- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (May 1 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0141001836
- ISBN-13: 978-0141001838
- Product Dimensions: 14.1 x 2.1 x 21.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 372 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#10,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Books > History > Europe > Vatican
- #21 in Books > History > Europe > Italy
- #25 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Just 33 days into the reign of Pope John Paul I in 1978, it was reported that he had died of a heart attack. But within the Vatican, there were conflicting answers to the most basic questions: Who found the body? What was the time of death? What was the actual state of the pope's health prior to death? A Thief in the Night is John Cornwell's investigation of the mysterious circumstances surrounding John Paul's death. It is also a profound exploration of the nature of sin and the definition of crime. Inconsistencies in the story spawned rumors of conspiracy to murder the so-called "smiling pope," whose ideological stances were sufficiently complex as to threaten both conservative and liberal interests in the Church and abroad. Fingers pointed towards the KGB, the Freemasons, and the pope's own top advisors. Then, in 1987, the Vatican invited Cornwell (whose other books include the bestselling Hitler's Pope) to conduct an independent investigation of the pope's death. His investigation reads like a detective novel: 44 short chapters record Cornwell's encounters with most of the major characters of this mystery, including the Pope's personal secretaries and the Vatican doctor who signed his death certificate. Ultimately, A Thief in the Night argues that John Paul showed clear symptoms of fatal illness in the days leading up to his death, and that these symptoms were willfully ignored by everyone around him. Thus, Cornwell argues, the sins that killed John Paul were sins of omission. The fantastic conspiracy theories, he argues, serve one purpose: "they deflect attention from the most obvious and shameful fact of all: that John Paul I died scorned and neglected by the institution that existed to sustain him." --Michael Joseph Gross
Review
A deep and exhaustive penetration of the Vatican. -- Graham Greene
A model of investigative journalism and a small masterpiece of the genre. -- Anthony Burgess
As brilliantly written as a prize-winning mystery story. -- Andrew Greeley
A model of investigative journalism and a small masterpiece of the genre. -- Anthony Burgess
As brilliantly written as a prize-winning mystery story. -- Andrew Greeley
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great account-- reads like a mystery.,
By Mark "marklees" (Chicago, illinois United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Thief in the Night: Life and Death in the Vatican (Paperback)
This is an enjoyable read on several levels. Cornwell really gives the reader a great inside look at the Vatican and the politics involved. The amount of backstabbing and shady dealing that goes on behind the scenes is incredible. The cast of characters is very interesting and Cornwell does not spare individuals when they deserve to be criticized (and this turns out to be just about everybody!). John Paul I was a good human being who was used, abused, and ignored by members of the Vatican heirarchy. It is in many respects a very sad story since we are left with the impression that a humble and sensitive man such as JP I cannot make it as pope with the current environment at the Vatican.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterful account,
By
This review is from: A Thief in the Night: Life and Death in the Vatican (Paperback)
The vatican has been dominated by John Paul II for more the 20 years. What of the man before him? Little is known of John Paul I. This book delves deep into the mystery of his death after a brief 33 days in office. The smiling pope. A humble man, sourounded by the viscious politics of rome. This quick rad is an insight into the workings of the vatican and a journey through papal politics.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Startling Investigatve Report,
By
This review is from: A Thief in the Night: Life and Death in the Vatican (Paperback)
Cornwell admirably and intensely approaches the task some ten years after the event, of sorting out the rumors and innuendos surrounding the sudden death of the 33-day pope, John Paul 1.All of his extensive look into this quagmire called the Vatican can be summarized by his words: "The whisperings, the rumors, the theories--farfetched, sensational, fantastic--all serve a purpose: they deflect attention from the most obvious and shameful fact of all; that John Paul I died scorned and neglected by the institution that existed to sustain him." (pg. 336) This well capsulizes what his peering into the event surfaced. Amazing inner look at this huge, off-limits to most of us, major religious institution. His analysis his thorough, he wants evidence that is credible. He sifts out things well, and strings them together to make sense, or breaks up strings which won't hold together. The stuff with the Vatican Bank and its director is shameful, and Cornwell discloses this with dignity, yet allows real inner struggles to be seen. Worth the read. His hypothesis of what occurred from his investigation is fascinating, and has all the signs and tastes of close to the truth.
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