Prisoner of the Vatican
The Popes' Secret Plot to Capture Rome from the New Italian State
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Prisoner of the Vatican
Buy for $18.91
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Alan Sklar
-
By:
-
David I. Kertzer
About this listen
Kertzer brings to light an untold drama played out among fascinating characters: Pope Pius IX, the most important pontiff in modern history; King Victor Emmanuel, working behind the backs of his own ministers; the dashing national hero Garibaldi; France's ill-starred Napoleon III, and many more. During this time, Italy was besieged from within and without, and Church history changed forever when the pope was declared infallible for the first time.
Prisoner of the Vatican looks deep into the workings of the Church in its final bid to regain the pope's temporal power. Kertzer sweeps readers along with riveting, revelatory panache. No one who reads his new book will ever think of Italy, or the Vatican, in quite the same way again.
©2004 David I. Kertzer (P)2005 Tantor Media, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Pope and Mussolini
- The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 441
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 389
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 385
From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI’s secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini’s spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican’s role in the rise of Fascism in Europe.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
It is not narrated well - the delivery does not keep it as captivating as this book should be
- By Karina Inigo on 07-14-15
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Pope Who Would Be King
- The Exile of Pius IX and the Emergence of Modern Europe
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 93
Only two years after Pope Pius IX’s election in 1846 had triggered great popular enthusiasm across Italy, the pope found himself a virtual prisoner in his own palace. The revolutions that swept through Europe and shook Rome threatened to end the popes’ thousand-year reign over the Papal States, if not the papacy itself. The resulting drama was rife with treachery, tragedy, and international power politics. David Kertzer, one of the world’s foremost experts on the history of Italy and the Vatican, brings this pivotal moment vividly to life.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Imbalanced and theologically confused
- By A. Moran on 06-18-19
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Popes Against the Jews
- The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 34
Pope John Paul II, as part of his effort to improve Catholic-Jewish relations, himself called for a clear-eyed historical investigation into any possible link between the Church and the Holocaust. An important sign of his commitment was the decision to allow the distinguished historian David I. Kertzer, a specialist in Italian history, to be one of the first scholars given access to long-sealed Vatican archives. The result is a book filled with shocking revelations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A stunning expose.
- By Paul on 03-05-22
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Pope at War
- The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 292
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 252
When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, his papers were sealed in the Vatican Secret Archives, leaving unanswered questions about what he knew and did during World War II. Those questions have only grown and festered, making Pius XII one of the most controversial popes in Church history, especially now as the Vatican prepares to canonize him.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Intellectually dishonest
- By ReviewAmazon384 on 04-08-23
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Bologna, 1858: A police posse, acting on the orders of a Catholic inquisitor, invades the home of a Jewish merchant, Momolo Mortara, wrenches his crying six-year-old son from his arms, and rushes him off in a carriage bound for Rome. His mother is so distraught that she collapses and has to be taken to a neighbor's house, but her weeping can be heard across the city. With this terrifying scene - one that would haunt this family forever - David I. Kertzer begins his fascinating investigation of the dramatic kidnapping.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Too much detail
- By L. WILLIAM on 03-03-24
By: David I. Kertzer
-
1177 B.C. (Revised and Updated)
- The Year Civilization Collapsed
- By: Eric H. Cline
- Narrated by: Eric H. Cline
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 684
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 594
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 593
This audiobook narrated by acclaimed archaeologist and best-selling author Eric Cline offers a breathtaking account of how the collapse of an ancient civilized world ushered in the first Dark Ages.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Look past the one-star reviews: this is an enlightening and engaging read.
- By Alonzo Nightjar on 03-07-22
By: Eric H. Cline
-
The Pope and Mussolini
- The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 441
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 389
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 385
From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI’s secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini’s spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican’s role in the rise of Fascism in Europe.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
It is not narrated well - the delivery does not keep it as captivating as this book should be
- By Karina Inigo on 07-14-15
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Pope Who Would Be King
- The Exile of Pius IX and the Emergence of Modern Europe
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 93
Only two years after Pope Pius IX’s election in 1846 had triggered great popular enthusiasm across Italy, the pope found himself a virtual prisoner in his own palace. The revolutions that swept through Europe and shook Rome threatened to end the popes’ thousand-year reign over the Papal States, if not the papacy itself. The resulting drama was rife with treachery, tragedy, and international power politics. David Kertzer, one of the world’s foremost experts on the history of Italy and the Vatican, brings this pivotal moment vividly to life.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Imbalanced and theologically confused
- By A. Moran on 06-18-19
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Popes Against the Jews
- The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 34
Pope John Paul II, as part of his effort to improve Catholic-Jewish relations, himself called for a clear-eyed historical investigation into any possible link between the Church and the Holocaust. An important sign of his commitment was the decision to allow the distinguished historian David I. Kertzer, a specialist in Italian history, to be one of the first scholars given access to long-sealed Vatican archives. The result is a book filled with shocking revelations.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A stunning expose.
