By George Weigel

George Weigel, author of Witness to Hope, will be giving a series of lectures in Oxford, London, Manchester, and Birmingham in mid-February. The definitive, authoritative biography of Pope John Paul II, with unprecedented co-operation from the Pope, including access to the Holy Father's papers. A groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, philosopher, religious leader and political figure destined to become a classic. The authoritative biography of one of the singular figures --some might even argue, the singular figure of the twentieth century. John Paul II's life is filled with drama; his life is also replete with challenging ideas, whose power comes in part from the sensational character of Wojtyla's life and the integrity with which he has lived it. Even his critics concede that John Paul II occupies a unique place on the world stage at the end of this bloody century, and that he has put down markers that no one can ignore or avoid as humanity turns into a new millennium fraught with both possibility and danger. This book includes previously unpublished primary-source documentation of an historic quality. The Pope is a man of prodigious energy, and has played a crucial, yet heretofore unknown role, in this century's most momentous events, including the fall of communism, the Holy Sea/Israel negotiation of 1991-92, the disintegration of the Nicaraguan, Chilean, and Paraguayan regimes during the 1980s, and the unprecedented papal visit to Cuba. This biography explains how it is that this "man from a far country," as he describes himself to the Roman crowds on the night of his election, had done all of that, and what his accomplishments might portend for the future of both the Church and the world.

• Hardcover: 1008 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1st edition (October 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006018793X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060187934