The Legend of Pope Joan: In Search of the Truth

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and thought-provoking medieval story
Review: A chance exploration of a streetside shrine in Rome leads journalist Stanford to pursue the story of a female pope. Stanford makes an intriguing case for the historical truth of what has long been seen as cautionary tale emphasizing the corruptibility of women. I'm not convinced by his arguments for a true historical Pope Joan, but he's presented a lot of research and historical fact in an amusingly painless read. Imagine Peter Mayle leaving Provence to turn historical detective and you've got a feel for this book!

Rating:
Summary: A Believer's Look at History
Review: I became aware of the legend of Pope Joan a number of years ago upon reading Donna Woolfolk Cross's novel Pope Joan. Since then, I've come across mentions of the legend in a number of places, including some interesting papal histories. However, I had never looked into the story seriously so I decided to read a few books. One of the first I came across was this one by Peter Stanford.

I was reasonably pleased with this book. Stanford appears to have done some serious research into the historical sources of the story of the female pope. In addition, he has relates a number of interviews with important historians both inside and outside the Vatican. Most importantly, the book is quite easy to read as he tells it more as the story of his personal search for the truth as opposed to a dry history.

This, however, is also the source of the book's main weakness. Stanford is clearly prejudiced before he even begins his search. Clearly, he believes there was such a person as Pope Joan and he is merely looking for pieces of information to back up his position. Granted, he is honest enough to admit that there is absolutely no way a definitive answer to this question will ever come but this cannot cover his strong belief that there was such a person.

I, myself, believe it is highly likely a person like Joan lived at some time in papal history but Stanford's faith is distracting. Still, he is quite thorough and makes a number of good points both pro and con. For someone interested in the subject, this book is a worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: A Believer's Look at History
Review: I became aware of the legend of Pope Joan a number of years ago upon reading Donna Woolfolk Cross's novel Pope Joan. Since then, I've come across mentions of the legend in a number of places, including some interesting papal histories. However, I had never looked into the story seriously so I decided to read a few books. One of the first I came across was this one by Peter Stanford.

I was reasonably pleased with this book. Stanford appears to have done some serious research into the historical sources of the story of the female pope. In addition, he has relates a number of interviews with important historians both inside and outside the Vatican. Most importantly, the book is quite easy to read as he tells it more as the story of his personal search for the truth as opposed to a dry history.

This, however, is also the source of the book's main weakness. Stanford is clearly prejudiced before he even begins his search. Clearly, he believes there was such a person as Pope Joan and he is merely looking for pieces of information to back up his position. Granted, he is honest enough to admit that there is absolutely no way a definitive answer to this question will ever come but this cannot cover his strong belief that there was such a person.

I, myself, believe it is highly likely a person like Joan lived at some time in papal history but Stanford's faith is distracting. Still, he is quite thorough and makes a number of good points both pro and con. For someone interested in the subject, this book is a worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: Assumptions
Review: I thought the history of Pope Joan was a fascinating topic. I went into reading the book with a very open mind on the subject. After reading the book, there appears to be the possibility that a female pope existed but my opinion was not swayed to one side or the other. I wish the author would have done a better job in presenting his research on the subject. I feel that he made some assumptions that were not challenged by the author. I was taught that it is okay to make assumptions as long as you go back and prove that the assumption has evidence to support it better. I do not feel that the author did a good job of it. I found that I got lost many times trying to follow the author's argument that a female pope existed. I found him throwing different references about and not tying them together well enough to agree or disagree with him. The subject as I said is fascinating and I would be interested in finding a more definitive account - pro or con.

Rating:
Summary: More about Peter Stanford than about Pope Joan
Review: It is hard to avoid being fascinated by the story and mystery of Pope Joan. What an intriguing topic, belonging to a part of time of which little is known - which may be why the era is often referred to as "The Dark Ages"... Like may other reviewers of this book, I accidentally ran into references to Pope Joan, then tried to deepen my knowledge of it by purchasing this book: I was also in search of the truth:-)

I enjoyed reading the book, but was left somewhat disappointed at the end. I was expecting a somewhat scholarly review and analysis of the evidence, and hopefully some original research and findings. Instead, the book really discusses the author's search for more information on the topic. It is, to a certain degree, more a travelogue than a book of history research.

