Spies in the Vatican : Espionage and Intrigue from Napoleon to the Holocaust / David Alvarez.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alvarez, David J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Intelligence service--Vatican City--History--20th century.

Intelligence service.

Intelligence service--Vatican City--History--19th century.

Espionage--Vatican City--History--20th century.

Espionage.

Espionage--Vatican City--History--19th century.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (353 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, 2002.

Summary:

"In a narrative that is both lively and authoritative, Alvarez demonstrates that the much-vaunted intelligence capability of the Vatican was more myth than reality."--Catholic Historical Review "This interesting, informative, and objective study provides a survey of diplomatic events during an eventful century and a half. Among other things, it sheds light on the revolutionary events of the first half of the nineteenth century, the unifications of Italy and Germany, the collapse of the temporal power, the First and Second World Wars, the Holocaust, and the opening of the cold war. In the process, Alvarez dispels the myth that the Vatican was extraordinarily well informed about events worldwide and possessed one of the best intelligence networks."--International History Review "A tour de force, a remarkable achievement, elegantly written, likely to remain the definitive account of the matters it touches on for years to come."--The Heytrop Journal "A wonderful surprise. . . . Alvarez drew heavily upon Vatican archives accumulated by a Jesuit priest, Father Robert Graham, before Rome snatched them back into secrecy. . . . [He] convincingly establishes that the Vatican's intelligence service, rather than making the pope 'the best informed of the world's leaders,' as some statesmen have claimed, was no such thing. . . . authentic debunking book [in the field of intelligence]."--Washington Times "A lucid analysis of the intelligence activities centering around the Vatican from the pontificate of Pius VII to that of Pius XII. . . . The intelligence operatives described by Alvarez seem frequently inept but are always colorful. Recommended for all levels and collections."-- Choice "A tale of intrigue, the double cross, rogues, popes, and high-level espionage."--Virginia Quarterly Review.

Contents:

The end of the Papal States

Prisoner of the Vatican

The great war

Facing the dictators

Men in black

Between Moscow and Washington

The best information service in the world.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-332) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780700622894

0700622896

OCLC:

966762539