Includes:
* Biographical accounts of all the 266 popes, from St Peter to Benedict XVI, giving a history of these fascinating individuals - from saintly pastors to great statesmen and patrons of the arts
* Full coverage of the Crusader, Avignon and Borgia popes, as well as the 39 antipopes (rival popes)
* Timelines throughout with at-a-glance visual guides to the length and important events of each pope's reign
* Datafiles for every pope listing key information, such as name at birth, early career and family relationships
* Extensive quotations from contemporary sources that enrich the narrative
* Numerous sidebars and special features ranging from the excavation of St Peter's tomb to the Catholic rejuvenation of the Counter-Reformation
* 317 illustrations, 112 in colour, including portraits and busts of the popes, art treasures from the Vatican and detailed maps
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