'The wartime years of the pontificate of Pius XII (1939-1958) have triggered what are known as 'the Pius Wars', involving whether or not the Pope was unduly silent during the Holocaust. Much of this intense debate concerns whether Eugenio Pacelli, who became Pius XII, was antisemitic or pro-German leading some to dub him 'Hitler's Pope'. In this remarkable and well-written ... Read morebook, the leading German ecclesiastical historian Gerhard Besier uses new sources to explore Pacelli's career before he became Pope, including his years as Nuncio to both Bavaria and then Germany, and then his years as Vatican Secretary of State. The approach is engaging, Besier's conclusions arresting, and the book is essential reading to any one interested in German or Vatican diplomacy during the 1920s and 1930s.' - Michael Burleigh, author of Earthly Powers: Politics and Religion in Europe from the French Revolution to the Great War 'A terrifying and deeply troubling book. Well-written and well-documented..it should be widely-read.' - Tribune Show Less