Witness to Hope

Publisher's Summary

Given unprecedented access to Pope John Paul II and the people who have known and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel presents a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions have defined a new approach to world politics and changed the course of history.

John Paul II has systematically addressed every major question on the world's agenda at the turn of the millennium: the human yearning for the sacred, the meaning of freedom, the glories and challenges of human sexuality, the promise of the women's movement, the quest for a new world order, the nature of good and evil, the moral challenge of prosperity, and the imperative of human solidarity in the emerging global civilization. By bringing the age-old wisdom of biblical religion into active conversation with contemporary life and thought, the Pope "from a far country" has crafted a challenging proposal for the human future that is without parallel in the modern world.

Weigel explores new information about the Pope's role in some of the recent past's most stirring events, including the fall of communism; the Vatican/Israel negotiation of 1991-92; the collapse of the Philippine, Chilean, Nicaraguan, and Paraguayan dictatorships during the 1980s; and the epic papal visit to Cuba. Weigel also includes previously unpublished papal correspondence with Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Deng Xiaoping, and draws on hitherto unavailable autobiographical reminiscences by the Pope.

Witness to Hope also discusses the Pope's efforts to build bridges to other Christian communities, and to Judaism, Islam, and other great world religions; presents an analysis of John Paul's proposals for strengthening democratic societies in the twenty-first century; and offers synopses of every major teaching document in the pontificate.

©1999 George Weigel (P)1999 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"The book is rich in new detail....The book is well written and Weigel's command of the material is impressive." (Publishers Weekly)
"A book that will become a standard for students of church history and that sheds light on the history of the 20th century for everyone." (The New York Times Book Review)
"A tremendous achievement." (Washington Post)
"Well-wrought and comprehensive." (Wall Street Journal)

Outstanding

This is an incredible story; the story of a man who challenged adversity at every turn and rose to the occasion. I'm proud of this leader and his contributions to the beginning of this new millenium. I wish I could get the unabridged edition.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

The best biography of John Paul II

This is the best book on the greatest man of our time. I give it four stars only because it is abridged. Also it ends around 1998/1999, when it was originally published. I'd love to see an update with the rest of the story, and in an unabridged audio format.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

If you want to learn more about Pope John Paul II

What did you love best about Witness to Hope?

This book gave me insight into the Pope that I did not have before. I really enjoyed learning more about him as a person!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

John Paul the Great Biography

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was a description of how generous the pope was in Poland, giving away his razor if he was given one. This demonstrates the beauty of his life, but also the detail that Weigel goes into.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Outstanding!!

Well written, fascinating and inspirational biography on an outstanding man. St. Pope John Paul the Great, pray for us and our country!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Deep insights into a Pope I already respected.

My favorite is when John Paul II is elected, a moment that changed our world forever. Great narrator great book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

God Bless Our Pope

Absolutely amazing. One of a kind. A must have for everyone. My only complaint about the audio version is that it is abridged. George Weigel does a great job portraying a man that everyone felt they have already known for years.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Outstanding!

A beautiful account of the life of the greatest man of the 20th century! A must read (or listen!) for anyone who cares about the history of the last century and the direction of the future, not only of the Catholic Church, but of the world.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent!

Very well written and narrated. Gives a lot of depth to the life of John Paul II.

Helps to get a viewof JPII beyond the headlines

this is not a mere biograohy. It goes into great detail of his thinking and writings. this is not a mere hagiography.

Recommend to all

This was a superb biography. Written so well by - it must be said - a great admirer of the Pope. I listened to the abridged audio book. Narrator was very good. Overall a very engaging book that I would recommend to everyone, Pope John Paul II was a very consequential leader.