Description:
THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST AMERICAN POPE
The Life, Teachings, Rise and Leadership Qualities of Pope Leo XIV.
"Kengor's deep understanding of both Catholicism and America make him the right scholar to introduce Americans to a deeper understanding of the first American Pontiff."--HON. NEWT GINGRICH
From New York Times bestselling author and noted Catholic historian Dr Paul Kengor: A portrait of Robert Francis Prevost, his background and life, theological beliefs and teachings, relationship with his predecessors and fellow cardinals and clergy, and surprising rise to become the 267th elected Pontiff and first American Pope, and the challenges he will face and how he is likely to lead the Catholic Church, including interviews with Catholic and papal experts.
In this first major biography of the new American pontiff, Editor of The American Spectator, chief academic fellow at the Institute for Faith & Freedom, professor of political science at Grove City College, historian and New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, including A Pope and a President, The Divine Plan, and God and Ronald Reagan, Dr Paul Kengor delivers an engaging and gripping deep dive into the life and times of Robert Francis Prevost, whose election to the Chair of St. Peter on May 8, 2025, stunned the world. There had never been an American pope, and until this book, there has not been an in-depth examination of the new American pontiff and his extraordinary election. Professor Kengor takes readers on a spiritual sojourn from the very first pope, Peter, through the Medieval popes, through the turbulence of the Francis years, and through today's pope and the figures who influenced him, from St. Augustine to Pope Leo XIII. He shows how this so-called "least American American" among the cardinals is actually quintessentially American, and yet also, remarkably, is quintessentially universal--ideally so for the head of the universal Roman Catholic Church.
In this definitive biography, Dr. Kengor provides fascinating information on Prevost's sudden rise from priest to bishop to cardinal and the inside story on how the vote went down in the Conclave, leading to the highly unexpected and yet overwhelming choice of Prevost on the fourth ballot. Kengor also provides a detailed treatment of the very revealing opening 40 days of Leo XIV's pontificate and offers unique insights into where the world might expect the pope to proceed hereafter. The pope's first word from the Loggia was "peace," and he has committed himself to a mission of peace and unity for the Church and the wider world.
If you want to get to know this mystery man who became pope--who became the first American pontiff--this is the book, a must-read for every Catholic and for non-Catholics as well.
Brief description:
PAUL KENGOR, PHD (GROVE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA) is Editor of The American Spectator, executive director and chief academic fellow at the Institute for Faith & Freedom, a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, and professor of political science at Grove City College.
Kengor has focused much of his work on Ronald Reagan, faith and the presidency, conservative politics, the Cold War, Communism, and Catholicism, and is a New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, including: A Pope and a President, God and Ronald Reagan, The Divine Plan, The Stigmatists, and The Devil and Karl Marx. A regular contributor to The American Spectator, Dr Kengor is a frequent contributor and expert historian in the media, from NEWSMAX to MSNBC to C-SPAN to EWTN to NPR to PBS, and a much-in-demand public speaker.
The author lives & works in the Pittsburgh metro area.
https: //spectator.org/author/paul-kengor/
Review Quotes:
Praise for A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century by Paul Kengor
"Kengor breaks new ground."
--World magazine
"This book superbly captures and perfectly portrays the profound depth of the bond between John Paul II and Ronald Reagan."
--Washington Times
"Dr. Kengor's book is extraordinary. . .A historical tome that is not only detailed, informative, and educational, but also inspiring and encouraging."
--The Imaginative Conservative
"No Reagan biographer or scholar knows Ronald Reagan and conservatism like Paul Kengor."
--Michael Reagan
"[Kengor] has written the most exhaustive and definitive account of Communism's twentieth-century assault on America to date."
--Townhall
"Mr. Kengor's research is prodigious, his analysis keen and insightful, his writing clear, and his work distinguished. His command of the Reagan legacy is incomparable."
--Tony Dolan, chief speechwriter and special assistant to President Reagan
"Kengor makes clear just how central the defeat of the Soviet Union was to Reagan's personal project."
--National Review
"Combines great story-telling with his commitment to scholarly detail."
--Peter Schweizer, bestselling author of Reagan's War
"[Kengor provides] more fascinating and never-before-reported details about how Ronald Reagan succeeded than any other Cold War historian. . . Kengor somehow got his hands on more secret documents than the KGB."
--American Thinker
"Kengor has unearthed eye-popping new information that left me amazed."
--Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard
"Provides authoritative insight into Reagan's campaign to destroy Soviet Communism."
--Richard Pipes, professor of history, emeritus, Harvard University
"Kengor assembles a wealth of material."
--National Catholic Reporter
"There are few historians who are closer students of the Reagan message, his thoughts, his utterances, and his convictions than Paul Kengor."
--William J. Bennett, President Reagan's secretary of education