- By Paul on 03-05-22
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Pope at War
- The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 292
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 252
When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, his papers were sealed in the Vatican Secret Archives, leaving unanswered questions about what he knew and did during World War II. Those questions have only grown and festered, making Pius XII one of the most controversial popes in Church history, especially now as the Vatican prepares to canonize him.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Intellectually dishonest
- By ReviewAmazon384 on 04-08-23
By: David I. Kertzer
-
The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
Bologna, 1858: A police posse, acting on the orders of a Catholic inquisitor, invades the home of a Jewish merchant, Momolo Mortara, wrenches his crying six-year-old son from his arms, and rushes him off in a carriage bound for Rome. His mother is so distraught that she collapses and has to be taken to a neighbor's house, but her weeping can be heard across the city. With this terrifying scene - one that would haunt this family forever - David I. Kertzer begins his fascinating investigation of the dramatic kidnapping.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Too much detail
- By L. WILLIAM on 03-03-24
By: David I. Kertzer
-
1177 B.C. (Revised and Updated)
- The Year Civilization Collapsed
- By: Eric H. Cline
- Narrated by: Eric H. Cline
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 684
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 594
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 593
This audiobook narrated by acclaimed archaeologist and best-selling author Eric Cline offers a breathtaking account of how the collapse of an ancient civilized world ushered in the first Dark Ages.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Look past the one-star reviews: this is an enlightening and engaging read.
- By Alonzo Nightjar on 03-07-22
By: Eric H. Cline
Critic reviews
"Populated with a colorful cast of authentic historical figures, this fascinating slice of papal and Italian history will intrigue and enlighten both scholars and the merely curious." (Booklist)
"Kertzer, given access to newly opened Vatican archives, tells a first-rate tale of the political intrigues and corrupt characters of a newly emerging nation, offers history writing at its best, and provides insight into a little-known chapter in religious and political history." (Publishers Weekly)
What listeners say about Prisoner of the Vatican
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- rwise
- 05-17-05
Excellent book, odd publisher's summary
The book describes the history of Rome in the 19th century when the independent papal state of Rome was seized during the formation of the new Italian national state. The story is not about "The Popes' Secret Plot to Capture Rome from the New Italian State" as the publisher (or probably a semi-literate summer intern at the publishing house, who never read the book) thought to summarize this book, but more about the difficulties of the papal state and its souvereign, the pope, after Italian, national forces had seized it. The history is very well researched and explained, and the author holds a healthy distance towards its main characters and uses only original sources. I do recommend this book for people that are interested in catholic, papal, Italian or European history. Very well read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Willard
- 03-27-17
well research re d
It was v eryinteresrting with all the historical facts and dates that are presented. I think I'll read it or listen again.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- JAC
- 10-30-22
Story and Voice Fit Well
you can get lost in the character's names but the action moves it forward.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-31-22
Well researched book.
It gets a little bogged down with details but it never was boring. The end of the book had me wanting to pick up another book on the topic.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Simone
- 11-05-12
A Slice of Italian History
I enjoyed this book because it was not like reading a text book, it was interesting! Non-fiction can be tedious to read (dry) at times, so generally I take what I can from them and don’t worry about the parts my brain doesn't want to absorb – no matter how interesting it may be. In this case, I feel like I absorbed much more than I discarded.
I've been to Italy quite a few times, so I really enjoyed putting “Umberto” “Emmanuelle” “Cavour” “Garibaldi” “XX September” into context. I've seen the names and dates in a zillion piazzas and monuments and street names and metro stops, so it’s nice to learn a little more about them. We’ll see how much I retained next time I am in Italy! Will I think: “I know that name! but why?” or will I turn my husband and bore him with all the details I leaned?
I was dissapointed that the Lateran Treaty was just a blip in the epilogue, I think that ties in rather significantly with this slice of Italian history so I'm surprised the author didn't elaborate a bit more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kesari
- 02-01-19
Very interesting
Not what I expected but allot of information. This was worth it. I had no idea of all of this that took place. Kinda makes me look at this subject with a new set of eye's.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
- JerryT
- 06-04-05
History at its Worst
This is easily one of the most poorly researched "popular" works of history and certainly is a scholarly joke. We have Pius IX being ridiculed as "in his second childhood" and senile by others, none of them Catholics. The influence of the Pope during the second half of the 19th Century was modest at best. To assume that it played a major role is absurd for anyone knowledgeable about the Franco-Prussian War or the one fought between the new German state and the Austia-Hungarian Empire where Italy played a minor role at best. That Pius IX tried to meddle in various affairs is not doubted. But that he had any serious effect is absurd. And after a variety of negative comments about a hapless Pius IX, the author goes on to assert he was the most important Pope in modern history (a curious thought in an age which has seen the recent death of a far more important Pope.) The writer struggles to put Lombardy in the correct geographical position, one of several foolish errors, and discards all the accessible Italian and Papal histories of the period in the introduction. Even conflicting histories, if they be so, must be considered. Instead he views history through the eyes of French, German, Austrian and other historians. And no I'm not a Catholic but a philosphy student of Austine, Aquinas, Aristotle and many others. In fact at one point Aquinas is said to be more important as Peter's "descendant," as the foundation of the Catholic Church. Read the History of the Middle Ages or Charlemagne and you'll understand more about Italian history than this pathetic book. This would NOT be an acceptable thesis for a history student. The title is chosen to help it sell. "The Minor Role of the Papacy in the 19th Century" would be a better choice. And it is clearly not a history of modern Italy but someone's idea of making a buck or simply thinks that something anti-Catholic might sell well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
20 people found this helpful