About the Author

John Julius Norwich is one of Britain's preeminent historians and travel writers. He has written the histories of Norman Sicily, Byzantium, Venice, and the Mediterranean. Other books have been on Shakespeare's history plays, on music, and on architecture.

Reviews

Praise for John Julius Norwich
"As a historian, Lord Norwich knows what matters. As a writer, he has a taste for beauty, a love of language, and an enlivening wit. He contrives, as no English writer has done before, to sustain a continuous interest in that crowded history."--Hugh Trevor-Roper, author of "The Last Days of Hitler" and "The Golden Age of Europe"
"Norwich is an enchanting and satisfying raconteur."--"The Washington Post"
"He has put readers of this generation more in his debt than any other English writer."--"The Sunday Times" (London)
"Norwich is a historian of uncommon urbanity: scholarly and erudite but never pedantic. His style is as graceful and easy as it is knowledgeable."--"Los Angeles Times"
"[Norwich] is certainly the English language's most passionate and dedicated chronicler of [Venice's] extraordinary history."--"The Seattle Times"

Praise for John Julius Norwich

"As a historian, Lord Norwich knows what matters. As a writer, he has a taste for beauty, a love of language, and an enlivening wit. He contrives, as no English writer has done before, to sustain a continuous interest in that crowded history."--Hugh Trevor-Roper, author of "The Last Days of Hitler" and "The Golden Age of Europe"

"Norwich is an enchanting and satisfying raconteur."--"The Washington Post"

"He has put readers of this generation more in his debt than any other English writer."--"The Sunday Times" (London)

"Norwich is a historian of uncommon urbanity: scholarly and erudite but never pedantic. His style is as graceful and easy as it is knowledgeable."--"Los Angeles Times"

"[Norwich] is certainly the English language's most passionate and dedicated chronicler of [Venice's] extraordinary history."--"The Seattle Times"

Capturing the intrigue, inspiration, devotion, and scandal that surround the papacy, prolific writer and historian Norwich (A History of Venice) presents the stories of both the heroes and the rogues who have held this position of power over millions around the world. Instead of offering an encyclopedia about all the popes, Norwich recounts in vivid prose the more interesting tales and anecdotes of the pontiffs he considers more significant and what they meant to the politics, culture, and, of course, religion of the world in their times. He brings this fascinating history up-to-date with background on present-day Pope Benedict XVI and his efforts to cope with the global priest sex scandal. While epic in scope, Norwich's enthusiastic, informative text is superbly presented by AudioFile Earphones Award winner Michael Page's equally impressive, distinctly British narration that maintains listener interest throughout this densely packed, fascinating history that targets intelligent lay listeners. Essential for all university libraries supporting history curriculum. ["This lively if opinionated view of the political aspects of one of the most powerful positions in world history will appeal to history buffs," read the review of the New York Times best-selling Random hc, LJ 7/11.-Ed.]-Dale Farris, Groves, TX (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.