Customer Reviews

Militant And Triumphant: William Henry O'Connell and the Catholic Church in Boston, 1859-1944

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In our increasingly secular country, I would imagine that the subject matter of this book, an American Catholic cardinal, probably won't interest a number of people. That is very unfortunate. O'Connell was truly one of the most powerful figures in the history of New England. His wide influence was rooted not only in the innate respect that the people of his time had for religion and religious leaders, but also in his "larger-than-life," almost prima-donna personality, and the growing political power of the Church due to the massive influx of Catholic immigrants to the United States, particularly Boston. "Militant and Triumphant" traces O'Connell's rise under Pius X and his fall from grace during the pontificate of Benedict XV. O'Toole's research is objective, and it represents a monumental amount of work. At the same time, his honest portrayal of O'Connell and the characters who surrounded him is often entertaining, as well. I strongly recommend this book.

splendidly written. best book I've read in Am Ch History and I've read a few hundred. How O'Connell managed to keep all the scandals under control
is itself a mystery.

Shame on the University of Notre Dame press for publishing such a flimsy edition of a fine biography. Read it quickly: the pages will fall out of the binding as fast as you turn them.