. During this time, Italy was besieged from within and without, and Church history changed forever when the pope was declared infallible for the first time. Prisoner of the Vatican looks deep into the workings of the Church in its final bid to regain the pope's temporal power. Kertzer sweeps readers along with riveting, revelatory panache. No one who reads his new book will ever think of Italy, or the Vatican, in quite the same way again.David I.Kertzer was born in New York City in 1948. Paul Dupee, Jr. University Professor of Social Science at Brown University, is also a professor of anthropology and Italian studies. He is the author of Edgardo Mortara's Kidnapping, which was a National Book Award finalist. His book The Popes Versus the Jews was a finalist for the Mark Lynton History Award, and he received the Marraro Prize from the Society for Italian Historical Studies twice, in 1985 and 1990, for the greatest work on Italian history. His wife, Susan, and he live in Providence.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780618224425 |
| ISBN 10 | 0618224424 |
| Title | Prisoner of the Vatican |
| Author | David I Kertzer |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year published | 2004-11-15 |
| Number of pages | 357 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |