Rating: 
Summary: Superficial and Subjective
Review: As a Cathlic born in the mid 20th Century, I grew up under the benevolent shadow of John XXIII and was looking forward to reading a biography of the man who had such a great influence on my spiritual life. But, in all honesty, I was very disappointed by Mr. Cahill's book which I found to be very superficial and subjective.The first 90 pages or so gave a synopsis of the history of the papacy which I suppose was trying to set the stage for the time in which John XXIII lived but I really didn't see any need to go back to the first century. The more relevant time frame for the history would have been from the early 19th century when all European institutions came under question and concetrationg on the papacy of Pius IX and Vatican I. Mr. Cahill also tended to use leading terms such as "propaganda", "puritanical", "cloak of infallibility" or "contemporary reader" to make his point that Catholic Tradititon was not only historically questionable but archaic and perhaps bogus to the enligthened "contemporary reader". Ironically, while John may have had no problem with honest historical analysis, I can't help but believe that he would have taken issue with Mr. Cahill over some of his other implications. Angelo Roncalli was truly the pope of the century as another writer has put it. He had a vision of the full potential of the Catholic Tradition in a modern society which is a vision that seems to be getting lost today as a more conservative wind blows through the Catholic Church. But, Mr. Cahill barely scratched the surface with regards to this beloved man. The book offers some basics but its hardly worth the price.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite a biography
Review: I just completed reading this book and found it to be a concise biography of a great man. I do admit that it left me wanting more. It is obvious that Thomas Cahill has enormous respect for Pope John XXIII and feels that he is the most important pope of the modern era. I do agree with this. I am a "cradle" Catholic who had lapsed for about 10 years and recently returned to the Church. However, I still have many problems with the conservative nature of the Catholic Church today and reading a book like this (as well as Hans Kung's book on the Church) gives me hope that the Church can return to the spirit of Vatican II.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Concise Biography
Review: I just completed reading this book and found it to be a concise biography of a great man. I do admit that it left me wanting more. It is obvious that Thomas Cahill has enormous respect for Pope John XXIII and feels that he is the most important pope of the modern era. I do agree with this. I am a "cradle" Catholic who had lapsed for about 10 years and recently returned to the Church. However, I still have many problems with the conservative nature of the Catholic Church today and reading a book like this (as well as Hans Kung's book on the Church) gives me hope that the Church can return to the spirit of Vatican II.
Rating: 
Summary: Hope For The Future
Review: In the first part of POPE JOHN XIII Cahill describes in brief the history of the papacy. He pulls no punches when he cites for instance that Peter was never Bishop of Rome because the early Christians used a congregational style of governance. Cahill goes on to describe the evolution of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome which gains momentum after the Council at Nicea in 325 and is aided by the support of Emperor Constantine who wishes to use Christianity to better unite his empire. The leadership of the Bishop of Rome is never really accepted by the churches of the East and ultimately is challenged in the West as well by Martin Luther and the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Cahill describes the ups and downs of the papacy and by the time he reaches the 20th century the reader has a better appreciation for the tensions which exist between the churches of the East and West in addition to the reasons for the Reformation and the competing claims of Roman Catholic apologists. In short, we begin to understand the challenges facing John XIII when he becomes pope. The author clearly likes John XXIII who was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli into a large family of tenant farmers near the small city of Bergamo. Angelo went to the seminary early but also was drafted into the military for a brief period. After ordination as a priest he seemed to rise rapidly as he was singled out for diplomatic assignments to Bulgaria, Turkey and France. Cahill points out that some of the friends Angelo made along the way helped him develop the progressive streak which inspired him to convene Vatican II. The list of these friends includes the historian Bernard Berenson and the composer Igor Stravinsky. Angelo was elected pope because the cardinals wanted a compromise candidate who would not last too long and one who would bridge the gap between all levels of society. At that time Angelo was the Patriarch of Venice. The other candidate was Cardinal Gregory Agagianian, Patriarch of the Armenian Uniates. Agagianian was backed by the conservatives. Angelo eventually won after several rounds of voting. The crowning achievement of his papacy is obviously Vatican II. The most interesting part of the book is the account of the battle before and during the council by the conservative forces led by Ottaviano and their progressive opponents. The legacy of Vatican II was later preserved by Paul VI, a staunch friend of and successor to John XXIII. Cahill is definitely a liberal who ends the book expressing some doubt about the contributions of John Paul II but holding out considerable hope for the future of the Roman Catholic Church.
Rating:
Summary: Looking Forward To Another Pentecost
Review: POPE JOHN XXIII is not a long book but the author does try to cover a lot of territory as he traces the history of the church and especially the papacy from its beginnings to the present day.He also manages to give us a short biography of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the 258th successor to the apostle Peter. Two passages in the book stand out as beacons of optimism. The first is a description of John walking up the central aisle of Saint Peter's at the start of Vatican II while 2500 bishops, patriarchs and abbots sing and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The second passage contains Cahill's prediction that the Holy Spirit will descend again on the church as it surely did at Vatican II and also 2000 years ago at Pentecost in Jerusalem. For those who love the Roman Catholic Church, another Pentecost will be most welcome.
