An intriguing look at a particular religious/political moment in 19th century Europe. I greatly enjoyed the author's prior book on Mussolini and the Pope, and the skill demonstrated in that book carries over into this newer one. The author does a good job of clarifying internecine battles and struggles for power within and without the Vatican. Recommended for fans of 19th century European history. Thanks to NetGalley for advance reading copy.

Before I read this book I knew little about Italian unification, now I know more. Even so, the book felt incomplete in spite of its length.

It focuses on just a few years and on Pope Pius IX. I suppose that makes sense as his flight from Rome and the efforts to return him there are an important part of the story.

But I saw little in the lengthy book that justified the title. I also saw little in the book that justified the exhaustive detail when the book basically ends shortly after Pius returns to Rome and only gives the rest of the unification process short shrift in the Epilogue.

If you already know about this period in Italy, the book is worthwhile. If you don't look elsewhere.

Many thanks to David Kertzer, Random House, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.I knew nothing about this period in history, and I'm Catholic, so now I feel guilty, which isn't really anything new since I'm Catholic. This took place in Italy around the same time as the first World's Fair, Indian territory is evacuated, the Republican Party is founded, and the Dred Scott case is decided. It was major upheaval in the country, which was really tiny states at that time with the Papal States encompassing Rome through the middle. Lots of rebellion, lots of dead. Pope took off in hiding concerned for his safety because everyone is being killed. Basically the people want a republic, he wants a papal monarchy. The people want a Constitution, he wants government by the church. I guess because I'm an American I found this absolutely absurd. I've never known the Pope as a governmental leader. I really couldn't blame the Roman population at all except for all of the violence. There was so much death. Reading this book was quite the educational experience for me. I learned something about my religion as well as something about history.

This fascinating and readable account of a Pope caught in the revolutionary fever of his age mixes Italian history with Catholic history and the struggle for Democracy in Europe.

Well written and researched account of the reign of Pope Pius IX. I am not Catholic, but love biographies, but was not expecting much from this. I became immersed in it due to the detail provided by the writer. It was not written just for those that are Catholic.

This is likely one of the best history texts that I have ever read. The author paints such a clear picture of the events and people involved that it read like a novel. Though I knew the outcome of the events I still had hope and anticipation for the conclusion. Very well done. I highly recommend.

To say I went in knowing close to nothing about the subject matter would definitely be an understatement. Not only that, I wasn't sure what to face after several attempted and eventually aborted forays into reading further into 1848 Revolutions-era Europe, where each time I became far too bogged down in a sheer volume of details.

Thankfully, Kertzer does not make the same mistake that I've seen other writers make. Far from it, he has crafted not merely an excellently readable history that makes this tumultuous period of Europe comprehensible to those unfamiliar with the era, but a gripping history as well that one will find difficult to put down.