Description: John Pollard, a leading historian of the papacy, explores the transformation of the Vatican into a major financial power and the part money played in the development of the modern papacy. Using hitherto unexplored sources, he sheds new light on tensions between the Vatican's engagement with capitalism and the Church's social teaching, and conflicts between the Vatican and the Allies during the Second World War and the early Cold War.
Brief description: John F. Pollard is a Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He is the author of The Vatican and Italian Fascism, 1929-32: A Study in Conflict (1985).
Review Quotes: "This excellent book treats an important though neglected subject with care and sophistication. It deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history of the Papacy."
David Alvarez, Saint Mary's College of California, The Catholic Historical Review