Customer Reviews

The Legend of Pope Joan: In Search of the Truth

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The Legend of Pope Joan (In Search of the Truth) by Peter Stanford was a little difficult to enjoy at first as I was expecting more of a standard history book. Instead this book is actually more about the journalist's, the author, own personal search for the truth behind the stories of Pope Joan, rather than Pope Joan herself, although she is there in plenty. This is more than just an ego project though (although it certainly has moments of that) and it is an interesting and different way of making this book stand out from the various other Pope Joan books in existence and actually drawing the reader closer and personally into the legend. The author is certainly thorough in his research, extending it often beyond the middle ages, such as his riveting interview with a woman in Czechoslovakia who was ordained as a priest as a way of getting around Communist restrictions against the Catholic Church. There will be more than enough history to please the history buffs but the story, mainly due to the style of the author, will be a joy for anyone to indulge a couple of hours soaking into this unusual legend of this remarkable, possibly real, woman. It is history as journalism by way of a detective story.

I became aware of the legend of Pope Joan a number of years ago upon reading Donna Woolfolk Cross's novel Pope Joan. Since then, I've come across mentions of the legend in a number of places, including some interesting papal histories. However, I had never looked into the story seriously so I decided to read a few books. One of the first I came across was this one by Peter Stanford.

I was reasonably pleased with this book. Stanford appears to have done some serious research into the historical sources of the story of the female pope. In addition, he has relates a number of interviews with important historians both inside and outside the Vatican. Most importantly, the book is quite easy to read as he tells it more as the story of his personal search for the truth as opposed to a dry history.

This, however, is also the source of the book's main weakness. Stanford is clearly prejudiced before he even begins his search. Clearly, he believes there was such a person as Pope Joan and he is merely looking for pieces of information to back up his position. Granted, he is honest enough to admit that there is absolutely no way a definitive answer to this question will ever come but this cannot cover his strong belief that there was such a person.

I, myself, believe it is highly likely a person like Joan lived at some time in papal history but Stanford's faith is distracting. Still, he is quite thorough and makes a number of good points both pro and con. For someone interested in the subject, this book is a worthwhile read.

The legend of Pope Joan is worth a good book. Was there a female pope and, if so, how could she have deceived all the people at least some of the time? If she is a legend, why did the legend start and why did it persist for so long? Stanford's not the man for this. He's another self-absorbed 20th century reporter type who keeps inserting himself into the story and talking down to the reader. Sometimes I thought I was reading his resume's account of his journalistic & research abilities. One of these abilities is not reflection, which is notably absent in this book. What is present is a wishful pushing of his arguments, which hurts his case more than helps it. As the Kirkus reviewer notes, he turns suppositions into facts. Disappointing book.

I thought the history of Pope Joan was a fascinating topic. I went into reading the book with a very open mind on the subject. After reading the book, there appears to be the possibility that a female pope existed but my opinion was not swayed to one side or the other. I wish the author would have done a better job in presenting his research on the subject. I feel that he made some assumptions that were not challenged by the author. I was taught that it is okay to make assumptions as long as you go back and prove that the assumption has evidence to support it better. I do not feel that the author did a good job of it. I found that I got lost many times trying to follow the author's argument that a female pope existed. I found him throwing different references about and not tying them together well enough to agree or disagree with him. The subject as I said is fascinating and I would be interested in finding a more definitive account - pro or con.

It is hard to avoid being fascinated by the story and mystery of Pope Joan. What an intriguing topic, belonging to a part of time of which little is known - which may be why the era is often referred to as "The Dark Ages"... Like may other reviewers of this book, I accidentally ran into references to Pope Joan, then tried to deepen my knowledge of it by purchasing this book: I was also in search of the truth:-)

I enjoyed reading the book, but was left somewhat disappointed at the end. I was expecting a somewhat scholarly review and analysis of the evidence, and hopefully some original research and findings. Instead, the book really discusses the author's search for more information on the topic. It is, to a certain degree, more a travelogue than a book of history research.

Peter Stanford does review the litterary evidence that is available on Pope Joan, all of which, of course, is at least third hand. He describes in interesting fashion the milieu that could have fashioned Pope Joan in England, then in middle Europe. He describes in detail his personal travel to the different sites that are associated with Pope Joan. More than anything, the book describes his search for the truth on Pope Joan - an interesting topic in itself.

