"Documenting fifteen hundred years of history in 300 pages is a daunting task, but one that priest and Georgetown University professor O''Malley handles with gusto and a fair hand; considering the level of emotion that the Papacy can inspire, O''Malley reserves his enthusiasm for the unexpected twists of history, rather than any particular character or school of thought. In concise but engaging prose, O''Malley manages to find virtue in popes maligned by history, and a critical approach to the frequently-lauded, while keeping an eye on the world at large. Readers eager for a breezy survey of papal history will be pleased." -- Publishers Weekly "Libraries with significant Catholic collections will certainly want to purchase O''Malley''s work. O''Malley''s is a finely crafted one-volume history of an institution that has served in a significant capacity in world affairs." -- Library Journal "In serving up this kind of hard-nosed history of so many saints and sinners, O''Malley surely does not disappoint. O''Malley''s treatment of the medieval popes is consistently clear and engaging, but he really hits his stride when he reaches the popes of the early modern period, his own area of specialization. A fine example of a successful synthesis of a vast and complicated topic.

And its publication is just one more reason O''Malley rightly deserves the title of dean of American Catholic church historians." -- America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture "The debate will continue about why the institution, one which Protestantism has tried to live without, persists anyway. That question about the institution called papacy persists most of all and its current issues are well presented by John O''Malley''s A History of the Popes . It''s an excellent addition to any serious theological library but it''s also an approachable story for the general reader which most everyone will find as a good and compelling introduction to these important men of Christian history." -- Crossings "In John O''Malley''s history of the popes, the accent is on the mischievous -- typically highlighting popes flouting their authority or shouldering the burdens of office without the requisite aplomb." -- The Living Church "O''Malley gives a thorough and engaging overview of ''the oldest living institution in the Western world.'' He seeks to ''provide a recognizable path through complicated terrain'' and help readers to keep their bearings while including ''details that enliven it and at the same time illuminate bigger issues.'' .

Father O''Malley has once again written an excellent book." -- St. Anthony Messenger "O''Malley has produced yet another remarkable text and places us all in his debt. To take on such a monumental task as compiling a single-volume historical account of the 266 generally accepted church leaders who have followed in the footsteps of Peter is a truly daunting task.This volume is a gem that will inform, entertain, amuse, and inspire countless readers from widely differing backgrounds.O''M has deliberately written this book for a wider audience, and its prose, as ever, is wonderfully lucid and stylish, peppered with fascinating anecdotes and lesser-known aspects of history that grip the reader''s attention throughout.O''M is not afraid to get embroiled in the most contentious historical questions alone the way, including some of the most significant of all in this field of study.His observations on some of the most critical questions pertaining to the papacy and the church in general are consistently thoughtful and measured.

Throughout, with characteristic succinctness, wit, and historiographical elegance, O''M. explores the personal and social origins and backgrounds of his subjects and tries to discern their personalities throughout.This book will make a wonderful textbook at various levels, as well as a discussion text for parish groups and perhaps especially for ecumenical discussion groups. It will also be a cherished companion for readers seeking a less dense but nonetheless stimulating immersion into nearly 2000 years of history, regardless of their level of theological and historical training. Above all else, time and again O''M stirs the reader to think about individual popes, historical periods, and ecclesiological questions in a different way[.urely does not disappoint. O''Malley''s treatment of the medieval popes is consistently clear and engaging, but he really hits his stride when he reaches the popes of the early modern period, his own area of specialization. A fine example of a successful synthesis of a vast and complicated topic.

And its publication is just one more reason O''Malley rightly deserves the title of dean of American Catholic church historians." -- America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture "The debate will continue about why the institution, one which Protestantism has tried to live without, persists anyway. That question about the institution called papacy persists most of all and its current issues are well presented by John O''Malley''s A History of the Popes . It''s an excellent addition to any serious theological library but it''s also an approachable story for the general reader which mosurely does not disappoint. O''Malley''s treatment of the medieval popes is consistently clear and engaging, but he really hits his stride when he reaches the popes of the early modern period, his own area of specialization. A fine example of a successful synthesis of a vast and complicated topic. And its publication is just one more reason O''Malley rightly deserves the title of dean of American Catholic church historians." -- America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture "The debate will continue about why the institution, one which Protestantism has tried to live without, persists anyway.

That question about the institution called papacy persists most of all and its current issues are well presented by John O''Malley''s A History of the Popes . It''s an excellent addition to any serious theological library but it''s also an approachable story for the general reader which most everyone will find as a good and compelling introduction to these important men of Christian history." -- Crossings "In John O''Malley''s history of the popes, the accent is on the mischievous -- typically highlighting popes flouting their authority or shouldering the burdens of office without the requisite aplomb." -- The Living Church "O''Malley gives a thorough and engaging overview of ''the oldest living institution in the Western world.'' He seeks to ''provide a recognizable path through complicated terrain'' and help readers to keep their bearings while including ''details that enliven it and at the same time illuminate bigger issues.'' . Father O''Malley has once again written an excellent book." -- St.

Anthony Messenger "O''Malley has produced yet another remarkable text and places us all in his debt. To take on such a monumental task as compiling a single-volume historical account of the 266 generally accepted church leaders who have followed in the footsteps of Peter is a truly daunting task.This volume is a gem that will inform, entertain, amuse, and inspire countless readers from widely differing backgrounds.O''M has deliberately written this book for a wider audience, and its prose, as ever, is wonderfully lucid and stylish, peppered with fascinating anecdotes and lesser-known aspects of history that grip the reader''s attention throughout.O''M is not afraid to get embroiled in the most contentious historical questions alone the way, including some of the most significant of all in this field of study.His observations on some of the most critical questions pertaining to the papacy and the church in general are consistently thoughtful and measured.Throughout, with characteristic succinctness, wit, and historiographical elegance, O''M. explores the personal and social origins and backgrounds of his subjects and tries to discern their personalities throughout.

This book will make a wonderful textbook at various levels, as well as a discussion text for parish groups and perhaps especially for ecumenical discussion groups. It will also be a cherished companion for readers seeking a less dense but nonetheless stimulating immersion into nearly 2000 years of history, regardless of their level of theological and historical training. Above all else, time and again O''M stirs the reader to think about individual popes, historical periods, and ecclesiological questions in a different way[.urely does not disappoint. O''Malley''s treatment of the medieval popes is consistently clear and engaging, but he really hits his stride when he reaches the popes of the early modern period, his own area of specialization. A fine example of a successful synthesis of a vast and complicated topic. And its publication is just one more reason O''Malley rightly deserves the title of dean of American Catholic church historians." -- America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture "The debate will continue about why the institution, one which Protestantism has tried to live without, persists anyway.

That question about the institution called papacy persists most of all and its current issues are well presented by John O''Malley''s A History of the Popes . It''s an excellent addition to any serious theological library but it''s also an approachable story for the general reader which mos" -- Crossings "In John O''Malley''s history of the popes, the accent is on the mischievous -- typically highlighting popes flouting their authority or sh.