SKU: 84963412900

The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe

Sale price$15.30 Regular price$17.00
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $4.25 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 29 - Aug 3

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in EuropePULITZER PRIZE WINNER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI's secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini's spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI's secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini's spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican's role in the rise of Fascism in Europe.


The Pope and Mussolini tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of twentieth-century history. In most respects, they could not have been more different. One was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. Yet Pius XI and "Il Duce" had many things in common. They shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of Communism. Both were prone to sudden fits of temper and were fiercely protective of the prerogatives of their office. ("We have many interests to protect," the Pope declared, soon after Mussolini seized control of the government in 1922.) Each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals.

In a challenge to the conventional history of this period, in which a heroic Church does battle with the Fascist regime, Kertzer shows how Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini's dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. In exchange for Vatican support, Mussolini restored many of the privileges the Church had lost and gave in to the pope's demands that the police enforce Catholic morality. Yet in the last years of his life--as the Italian dictator grew ever closer to Hitler--the pontiff's faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. With his health failing, he began to lash out at the Duce and threatened to denounce Mussolini's anti-Semitic racial laws before it was too late. Horrified by the threat to the Church-Fascist alliance, the Vatican's inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the Church and the dictator for many years.

The Pope and Mussolini brims with memorable portraits of the men who helped enable the reign of Fascism in Italy: Father Pietro Tacchi Venturi, Pius's personal emissary to the dictator, a wily anti-Semite known as Mussolini's Rasputin; Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy, an object of widespread derision who lacked the stature--literally and figuratively--to stand up to the domineering Duce; and Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli, whose political skills and ambition made him Mussolini's most powerful ally inside the Vatican, and positioned him to succeed the pontiff as the controversial Pius XII, whose actions during World War II would be subject for debate for decades to come.

With the recent opening of the Vatican archives covering Pius XI's papacy, the full story of the Pope's complex relationship with his Fascist partner can finally be told. Vivid, dramatic, with surprises at every turn, The Pope and Mussolini is history writ large and with the lightning hand of truth.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Trade
Published: 01/06/2015
ISBN: 9780812983678
Pages: 592
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.90w x 1.40d

Review Citations: New York Review of Books 04/23/2015 pg. 48
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 84963412900

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 10 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
R
Verified Purchase
Reba
Boise, US
★★★★★ 4
Update: changed stars
Update: after liberal application of catnip, the cats will use it! Looks nice, thickness seems good. They all acted interested until they stepped on it. Not sure if it’s the sound or the crunchy texture, they have avoided it for 3 days now.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2025
M
Verified Purchase
Marina Menyaylenko
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
cats like the mat
Cats love kneading this, laying on it. I bought it for them to jump down on, and that it not what it's made for. There is no foam, nothing absorbing shock. It's just a thin pad with fluff. But its soft and nice to lay on.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2024
J
Verified Purchase
J1208
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Cleans up nicely
I’m using this for our new puppy in his crate at night and of course he’s had a few accidents but cleaning this is easy. And it comes out fluffy every time. I think I’ve watched it four times so far and it’s still in great shape.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2024
K
Verified Purchase
Katey
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
This pad is soft and big enough for my Chuhuahua!
My Dog prefers this to any spot in the house. If I move it she will move it back. It’s soft and cozy. I am extreamly happy with it.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2025
M
Verified Purchase
Melody Hawkins
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 3
Goes flat
These beds looked nice and actually wash well. Let them air dry to get more fluff, but they go flat in a hurry. Our 3 cats liked them in the beginning, but didn't last long. Maybe 3 months with washing once a month. Disappointed.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2025

recommand products