The world was stunned when little-known Karol Wojtyla became the first non-Italian pope for 450 years. As Pope John Paul II, he continued to surprise, directly confronting Communist regimes, flying hundreds of thousands of miles to meet the faithful, and building bridges with other faiths. John Paul II became a bête noire in the eyes of liberals for his staunch refusal to accept contraception or the ordination of women. But for others he was a Churchillian figure who took on the forces of godlessness and moral relativism. He gained a stature that left secular statesmen in his shadow. Love him or loathe him, few could deny that he was a man of rare courage. He survived two assassination attempts, fought off cancer and waged a very public battle with Parkinson's disease. Seven years after his death he continues to exert a hold over the Church and to inspire an almost cult-like devotion.
The world was stunned when Karol Wojtyla became the first non-Italian pope for 450 years. As Pope John Paul II he revolutionised the office, galvanising the faithful, fighting totalitarianism and inspiring millions. In the process, he dismayed many with his autocratic style and inflexible stance on issues such as contraception and women priests. This book explores what it was that made John Paul such an important and divisive figure in late twentieth century history. What were the forces that shaped his ideas and his attitudes? What clues can we find in his early life to help us understand this most contradictory of men? What gave him the strength to survive an assassination attempt and a very public battle with Parkinson's disease with his authority and - among many - his popularity undiminished. Almost a decade after his death, he continues to exert a powerful hold on his Church and many of its faithful.