Rating:
Summary: Cahill knows what he's talking about
Review: The concise history of the papacy prior to John XXIII isn't Cahill's attempt to defame the institution, but rather to place Angelo Roncalli in his proper historical context--as a stunning exception. If one puts aside his/her bias and seriously examines the history of the popes--whether one is liberal or conservative--he/she will find that most of the men who have held the office have been generally lacking in spirituality and rather obsessed with worldly power. This isn't anti-Catholic or ideological on Cahill's part, it's simply history. John XXIII stands in such stark contrast to the fairly sordid history of the papacy, that he represents an amazing change from the norm and Cahill deals nicely with this. A pretty good biography with some priceless personal stories and a thesis on John's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis which does not get enough press. Cahill is a solid author and this is a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Cahill knows what he's talking about
Review: The concise history of the papacy prior to John XXIII isn't Cahill's attempt to defame the institution, but rather to place Angelo Roncalli in his proper historical context--as a stunning exception. If one puts aside his/her bias and seriously examines the history of the popes--whether one is liberal or conservative--he/she will find that most of the men who have held the office have been generally lacking in spirituality and rather obsessed with worldly power. This isn't anti-Catholic or ideological on Cahill's part, it's simply history. John XXIII stands in such stark contrast to the fairly sordid history of the papacy, that he represents an amazing change from the norm and Cahill deals nicely with this. A pretty good biography with some priceless personal stories and a thesis on John's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis which does not get enough press. Cahill is a solid author and this is a good book.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: This is a short biographical essay on John XXIII sandwiched between pages and pages of anti-papal screed and pseudo-history. I have read all of the author's "Hinges of History" series, but will read him no more; Mr. Cahill's bias and cant are a barrier to the necessary trust between author and reader. Here's the book in a nutshell: reforming/liberal popes = good, conservative/traditional popes = bad. I am exaggerating only a little in my encapsulation! The author frequently substitutes assertion for argument, particularly in regard to the current pope, John Paul II. After re-reading the book, I am still unsure what it is that the author dislikes so much about the current pope except that he appears to be holding the line on traditional Catholic teaching. For all the much-vaunted tolerance of liberal believers, I was shocked by the author's repeated ad hominem attacks upon the character of popes and others who take views not sanctioned by the author. As for Mr. Cahill's liberal utopia, I suggest that he look at the Episcopal Church in the US for a picture of what the Church will look like if we vote on our doctrine and elect our bishops; I don't think it is an improvement! This book is a perfect example of the saying that "when orthodoxy becomes optional, orthodoxy will soon be prohibited." I have tried but cannot understand those (like the author) who want to belong to an organization with which they completely disagree and then want to make the organization over in their own image. There are plenty of non-hierarchical denominations out there if Mr. Cahill truly wants one. I recommend that you avoid this book or read only that portion of it dealing directly with John XXIII. A more scholarly alternative from the same perspective without the cant is Eamon Duffy's Saints and Sinners.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: This is a short biographical essay on John XXIII sandwiched between pages and pages of anti-papal screed and pseudo-history. I have read all of the author's "Hinges of History" series, but will read him no more; Mr. Cahill's bias and cant are a barrier to the necessary trust between author and reader. Here's the book in a nutshell: reforming/liberal popes = good, conservative/traditional popes = bad. I am exaggerating only a little in my encapsulation! The author frequently substitutes assertion for argument, particularly in regard to the current pope, John Paul II. After re-reading the book, I am still unsure what it is that the author dislikes so much about the current pope except that he appears to be holding the line on traditional Catholic teaching. For all the much-vaunted tolerance of liberal believers, I was shocked by the author's repeated ad hominem attacks upon the character of popes and others who take views not sanctioned by the author. As for Mr. Cahill's liberal utopia, I suggest that he look at the Episcopal Church in the US for a picture of what the Church will look like if we vote on our doctrine and elect our bishops; I don't think it is an improvement! This book is a perfect example of the saying that "when orthodoxy becomes optional, orthodoxy will soon be prohibited." I have tried but cannot understand those (like the author) who want to belong to an organization with which they completely disagree and then want to make the organization over in their own image. There are plenty of non-hierarchical denominations out there if Mr. Cahill truly wants one. I recommend that you avoid this book or read only that portion of it dealing directly with John XXIII. A more scholarly alternative from the same perspective without the cant is Eamon Duffy's Saints and Sinners.
Rating:
Summary: The People's Pope
Review: This is a wonderful biography of the pudgy man born to a poor peasant family who became, in his old age, the much-beloved (at least by the people) Pope John XXIII. I was a ten-year old Protestant boy when Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli ascended to the throne of St. Peter. I remember reading about him and his Vatican Council over the next five years and hearing my Catholic friends talk favorably about the new pope. Then in 1963 the pope died and a few months later the young American president was assassinated and the whole world changed (or at least it seemed--and seems--to me). Thomas Cahill's addition to the Penguin Lives series of brief biographies is the best so far. Cahill's prose is easily read; his history flows smoothly. The book open with an account of the church's history and its long line of mostly undistinguished popes. Then Cahill focuses on the long life of Roncalli: his service in the Italian army during World War I; his rise to some significance in the church in Italy; then his unexpected posting to mostly Orthodox Bulgaria; and then to the plum job in sophisticated and free-thinking Paris. Somehow this widely varied experience combined with his native empathy for people and love of the soil to deliver a remarkably liberal and unfettered man to the head of the Roman Catholic church for a brief, but monumental, five years. Cahill concludes with a negative, almost searing, overview of Pope John's successors including a pretty nasty picture of Pope John Paul II who he thinks represents a weird, Polish kind of Catholcism. I can't comment on the fairness of that, but am encouraged that Cahill feels that the waters representing John's humanism and warmth run near the surface and will emerge again. Frankly, I hope so.
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