Peter Stanford does review the litterary evidence that is available on Pope Joan, all of which, of course, is at least third hand. He describes in interesting fashion the milieu that could have fashioned Pope Joan in England, then in middle Europe. He describes in detail his personal travel to the different sites that are associated with Pope Joan. More than anything, the book describes his search for the truth on Pope Joan - an interesting topic in itself.

However, Peter Stanford is not a historian. His personal quest in search of information on Pope Joan is basically what you or I would be doing if we were to dig into the topic in a serious manner: an interesting review of existing material by an amateur. This is not a scholarly study of Pope Joan's mystery. It does not add to the existing information. It does not bring any penetrating analysis to the subject. To a degree, I think that the several reviewers who were somewhat disappointed in this book, had, like me, the wrong expectations for what the contents would be.

If you are looking for the story of a man's personal search for more information on a puzzling topic of history, by all means buy this book. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a deep analysis of the Pope Joan mystery (or a solution...), then move on and look for something else.

Best from camisdad

Rating:
Summary: worth reading
Review: One frustrating thing about the Pope Joan legend is that there is no conclusive proof one way or the other. Anyone who says it definitely happened or definitely did not is being dogmatic. Nonetheless, Stanford has made a good case that it probably happened. It would be hard to write a boring book on this subject. Stanford's book is not boring.

Rating:
Summary: A Fun Journalistic Look at History
Review: The Legend of Pope Joan (In Search of the Truth) by Peter Stanford was a little difficult to enjoy at first as I was expecting more of a standard history book. Instead this book is actually more about the journalist's, the author, own personal search for the truth behind the stories of Pope Joan, rather than Pope Joan herself, although she is there in plenty. This is more than just an ego project though (although it certainly has moments of that) and it is an interesting and different way of making this book stand out from the various other Pope Joan books in existence and actually drawing the reader closer and personally into the legend. The author is certainly thorough in his research, extending it often beyond the middle ages, such as his riveting interview with a woman in Czechoslovakia who was ordained as a priest as a way of getting around Communist restrictions against the Catholic Church. There will be more than enough history to please the history buffs but the story, mainly due to the style of the author, will be a joy for anyone to indulge a couple of hours soaking into this unusual legend of this remarkable, possibly real, woman. It is history as journalism by way of a detective story.

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: This is a great book for anyone interested in the Medieval history of the papacy, feminist issues, or just looking for a great story that may be truth, myth, or a little of both. It mixes historical research with vivid and humorous anecdotes from the author's travels through western Europe in search of definitive proof for Joan's existence. Stanford does an excellent job of weaving together the threads of written accounts, historical artifacts and theoretical arguments in his comprehensive approach to the mystery of 'Pope Joan.' Although there is room to dispute his interpretation of the evidence he uncovers, he cannot be faulted for the thoroughness of his research. There is one drawback, and that is that definitive proof of the existence of a female pope remains elusive. However, this book is so informative and entertaining, covering everything from lurid tales of Medieval papal corruption to modern religious feminism, that you can thoroughly enjoy the journey, even if you're a little dissatisfied with the destination.

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: This is a great book for anyone interested in the Medieval history of the papacy, feminist issues, or just looking for a great story that may be truth, myth, or a little of both. It mixes historical research with vivid and humorous anecdotes from the author's travels through western Europe in search of definitive proof for Joan's existence. Stanford does an excellent job of weaving together the threads of written accounts, historical artifacts and theoretical arguments in his comprehensive approach to the mystery of 'Pope Joan.' Although there is room to dispute his interpretation of the evidence he uncovers, he cannot be faulted for the thoroughness of his research. There is one drawback, and that is that definitive proof of the existence of a female pope remains elusive. However, this book is so informative and entertaining, covering everything from lurid tales of Medieval papal corruption to modern religious feminism, that you can thoroughly enjoy the journey, even if you're a little dissatisfied with the destination.