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Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections Paperback – December 19, 2003

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

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Since 1600, whenever a Pope dies, the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church convene in Rome to elect a successor. The Papal Conclave is an event like no other. Highly secret and conducted behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, it happens about eight times every century. It is an event that has evolved over the centuries and is always filled with high drama: cardinals meeting en masse in their scarlet robes, throngs of the faithful standing watch in St. Peter's Square, the black or white smoke billowing from the chimney signalling the election of a new Pontiff Since secrecy was not heavily invoked until the twentieth century, there is a vast store of rich material to work from and Fred Baumgartner uses it to its utmost detailing the bickering and blatant politicking that goes on behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel in this important and timely book.
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Editorial Reviews

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'Frederic Baumgartner's book is well balanced, both in its wide sweep of centuries and in fairness to individuals, be they popes, cardinals or monarchs...this history will give us an understanding of the evolution of the world's oldest elected institution. It should be made required reading for the college of cardinals, and perhaps presented to a new Eminence with his red hat.' - Richard Mullen, Catholic Herald

'There is something irresistibly exciting about a papal election - but reading this fascinating and scholarly account of elections over 200 years, it seems the forthcoming conclave will be one of the dullest in history...The use of white smoke, along with the strict secrecy, Baumgartner shows, is an innovation scarcely more than 100 years old. But the process is still a fascinating one, as this readable, very well researched and interesting book proves.' - David McLaurin, Church Times

'It's surely no surprise that a history of papal elections is largely a history of bad behaviour: self aggrandisement, corruption, bribery, nepotism, greed and cynical manipulation.' - Barney Zwartz, The Age

About the Author

FREDERIC J. BAUMGARTNER is Professor of History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. He is the author of many books including Louis XII, France in the Sixteenth Century and Longing for the End.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition (December 19, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 287 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1403969620
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1403969620
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.64 x 5.51 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

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Frederic J. Baumgartner
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2012
    Those interested in Catholic Church history will be well served by this book, which reviews in as much detail as available the elections of the 263 Supreme Pontiffs. While much of the activity of the conclaves has been secret, Baumgartner has found many sources of participants who couldn't resist telling someone of what went on, so there are at least descriptions of the rise and fall in the polling for major contenders who didn't get to mount the papal throne for quite a few of the papal elections. There is also a tracing of how popes were selected in the days of the early church before conclaves were instituted. I particularly enjoyed how focused the author was on his topic. There was very little side venturing into the policies and actions of the popes once they were elected, except for brief summaries of major actions, before moving right along to the next conclave. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to focus on the history of the papal election process without getting dragged into details of papal bulls and apostolic letters.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2013
    I had done a book report on Pope John XXIII in 4th Grade and had followed the Elections of both John Paul I and II and Benedict XVI. It seemed a lot less disfunctional than the elections of American Presidents.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013
    The book contains exactly what the description says it does: The history of Papal Elections devoid of the politics of the individual resulting Popes.

    Very good for my daughter's report on the Convocation!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013
    I found this book most interesting even though I am not Catholic. I didn't realize some early Popes were married.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2015
    Really love this book
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2004
    This is a book that focuses on how the Popes have been chosen and elected, starting with Peter and going all the way to John Paul II. Given that records of the earliest elections are scant, or non-existent, Baumgartner spends only about 20 pages going through the first 1000 years of the Church, and then another 20 pages for the next 300 years or so, but Baumgartner presents all of the solid historical information that is available, without engaging in the salacious or scandalous rumors that have characterized other histories of the Church. For example, he mentions "Pope Joan" only in passing but provides references for both those who believe she was only a myth and for those who believe she was real. Baumgartner is sparse with his footnotes, which makes the book easier to read, but all sources are cited.

    The book, strangely enough, does not provide a list of Popes and their dates of reign, which is unfortunate since sometimes the dates in the text are hard to find. However, that kind of information is readily available on the Internet from places like advent.org and other Catholic Encyclopedias.

    The only other flaw I could find is that the description of John Paul II's election could have had more depth, but Baumgartner does include information on the changes the current Pope has made in the election process that would affect the choice of his successor, which will be interesting when that event occurs.

    This is a great book if you're looking for details about how the longest unbroken line of rulers have been chosen for almost 2,000 years. Good, bad, and lost opportunities are all presented, and it fills in some of the whys and wherefores that standard histories might miss.
    20 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
    Very good service, nice book. Thank you.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2013
    This 2003 book gives a succinct account of the selection of every Pope, with particular attention to the elections since 1059, when the election of the Pope was entrusted exclusively to the Cardinals..Only in 1417 were some non-cardinals permitted to help elect the Pope. Some very unedifying events are related in the book, but the author makes no attempt to whitewash them. The account tells just enough about events to set the stage for each papal election, and I found it exceptionally well-done and full of interest.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Mrs Gemma Sadler
    5.0 out of 5 stars book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2014
    just what my friend needed to get over a op he said it was a great book and gift fab price