John Paul II: The Epic Life of a Pilgrim Pope [Hardcover]

Chicago Tribune (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

Every journey John Paul II made had a purpose. In some places he emphasized the traditional stands of the church on issues such as abortion, women clergy, and the evils of materialism. Some would say bravely while others would say stubbornly, he presented those positions to audiences who least wanted to hear them. He travelled to confront communism, he spoke out against unbridled capitalism, dehumanizing globalism, and rampant consumerism. His long global odyssey seemed, in a way, a series of family visits, calling on the world's one billion Catholics and countless members of other faiths. The family he touched was humanity. This book/CD celebrates a remarkable man.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Over more than a quarter century, Pope John Paul II emerged as one of the most influential people of the era, shaping moral thought and political action. He was a pope of firsts and mosts. He was the most traveled pontiff by far, having visited and kissed the ground of more than 100 nations. He was the first pope to set foot in the main synagogue in Rome and the first to enter a mosque. One of the Vatican's most prolific writers, he produced more than 80 encyclicals, exhortations, apostolic constitutions and letters, plus hundreds of other documents and several popular books. He became the first non-Italian pope in 4 1/2 centuries, and he was among the youngest in the modern era, just 58 when he ascended to the papal throne. With photos, text and the accompanying interactive, multimedia CD-ROM, this book traces the life of a charismatic, often controversial man, both at home in the Vatican and on his pilgrimages to the world.

About the Author

Jose More, Chicago Tribune photographer, has photographed Pope John Paul II on many travels. For this book and CD-ROM, More gathered a selection of the world's best images of the pontiff, perhaps the most photographed person in history. Charles LeRoux, Chicago Tribune senior correspondent, shaped the book to bring out the theme behind each stop of the pope's global pilgrimage. Steve Klohen's coverage of the pope for the Chicago Tribune included the historic trips to Cuba and the Holy Land. As editor of the interactive CD-ROM "Be not afraid," he oversaw a team that developed into an entertaining and complelling media story.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572437049
• ISBN-13: 978-1572437043
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,719,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding One-Volume Encyclopedia of the Life and Ministry of Pope John Paul II, August 12, 2007

By 

Jan Peczkis "Scholar and Thinker" (Chicago IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: John Paul II: The Epic Life of a Pilgrim Pope (Hardcover)

Most media materials on Pope John Paul II fall into two groups: Printed text or photo-filled albums. This book combines much of both, and also has a CD-ROM for action viewing. The book itself is grouped into chapters featuring geographic locations of the Pope's visits (Latin America, Poland, North America, the Middle East, and the globe as a whole). There is also a series of "In the Vatican" chapters dealing with the many roles of the Pope: the pontiff, the victim, the priest, and the teacher. The book includes discussion of the Pope's early life in Poland.

The CD-ROM contains news stories of the Pope's trips and speeches. The content is grouped into topics, such as the Pope's visits to his native Poland; the Pope's dealing with dissent in the church, etc. The CD-ROM contains text as well as TV-news clippings. Various historical or theological terms are highlighted in the CD-ROM's text so that the viewer can see a written definition of the term upon putting the mouse's pointer on it.

This book came out shortly after the Pope had died. While there are no pictures of his funeral, a few pictures of mourners are included.