In this historical tell-all entitled The Cardinals: Thirteen Centuries of the Men Behind the Papal Throne Michael Walsh provides the fullest account of the history of Rome's most influential power brokers.

Although they have been a highly visible part of the ecclesiastical furniture of the Vatican for thirteen centuries, surprisingly little has been written about cardinals who are appropriately often referred to as the "papal princes" of the Roman Catholic Church.

These are the "nearly men" of Catholicism, who might have been pope, but weren't, and have instead wielded their power behind the papal throne through the centuries. Walsh's informative and entertaining account traces the origins and growth of the cardinal office and tells the stories of more than sixty of the most notable and eminent men to wear the red cap.

Here are kingmakers, scholars, pastors, soldiers, and statesmen; venial rogues and bona fide saints; husbands, fathers, brothers, sons - and those whose fame lies simply in their faithful care of the dioceses entrusted to them.

Library Journal
Walsh, author of many books on the Catholic Church, now supplies readers with two- to three-page biographies of over 60 men who have held the office of cardinal. His introduction provides a brief but thorough and well-sourced history of the office and its origins. But the biographies are the centerpiece, including men from the 11th through the 20th century. However, rather than in chronological order, the biographies are arranged thematically, grouping together cardinals who have had similar experiences or shared particular characteristics, with Walsh briefly explaining the reasoning behind these groupings, such as cardinals who were also soldiers, cardinals who almost became popes, and cardinals who were scholars. Walsh's work provides an excellent overview of the office of cardinal and an informative account of the men who have thus served the pope. Recommended especially for students of the ecclesiastical history of the Church.

James Martin, S.J.
-Author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
With his trademark gifts of beautiful prose, vast learning, and a decided flair for storytelling, Walsh leads us through the lives of the redoubtable clerics who won their 'red hats,' and in the process became at times saints, and at times quite the opposite. The Cardinals is that rare book that helps you to see church history in a surprising new light.

J. Robert Wright
-Historiographer of the Episcopal Church
It is no understatement to say that this book makes for an interesting read that is also factually reliable, highly informative, and often surprising.

Kevin Schmiesing
-Acton Institute
Variously scandalous, edifying, and informative, The Cardinals is more than a series of intriguing biographies; it is a seminar in the history of Christianity.

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