The Pope and Mussolini

{{Infobox book

| name = The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe

| image = The Pope and Mussolini, 2014 hardcover edition.jpg

| author = David Kertzer

| published = January 28, 2014

| publisher = Random House Publishing Group

| isbn =

| awards = Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography

}}

The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe is a 2014 biography of Pope Pius XI about his relations with Benito Mussolini and rise of Fascism in Europe by David Kertzer.{{cite web|title=The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe|url=http://www.davidkertzer.com/books/pope-and-mussolini|access-date=October 27, 2015}} The book examined documentary evidence from the Vatican archives, arguing that Pope Pius XI played a significant role in supporting the rise of fascism and Benito Mussolini in Italy, but not of Nazism in Germany.{{cite journal|last=Ventresca|first=R. A. |year=2014|title=The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer (review). |journal=The Catholic Historical Review|volume=100|issue=3|pages=630–632|doi=10.1353/cat.2014.0160 |s2cid=150853556 }}

The Pope and Mussolini won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/business/media/pulitzer-prize-winners-2015.html|last=Somaiya|first=Ravi|title=2015 Pulitzer Winners: Charleston, S.C., Paper Wins Public Service Prize; New York Times Wins 3|work=The New York Times|date=April 20, 2015|access-date=April 20, 2015}}

About the book

This is the story of Pope Pius XI’s relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, based on archival material from both.{{cite magazine|title=How a Pope Helped Mussolini Rise to Power And tried to stop him before it was too late|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/116501/pope-and-mussolini-david-i-kertzer-reviewed|magazine=Saul Friedländer|publisher=The New Republic|date=March 8, 2014|access-date=October 27, 2015|last1=Friedlander|first1=Saul}}

Reception

The book was lauded by many authors including Joseph J. Ellis, who wrote, "Kertzer has an eye for a story, an ear for the right word, and an instinct for human tragedy. This is a sophisticated blockbuster." The New Yorker called the book "A fascinating and tragic story."The New York Review of Books states, "Revelatory . . . [a] detailed portrait."{{cite magazine|title=The Pope Who Tried|url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/apr/23/pope-who-tried/|magazine=Alexander Stille|publisher=The New Yorker|date=April 23, 2015|access-date=October 27, 2015 |last1=Stille |first1=Alexander }} Historian Paul Gottfried criticized the book for being overly critical of the Church.[https://www.crisismagazine.com/2015/painting-catholicism-with-the-fascist-brush Painting Catholicism with a Fascist Brush]

Editions

American edition:

{{Cite book|last=Kertzer|first=David I.|authorlink=David Kertzer|title=The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe|year=2014|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|isbn=9780679645535|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYh3AAAAQBAJ}}

British edition:

{{Cite book|last=Kertzer|first=David I.|authorlink=David Kertzer|title=The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780198716167|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xc3QAgAAQBAJ}}

Italian edition:

{{Cite book|last=Kertzer|first=David I.|authorlink=David Kertzer|title=Il patto col diavolo: Mussolini e Papa Pio XI le relazioni segrete fra il Vaticano e l'Italia fascista|year=2014|publisher=Rizzoli|isbn=9788858664674|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lBkBAwAAQBAJ}}

German edition:

{{Cite book|last=Kertzer|first=David I.|authorlink=David Kertzer|title=Der erste Stellvertreter: Papst Pius XI. und der geheime Pakt mit dem Faschismus|year=2016|publisher=Theiss Verlag|isbn=9783806233827|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=izDdjwEACAAJ}}

Awards

The biography won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, Letter and Music category of Biography or Autobiography.{{cite web|title=Biography or Autobiography|url=http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2015-Biography-or-Autobiography|publisher=The Pulitzer Prizes|access-date=20 April 2015}}