The Pope Who Would Be King

“Kertzer’s brilliant treatment of the crisis in the papacy between 1846 and 1850 reads like a thriller. All the characters, from the poor of Rome to the king of Naples, stand out with a vividness that testifies to his mastery of prose.”—The New York Review of Books

“The modern world was forged in a series of revolutions stretching from Philadelphia in 1776 to Paris in 1789 to the cascading cataclysms in Europe in 1848. In this original—and even thrilling—book, David Kertzer gives us a brilliant and surprising portrait of the role of Pius IX in the making of a new democratic reality in the West. Engaging, intelligent, and revealing, The Pope Who Would Be King is essential reading for those seeking to understand the perennial human forces that shape both power and faith.”—Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“In this riveting tour de force, David Kertzer shows how and why Pope Pius IX turned Roman Catholicism into the nemesis of modernity, with drastic consequences not only for the church but for the West—consequences felt to this day, when religion and politics form a lethal brew. Elegant writing, the pace of a novel, scrupulous scholarship—these hallmarks of Kertzer’s body of work are all in evidence here, wonderfully so.”—James Carroll, author of The Cloister
 
“Kertzer provides an exceptionally deep archival and scholarly foundation and has a rare capacity to tell the story of a critical chapter in European history with novelistic verve. He brilliantly links the history of Italian characters to epochal changes in modern European history, including the changing fortunes of the papacy and its rule over the Papal States, of the time-honored tradition of divine right, and of the separation of church and state.”—Kevin Madigan, author of Medieval Christianity
 
“The Pope Who Would Be King is a remarkable achievement—both a page-turner and a major contribution to scholarship accomplished with outstanding clarity and economy. Kertzer gives this story a notable degree of freshness, and brings out vividly the determination, passions, blood, and gore of this dramatic moment in European history.”—John Davis, editor, Journal of Modern Italian Studies
 
“This lively, sympathetic yet critical account of the early years of the pontificate of Pope Pius IX is worthy of its distinguished author.”—Rev. John W. O’Malley, S.J., author of The Jesuits
 
“Exhilarating and hypnotic, The Pope Who Would Be King shines the spotlight on a time when today’s world struggled for birth as the church fought tooth and nail for every last shred of power and relevancy.”—John Guare, playwright, Six Degrees of Separation

“Tense . . . probing . . . Diverse personalities, regimes, and philosophies come into focus as formative influences on the unpredictable evolution of church, city, nation, and continent. Essential reading.”—Booklist (starred review)