PONTIFEX MAXIMUS: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE POPES
Book ID/图书代码： 08090017C00002
English Summary/英文概要： For many people, the popes are an irrelevance: if they consider them at all, it may be as
harmless old men who preach obscure sermons in Latin. But the history of the popes is far
from bland. On the contrary, it is occasionally so bizarre as to stretch credulity. Popes have
led papal armies, fled in disguise to avoid capture, fathered children, and authorized torture.
They have been excommunicated, arrested, blinded, assaulted and even strangled. Some
have been hated to such a degree that their funeral processions have been disrupted and
statues of them torn down after their deaths. Many have been the enemies of freedom and
progress – divisive rather than unifying figures.
In a fascinating read for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, Christopher Lascelles examines
the history of the popes through the ages, laying bare the extent to which many of them fell
so very short of the Christian ideals they supposedly represented. He explains how it was
that, professing to follow a man who said ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ and ’Lay not up
for yourselves treasures upon earth’, they nevertheless became the heads of a rich state that
owned more land in Europe than any king, relying on foreign military aid to keep power; and
how pride, greed and corruption became commonplace in an institution founded on love,
faith and forgiveness.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 对许多人来说，教皇是一个无关紧要的角色:如果他们认为教皇是无关紧要的角色，那么用拉丁语宣讲晦涩难懂的教义的人可能就是无害的老人。但教皇们的历史远非平淡无奇。相反，它有时是如此怪异，以至于让人难以置信。教皇们领导着教皇的军队，乔装逃窜以躲避抓捕，生下了孩子，并授权实施酷刑。他们被逐出教会、逮捕、致盲、殴打，甚至被勒死。有些人被仇恨到了这样的程度，以至于他们的葬礼队伍被打乱，他们的雕像在他们死后被推倒。许多人一直是自由和进步的敌人——分裂而不是团结。
在一本对天主教徒和非天主教徒都很有吸引力的书中，克里斯托弗•拉塞勒斯审视了教皇们各个时代的历史，揭示了他们中的许多人与他们所代表的基督教理想相去甚远的程度。他解释了,自称追随一个人说“我的王国不是这个世界”和“不为自己积蓄财宝,他们却成为了发达国家首脑,拥有在欧洲比国王更多的土地,依赖外国军事援助来维持他们的统治;在一个建立在爱、信仰和宽恕基础上的机构里，骄傲、贪婪和腐败变得司空见惯。（WYL）
Awards/获奖情况：“这是一本不同层次的优秀著作。拉塞勒斯的散文风格引人入胜，对细节和恰当的轶事有着惊人的洞察力。当然，只有盲目的天主教徒泽兰蒂才会反对这种杰出的分析。”弗兰克•麦克林，著有《成吉思汗》、《拿破仑》和《1066》
“拉塞勒斯完成了看似不可能完成的任务:一部简明易懂的天主教教皇历史，同时又极具娱乐性和知识性。”《上帝的银行家》一书的作者杰拉尔德•波斯纳说
“拉塞勒斯选择了一个压倒一切的主题，而不是被它以任何方式压倒。非常令人愉快的阅读。”《美第奇》的作者保罗•斯特拉斯恩说道
“教皇马克西姆斯是一个微妙而令人信服的解释，说明了一个来自加利利的贫穷渔民的继任者是如何成为一个全球强大的君主的——所有这些都没有迷失在令人困惑的历史杂草中。拉塞勒斯的写作充满激情和幽默；一旦开始就很难放下。”《海狼》的作者拉尔斯•布朗沃思说
"A brilliant book on a number of different levels. Lascelles has an engaging prose style
and an amazing eye for detail and apposite anecdote. Surely only purblind Catholic
zelanti will object to this outstanding analysis.”
Frank McLynn, author of Genghis Khan, Napoleon and 1066
“Lascelles has achieved the seemingly impossible: a concise and highly readable history
of Catholic Popes that manages to be extremely entertaining and informative at the
same time.”
Gerald Posner, author of God’s Bankers
“Lascelles has taken an overwhelming subject, and not been overwhelmed by it in any
way. A highly enjoyable read.”
Paul Strathern, author of The Medici
“Pontifex Maximus is a subtle and convincing explanation of how the successors of an
impoverished fisherman from Galilee became a globally powerful monarch - all without
getting lost in the bewildering historical weeds. Lascelles writes with both verve and
humor; once started it’s hard to put down.”
Lars Brownworth, author of The Sea Wolves
About the Author/作者介绍： 克里斯托弗•拉塞勒斯是《纽约时报》畅销书作家。他的第一本书《世界简史》——简单介绍世界历史——曾多次登上亚马逊和巴诺书店的畅销书排行榜，并被翻译成八种语言。他目前正在写一本关于未来的短篇历史书。Christopher Lascelles is a New York Times best-selling author. His first
book, A Short History of the World – a simple introduction to world
history – has been repeatedly on the best-seller lists at Amazon and
Barnes&Noble and has been translated into eight languages. He is
currently writing A Short History of the Future.
Format:
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：47,500 copies sold
World English: Crux Publishing, 2014l Brazil: Edições de Janeiro; China: Chongqing Zven Culture (Simplified characters only); Czech Republic: Euromedia; India: Bloomsbury; Japan: JMA; Korea: Writing House; Portugal: Alma Dos Livros; Slovakia: Ikar; Turkey: Tuti Kitap
原文第一章内容：暂无
手稿：暂无
大纲：暂无