However, Peter Stanford is not a historian. His personal quest in search of information on Pope Joan is basically what you or I would be doing if we were to dig into the topic in a serious manner: an interesting review of existing material by an amateur. This is not a scholarly study of Pope Joan's mystery. It does not add to the existing information. It does not bring any penetrating analysis to the subject. To a degree, I think that the several reviewers who were somewhat disappointed in this book, had, like me, the wrong expectations for what the contents would be.

If you are looking for the story of a man's personal search for more information on a puzzling topic of history, by all means buy this book. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a deep analysis of the Pope Joan mystery (or a solution...), then move on and look for something else.

Best from camisdad

This is a great book for anyone interested in the Medieval history of the papacy, feminist issues, or just looking for a great story that may be truth, myth, or a little of both. It mixes historical research with vivid and humorous anecdotes from the author's travels through western Europe in search of definitive proof for Joan's existence. Stanford does an excellent job of weaving together the threads of written accounts, historical artifacts and theoretical arguments in his comprehensive approach to the mystery of 'Pope Joan.' Although there is room to dispute his interpretation of the evidence he uncovers, he cannot be faulted for the thoroughness of his research. There is one drawback, and that is that definitive proof of the existence of a female pope remains elusive. However, this book is so informative and entertaining, covering everything from lurid tales of Medieval papal corruption to modern religious feminism, that you can thoroughly enjoy the journey, even if you're a little dissatisfied with the destination.

Did a woman ever become Pope under false pretenses? Peter Stanford says it happened. And I may even concur with his assessment of the historical evidence. Given the darkness of the age, anything is possible.

What is on to make of it? Not much, I'm afraid. The problems start when the author wants to use this factoid to discuss deeper issues involving the Catholic Church: The pretension of direct descent from Christ, the role of tradition, the role of women. All of these subjects are best discussed on their merits, not through the distorting lens of the reception history of a woman Pope.

Good in flight entertainment. Several factual errors...

A book to interest religious and non-religious alike. Though the author is a Catholic, he does not force it down the reader's throat (he also does not come off as anti-church, despite what another reader seems to feel). The search for the reality behind Pope Joan takes some bizarre off-ramps, but all are fascinating in their own right--and any work that quotes the great Tallulah Bankhead church joke is OK in my book!

A chance exploration of a streetside shrine in Rome leads journalist Stanford to pursue the story of a female pope. Stanford makes an intriguing case for the historical truth of what has long been seen as cautionary tale emphasizing the corruptibility of women. I'm not convinced by his arguments for a true historical Pope Joan, but he's presented a lot of research and historical fact in an amusingly painless read. Imagine Peter Mayle leaving Provence to turn historical detective and you've got a feel for this book!

Like other pseudo-history books (e.g., "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"), the author takes a barely plausible hypothesis and attempts to con the reader into believing it is fact. However, when Stanford does dare to delve into areas that can be easily checked by the reader, his con game is exposed. For example, at one point in the book, he mentions a trip to Bologna to find the church of San Petronio. He claims he could not find the church after an extensive search. However, even a first-time visitor to Bologna would be able to find San Petronio as it is the largest church in the city (when it was originally built, the city attempted to make it larger than St. Peter's in Rome) and stands very conspicuously in the main piazza of Bologna! If such a glaring misstatement can be so easily exposed, how can the knowledgable reader believe anything else Stanford has to say about the viability of Pope Joan?

Perhaps unwittingly, Stanford does provide the reader with what might be the most credible basis for the legend of Pope Joan when he mentions the influence of Marozia on the papacy in the 10th century. Marozia was an Italian noblewoman and daughter of the powerful Roman consul Theophylact and his wife Theodora. She was also the mistress of Pope Sergius III (904-911) and bore him a son who, through her influence, became Pope John XI in 931. Marozia wielded considerable influence on her son the Pope and it is quite possible that the Roman citizenry mockingly referred to him as "Pope Joan" (as in Latin, John = Ioannes and Joan = Ioanna). Investigating the influence of Marozia and the Theophylact family on the papacy as it was growing in strength would have made for a far more interesting book. Unfortunately, The Legend of Pope Joan does not offer us that.