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Summary: Cornwall's Book of Myths and Legends
Review: Cornwall's Hitler's Pope insults the readers intelligence from cover to cover ... literally. Let's just take a look at the front cover of this book, just one of many deceits in a full volume of offensive bigotry. This LAST visit of the then Nuncio took place in 1929, four years before Hitler came into power (Jan. 30, 1933). Protests were continuously written against the use of the photo by critics until good ol' Cornwall came along and the photo suddenly turned from an object of gross misuse to incriminating evidence. *Sigh* God save the tree that was cut down to create this trash.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant indictment
Review: Cornwell provides an unbiased account of the moral failure of Pius XII. His book is not "anti-Catholic" ... ; rather, his book is a wake-up call to both Catholics and non-Catholics alike to not put unwavering faith in any leader, religious or political.
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Summary: The Book Promotional Materials are Right!!!!!
Review: It says on the back cover "you'll never think of history the same way". A good Catholic AMEM to that one!!!!I told myself that this was not going to be a very interesting book, but my wife pitched it to me and I gave it a try. I'm stunned!! I was born and raised as a Catholic, and will not comment on religion or politics in this review, just the book. I am amazed that there is a work or this quality out there in the History world, and that EVERYONE hasn't read it!! Believe me, if you are in any way a fan of history, you best read this book soon. You will be absolutely stunned. First of all, I admire any writer who makes me feel that they have done their research. Here is the new standard. Mr. Cornwell has raised the bar so high it sits above St. Peter's dome in Rome. I can imagine him digging in the archives of the Vatican, what must be an unlimited storehouse of materials, to find his information. It must have been a huge undertaking. Next, Mr. Cornwell somehow assembles all this research into a coherent story using personal recollections, documented facts, and even some photos to present the story that pretty much covers a century-and-a-half. And let me tell you, it's a page turner. His detail is exceptional, his organizing of information is top notch, and he just plain tells a great story. No hints here, but there are items in this book that will make any Catholic or other denizen of the planet furious. I found myself talking out loud to this book, "How can that be?" or "You can't be serious". I was so upset sometimes, I couldn't form a sentence to tell co-workers what the trigger was. One last credit. Mr. Cornwell limits his personal critique to just a few comments, that I feel are very justified considering what I was reading. You can make your own decisions as to how you feel, and that I appreciate. Honestly, this is an unsettling book for us Catholics, and an astounding book for all others. Thank you Mr. Cornwell. I'll never see history the same again.
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Summary: rmh
Review: Incredible fabrications masquerading as history. The author had an axe to grind or was demon posessed. True psuedo history.
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Summary: Hitler's Pope ...yes..that he was!
Review: A long-debated issue in recent history is whether Pope Pius X11, by taking a more forceful stand against the Nazis, could have saved many Jewish people from the Holocaust. Defenders have argued that bold opposition to Hitler would have brought serious reprisals; critics say the pope lacked moral leadership and courage to oppose evil. Cornwell (Jesus College, Cambridge) adds to the debate with a book highly critical of the pope's inaction. He describes Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) as an ambitious, authoritarian churchman who sought to secure the advantage of the church throughout his career. Cornwell traces Pacelli's entire life, with emphasis on his many years of representing the papacy in Germany and his political policies as pope (1939-58). In Cornwell's view, Pacelli's negotiations with Germany allowed Hitler to neutralize the influence of the church during the Third Reich (1933-45). Hitler allowed the German church its religious practices but insisted that it cease all political activity; Pacelli responded with appeasement. Cornwell says that the pope was asked repeatedly by national representatives and Jewish spokespersons to condemn Nazi atrocities but that he only delivered platitudes that failed even to mention Jews or Nazis--hence the sensational title, Hitler's Pope.
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Summary: Brutal, heartbreaking, and maddening...
Review: I am not going to review all the information in the book, it has been reviews capably by others, I am just going to give my thoughts on the book.
First of all I would like to say that I am not Jewish or Catholic and I have no bias whatsoever against either group, and I am in a Ph.D. program for International Diplomacy so I am very familiar with many aspects covered in this book. Still, I was stunned, deeply saddened and extremely angry when I was done reading this book, and I believe with good reason.
I had heard about the connection with the Catholic Church and the Nazis for years but I always thought of it as Oliver Stone type material, but no after reading this book. This book was an extremely well researched, scholarly effort originally designed by the devout Catholic author to remove Pius from blame. That intention being mentioned in the beginning of the book makes the rest of the book all the more shocking and respectable. This is not a man with an axe to ground this is a person of faith struggling to come to grips with a despicable incident in the annals of his faith.
