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Prisoner of the Vatican: The Popes, the Kings, and Garibaldi's Rebels in the Struggle to Rule Modern Italy
Praise for David Kertzer and Prisoner of the Vatican:
"Kertzer once again proves himself a truly compelling historian." -- André Aciman
"Prisoner of the Vatican reads like exciting fiction. And it has astounding contemporary relevance." -- Alfred Uhry
"Kertzer’s careful scholarship and lucid writing make the human character of this religious institution quite clear." -- James...more
"Kertzer once again proves himself a truly compelling historian." -- André Aciman
"Prisoner of the Vatican reads like exciting fiction. And it has astounding contemporary relevance." -- Alfred Uhry
"Kertzer’s careful scholarship and lucid writing make the human character of this religious institution quite clear." -- James...more
Paperback, 357 pages
Published
February 20th 2006
by Mariner Books
(first published February 20th 2004)
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Fascinating history, told a little dryly, but interesting nonetheless.
Until recently, my explanation of Italian history would have gone something like, "So, uh, first there were the Romans, and then they declined and fell, and then you had some different states in there, but then they became Italy, and, uh, Mussolini came to power."
So clearly there were some blanks to fill in.
One of the things I didn't know (or maybe just forgot sometime after 10th grade history) is that the Pope ruled - literal...more
Until recently, my explanation of Italian history would have gone something like, "So, uh, first there were the Romans, and then they declined and fell, and then you had some different states in there, but then they became Italy, and, uh, Mussolini came to power."
So clearly there were some blanks to fill in.
One of the things I didn't know (or maybe just forgot sometime after 10th grade history) is that the Pope ruled - literal...more
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When Garibaldi, Victor Emmanuele, and the rest fashioned the state of Italy out of an assortment of kingdoms and duchies on the peninsula, the Papal States (ruled by the Catholic Church) were among the annexed territories. For the next several decades, the Pope schemed and intrigued against the newly united Kingdom of Italy to regain his lost "temporal" power. His most potent weapon was his oft-repeated threat to exile himself from Rome, with the intent of soon returning at the head of a victori...more
I enjoyed this book because it was not like reading a text book, it was interesting! Non-fiction can be tedious to read (dry) at times, so generally I take what I can from them and don’t worry about the parts my brain doesn't want to absorb – no matter how interesting it may be. In this case, I feel like I absorbed much more than I discarded.
I've been to Italy quite a few times, so I really enjoyed putting “Umberto” “Emmanuelle” “Cavour” “Garibaldi” “XX September” into context. I've seen the nam...more
I've been to Italy quite a few times, so I really enjoyed putting “Umberto” “Emmanuelle” “Cavour” “Garibaldi” “XX September” into context. I've seen the nam...more
First, let me say that unless you are totally enthralled by history (like I am!), you may not want to read this. This is not an historical novel, it is not a folksy history; it is definitely an intense historical look at the papal reigns of Pius IX and Leo XIII as well as the unification of Italy. So don't go into the book looking for a novel -- this isn't it! Having said that, if you DO like a very well-written history, then you will enjoy this one. I liked it so much I bought two other books b...more
In some ways I'm the ideal reader of this book: I love Rome, have a bizarre fascination with Catholicism, and have an amateur interest in Italian history. But this just didn't do it for me. Frankly, it bored me to tears. It's basically just a blow-by-blow diplomatic history of the Vatican in the late 19th century. But nothing ever happens. There's no "secret plot to capture Rome from the new Italian state." There's just constant dithering over whether the pope should abandon Rome for another Cat...more
A wonderful history of the Church in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After reading this book you come to understand that the Church's inability to comprehend contemporary ideas and technology is probably a matter of policy rather than profound ineptitude.
Fascinating historical of politics and intrigue by a noted historian. Fills the gap in Italian history between the Romans and its unification in the 19th century. A rather large gap of which I had read little.
I'm sure this book is good if you care about the history of the Vatican. I'm not sure what I expected but this book was not it. I barely managed to continue reading until the end.
A bit slow, but very detailed.
Great right up until the end, which was surprisingly weak. How it finally came about that the Vatican accepted the loss of its landholdings was brushed off in the final chapter. Disappointing from what was otherwise such a fine study of the the tensions between the newly formed country of Italy and the Vatican. It's obvious that a great deal of research went into this book, and it paid off, right up until the end.
Very interesting to read, well researched and written. The author's perspective seems to be unbiased, although at times some of his comments were unneccessary.
The book provides a very interesting perspective on the Catholic Church in Rome and it's effects on Italy, Europe, and the rest of the world, during the last few decades of the 19th century.
The book provides a very interesting perspective on the Catholic Church in Rome and it's effects on Italy, Europe, and the rest of the world, during the last few decades of the 19th century.
A little dry, but interesting information
Nov 12, 2012
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