Description
Book SynopsisThe book studies the use made by the British Government of its envoy, immured inside the Vatican from 1940 to 1944, and what the envoy made of such opportunities during the Second World War to help the Allied cause.
Trade Review'This is one of the most interesting books so far written about the Second World War … a strange tale wonderfully told by the master of the art of writing history.' Robert Blake, Illustrated London News
'The whole narrative is full of … fascinating details, and they are told with great skill … [The volume] gives us a completely new insight into the inner workings of that Vatican, and the human story of the relationship between two exceptional men is sheer delight.' Denis Mack Smith, The Times Literary Supplement
'With this book, Owen Chadwick had quite simply changed the agenda for historians who really want to understand what the Vatican was up to during the war.' Peter Hebblethwaite, Guardian
'… admirably succinct and readable account of diplomatic life in the Vatican … his lively narrative provides a fascinating picture of the Vatican under siege'. Daily Telegraph
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Abbreviations; 1. Britain and the Vatican in the last years of Pope Pius XI (1935–39); 2. The conclave of 1939; 3. The peace plans of Pius XII; 4. The winter war, 1939–40; 5. The Italian entry into the war; 6. First months in the Vatican; 7. Surveillance I; 8. Surveillance II: the bag; 9. The Jews in 1942; 10. The bombing of Rome; 11. The Italian armistice; 12. The German occupation; 13. Aftermath; Select bibliography; Index.