It is extremely well written and heartfelt. It is moving and touch while at the same time being extremely informative. There can be no dispute in anyone's mind that Pope Pius XII did not do anything of any substance to help the Jews, and why? He was scared. With good reason. Pius isn't a villain, but he is no hero and no saint. This book rips apart Catholic dogma about the infallibility of the Pope, etc. It is a thorough expose, that if it was a boxing match the ref would have stopped the fight early on. Still, chapter after chapter more and more evidence piles on top of the Catholic church and their denials become even more hollow.
I read an apologist book after this just to see what they could possibly say in defense of themselves and it was laughable. This book stays with you. It educates you. It should be read by everyone, but especially religious people in Politics as a warning.
Pius XII could have stood up and did the right thing, but fear and greed prevent him from doing so, and as a result millions died. He might not have been able to stop it but we will never know because he NEVER tried.
READ THIS BOOK!!
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Summary: A Must Read
Review: Catholics should not be turned off of this superb book because of its title. It is very well researched and very well written. In it Cornwell clearly shows how Pius VII abandoned all decency and morality for the sole purpose of concentrating total control of Church affairs in the hands of the papacy. He emasculated Catholic political parties in Hitler's Germany and muzzled German bishops to this end. Since the present pope has the same agenda, it becomes obvious as to why Paul wants to elevate Pius XII to sainthood.
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Summary: Sober, fair, and thorough
Review: While the title suggests a sensationalist book riddled with salacious facts, "Hitler's Pope" is a serious, and well documented historical work. Although the scholarship is solid, clearly Cornwell is striving to make a point, to the point of emphasizing and stretching some historical events in his effort to portray his subject as prejudiced and insensitive. Actually, while the title suggests that Pius XII was a willing accomplace of Hitler, as logic would indicate this was clearly not the case, and is not the premise of the author. He depicts Pius XII as so focused on the centralization of Catholic Church power in the authority of the Papacy that he engaged in expedient measures that significantly facilitated Hitler's political advancement in Germany, which was then one of the most significant Catholic nations. Piux as Cardinal undermined a vibrant Catholic political infrastructure in Germany to undermine the autonomy of the local (regional German) bishops and cardinals in return for greater influence in education, and the German government's willingness to abdicate any influence in the appointment of local church officials. Cornwell does represent as being a cold, formal man of many prejudices and massive ego who sided on the side of conservative, repressive forces throughout the world. As his power grew, and tenure as pope progressed he acquired an increasingly distorted view of his own abilities and (the author infers) increasingly saw all his behaviors as devinely inspired. As he grew older, coupled with his isolation, he became increasingly eccentric. "Hitler's Pope" does acknowledge that Piux XII was a pious, if politically duplicitous individual. The work is not particularly balanced as it doesn't note the surely positive, constructive aspects of his papacy. Additionally, the author beat to death certain episodes with excessive details long after the point had been proven. In terms of it's explanation of the centralization of papal power, it is enlightening concerning the governance of the contemporary Catholic Church. It depicts an increasing reduction of regional Catholic autonomy and disenfranchisement with tragic world wide consequences.
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Summary: Bravo
Review: John Cornwell has done a fine job exploring the papal history leading up to Pius XII and Hitler, and the papal events that occurred prior to and during WWII. This is a well written and well researched book on a subject that is uncomfortable for many people. Cornwell builds his case slowly (sometimes too slowly), with painstaking detail, and does some speculation as to why Pius XII made the decisions he did. There is only a brief passage that gives a direct and concluding condemnation of this Pope. By that time, the case has already been made.
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Summary: A Shock
Review: Even the title of this book makes you gasp a little; these are two words any Catholic does not want to see in the same sentence let alone next to each other. Even given this, I am both a Catholic and a World War Two junky so I picked this book up as soon as I saw it. I think the first thing that struck me was that the author, a noted non-fiction religious writer, set out to write a positive account of Pius 12th. What he found in the Vatican archives changed his mind about writing a positive piece and he put together this book. I did not know what to expect when I started the book and once I read through the book, I must say I was shocked. How could the head of the church not only turn a blind eye to these grim proceedings, but also almost help to facilitate them? My only way to try and somewhat justify (or just hope not to hold the man in such contempt) his actions is that maybe he felt his actions were in turn saving the lives of the many Catholics in Europe or the safety of the Church itself (I may be reaching here).
Overall, this is an interesting and well-researched book that grabs your attention on the first page and holds it throughout the book. There is not a lot of high handed preaching or pages of very detailed and mundane church bureaucracy. Just a well thought out and constructed book that should be read to remind us that whatever our position is, we can not overlook wrongs in society.
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