The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II--The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy
Evidently, 1,000 pages were not enough space to adequately survey the life of Pope John Paul II in Weigel’s biography, Witness to Hope (1999). Although the three sections in this work are designed to supplement that earlier one, only the first takes a thematic approach. The theme explored is communism and covers four decades of John Paul’s life, before and during his papacy. The pope’s struggle against communism was covered sporadically in Witness but without as much detail or behind-the-scenes glimpses as there are here. The last event recorded in the earlier book was the Great Jubilee of 2000, five years before the pontiff’s death. The final years of John Paul’s papacy are covered in the second section, while the third is strictly reflective. The key question here is, What will Pope John Paul II be remembered for? Weigel explores numerous angles to his legacy, including his personal character and a strong spirit of ecumenism. A solid wrap. --Wade Osburn--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.