Pontifex Maximus: A Short History of the Popes

– Frank McLynn, author of Genghis Khan, Napoleon and 1066

“Lascelles has achieved the seemingly impossible: a concise and highly readable history of Catholic Popes that manages to be extremely entertaining and informative at the same time.” 

– Gerald Posner, author of God’s Bankers

“Lascelles has taken an overwhelming subject, and not been overwhelmed by it in any way. A highly enjoyable read. ”

– Paul Strathern, author of The Medici

Entertaining, incisive, and unflinchingly honest, this book charts the extraordinary rise — and frequent fallibility — of the popes across two tumultuous millennia. From the Church’s humble beginnings to the global institution it is today, Lascelles explores how the papacy has been shaped by ambition, faith, corruption, reform, and power.

With a sharp eye for revealing detail and a gift for vivid storytelling, he brings to life the saints, scoundrels, and complex figures who have occupied the papal throne. This book reveals how these leaders shaped — and were shaped by — the turbulent forces of history, politics, and power.