In an age fairly rich with heroes, Pope John Paul II was truly a titan-a man of superior intellect and intense spirituality whose faith drew him into head-on collisions with his era's greatest nightmares, from communism to terrorism. In this stirring portrait, bestselling author Peggy Noonan draws on a wealth of scholarship, interviews, and her own experience to reveal the man behind the legend and what we all can learn from his courage and humility. Passionate and deeply personal, John Paul the Great is a brilliant celebration of a man whose life offers the greatest lesson of all : how to live.
With such acclaimed books as When Character Was King, Peggy Noonan has become one of our most eloquent and respected commentators. Now she offers a stirring portrait of a spiritual and intellectual giant who personally confronted all of the worst tragedies of his age. Drawing on scholarship, interviews with prominent Catholics, and her own experience, Noonan traces the extraordinary life and struggles of Pope John Paul II with characteristic insight and probity-and explores how much we can learn from his leadership, diplomacy, humility, and holiness. Passionate and often deeply personal, John Paul the Great is as exceptional as the man it celebrates.