St. Pope John Paul II

Fifteen years into his Papacy, and on the eve of the third millennium, Pope John Paul II goes to the heart of his personal beliefs and speaks with passion about the existence of God; about pain, suffering, and evil; about "salvation"; and about the relationship of Catholicism to other branches of the Christian faith. With the humility and generosity of spirit for which he is well known, John Paul speaks forthrightly to all people. (Religion--Roman Catholic)

Named a World magazine "Book of the Year"!

A Singular Bond That Changed History

Even as historians credit -Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II with hastening the end of the Cold War, they have failed to recognize the depth or significance of the bond that developed between the two leaders.

Acclaimed scholar and bestselling author Paul Kengor changes that. In this fascinating book, he reveals a singular bond--which included a spiritual connection between the Catholic pope and the Protestant president--that drove the two men to confront what they knew to be the great evil of the twentieth century: Soviet communism.

Reagan and John Paul II almost didn't have the opportunity to forge this relationship: just six weeks apart in the spring of 1981, they took bullets from would-be assassins. But their strikingly similar near-death experiences brought them close together--to Moscow's dismay.

A Pope and a President is the product of years of research. Based on Kengor's tireless archival digging and his unique access to Reagan insiders, the book reveals:

The inside story on the 1982 meeting where the president and the pope confided their conviction that God had spared their lives for the purpose of defeating communism

Captivating new information on the attempt on John Paul II's life, including a -previously unreported secret CIA investigation--was Moscow behind the plot?

The many similarities and the spiritual bond between the pope and the president--and how Reagan privately spoke of the "DP" the Divine Plan to take down communism

New details about how the Protestant Reagan became intensely interested in the "secrets of Fátima," which date to the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fátima, Portugal, starting on May 13, 1917---sixty-four years to the day before John Paul II was shot

A startling insider account of how the USSR may have been set to invade the pope's native Poland in March 1981--only to pull back when news broke that Reagan had been shot

Nancy Reagan called John Paul II her husband's "closest friend"; Reagan himself told Polish visitors that the pope was his "best friend." When you read this book, you will understand why. As kindred spirits, Ronald Reagan and John Paul II united in pursuit of a supreme objective--and in doing so they changed history.

"I still remember the moment I first saw his open, jovial face, that one-of-a-kind smile, the lively and luminous eyes that seemed that they might be laughing even more.

I should have understood already from that smile who he would truly become, what he would represent for me, for us, for everyone, for history."

Blessed Pope John Paul II was an avid sportsman, a skilled skier, and a lover of the outdoors. That much is known.

But the story of his secret trips to the mountains with a handful of his closest friends remains hidden. No longer.

For the first time in English, join Lino Zani, John Paul's ski guide and friend, for a behind-the-scenes look at the Pope away from the Vatican.

The Secret Life of Pope John Paul II is the story of the Pope as you've never seen him before, at play and prayer in his beloved mountains.

This rich and practical book offers readers the unique opportunity of participating in a spiritual retreat given by Pope John Paul II.