Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy Audiobook

" I didn't end up finishing this. It just wasn't what I was looking for in a history of the papacy; while it was concise, that also made it slightly confusing at times. Maybe one day I will come back to it and try harder. "

" In fact I didn't read this till the bitter end, but stopped early. I liked the books about Byzantinium by Norwich a lot and the ones about the Venice and Normans were OK as well. However, this book felt too much like a repetition of the rest with very little new material. The popes that are covered here have also been covered in the other books. In short, this book is of little interest to those who have read Norwich earlier. "

" Well it's not awful, but it's terribly muddled and unfocused. Ugh. "

" This is definately not a book you would want to read as an audiobook. I originally checked it out because it was called "Absolute monarchs" and so I thought it would be about the kings and queens of Europe - you really need to read that subtitle carefully! I do find the history of Catholism very interesting, and so did enjoy learning more about the history of the papcy. "

" extremely informative book. Quite an overview of the authority of the catholic church and it's role throughout history. I highly recommend this book to everyone, catholic and non-catholic. "

" This is a fascinating record of the papacy. gives a parallel account of European and Eastern history and historical figures. "

" It's a pretty tall task to write about every pope since St. Peter, and many of the anti-popes as well. I thought Norwhich did an admirable job. I found the book pretty interesting throughout, though I had trouble following some of the geography, some maps would have helped. "

" Alternately hilarious and sad. Great for someone who knows next to nothing about continental European history. I did find myself wishing for a less hurried pace through the more recent pontificates; on the other hand, it's plenty long enough as is. "

" A good read, frequently leading the reader wanting more details. "

" A book that traces the papacy's route from religious leadership to temporal dictatorship. "

" I would have given this book a 3 if I hadn't noticed one glaring mistake in his writings. It made me wonder what other facts he had incorrect. "

" A little of this book goes a long way; difficult to stay with due to the level of detail. The author seems to have positioned himself well as a fine, unbiased reporter. Interest in the subject should spike due to the unexpected papal resignation which occurred while I was reading it. "

" Good read...Norwich sustains an entertaining and elegant tone throughout this history of the highs (as well as the low, low lows) of the papacy... "

" An excellent account of the ups and downs of the Vatican in its 2,000 year history. Very readable and very entertaining. "

" I read this after hearing the news that the current Pope is to step down. You cannot fault the research in this book or the ambition, but I had to force myself to complete the whole book. "

" Very disappointed -- this is too much of a slog through each pope, with not enough insight about what any of it means. I learned much more from Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Dairmaid MacCulloch. It covered the same ground but provided more context and a richer story. "

" re-reading this brilliant book - very entertaining the first time around... Pornocracies and monsters and female Popes giving birth in public - waiting for something new, but nothing seems to be tickling my fancy so... hit it Pontifex Maximus- "

" Excellent and gossipy breezy history of the papacy. The only confusing part is all the popes who had similar names ... After a while you can't keep all the Pius's straight "

" Not as good as his other books (ex: History of Venice).But is has some interesting details especially for in the early decades. "

" Rather long. Took me several weeks to get through but well worth it. Compelling and entertaining. It isn't simply an account of the Catholic Church but a fascinating journey through the evolution of Europe, its history and cultures. I enjoyed this very much. "

" Cursory read for me as I prefer my papal bios to be separate from general narrative. Bit disappointed as Norwich is a favourite of mine. "

" OMG - when they said this was a history of the Popes, they weren't kidding! This is actually quite a good history, dense but popetastic nonetheless. Well-researched and, for the most part, interesting. "

" As the author emphasizes in the Introduction, this is not a heavy, scholarly tome. It is, however, a well-written, easily readable, popular history of the Papacy with much interesting information but no startling conclusions. "

" the good, the bad and the worse. thorough and entertaining. "

" I thing this book is quite good. It is not, however, for those with little or no knowledge of the papacy and the history. "

" extremely informative book. Quite an overview of the authority of the catholic church and it's role throughout history. I highly recommend this book to everyone, catholic and non-catholic. "