Pope John Paul Ii Av Tad Szulc

Pope John Paul II is one of the pivotal figures of this century, the spiritual head of more than one billion believers and a world statesman of immense stature and influence. Yet, at the age of seventy-six and in the eighteenth year of his papacy, he remains a mystery -- theologically, politically, and personally. Now, through unprecedented access to both the Pope himself and those close to him, veteran New York Times correspondent and award-winning author Tad Szulc delivers the definitive biography of John Paul II. This strikingly intimate portrait highlights the Polishness that shapes the Pope''s mysticism and pragmatism, while providing a behind-the-scenes look at the significant events of his public and private life, includinThe inside story of the negotiations involving John Paul II, Soviet President Gorbachev, and General Jaruzelski of Poland that led to Poland''s and Eastern Europe''s transition from communism to democracyJohn Paul II''s secret diplomacy, which resulted in the