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The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe

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The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in EuropePULITZER PRIZE WINNER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI's secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini's spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI's secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini's spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican's role in the rise of Fascism in Europe.


The Pope and Mussolini tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of twentieth-century history. In most respects, they could not have been more different. One was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. Yet Pius XI and "Il Duce" had many things in common. They shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of Communism. Both were prone to sudden fits of temper and were fiercely protective of the prerogatives of their office. ("We have many interests to protect," the Pope declared, soon after Mussolini seized control of the government in 1922.) Each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals.

In a challenge to the conventional history of this period, in which a heroic Church does battle with the Fascist regime, Kertzer shows how Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini's dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. In exchange for Vatican support, Mussolini restored many of the privileges the Church had lost and gave in to the pope's demands that the police enforce Catholic morality. Yet in the last years of his life--as the Italian dictator grew ever closer to Hitler--the pontiff's faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. With his health failing, he began to lash out at the Duce and threatened to denounce Mussolini's anti-Semitic racial laws before it was too late. Horrified by the threat to the Church-Fascist alliance, the Vatican's inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the Church and the dictator for many years.

The Pope and Mussolini brims with memorable portraits of the men who helped enable the reign of Fascism in Italy: Father Pietro Tacchi Venturi, Pius's personal emissary to the dictator, a wily anti-Semite known as Mussolini's Rasputin; Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy, an object of widespread derision who lacked the stature--literally and figuratively--to stand up to the domineering Duce; and Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli, whose political skills and ambition made him Mussolini's most powerful ally inside the Vatican, and positioned him to succeed the pontiff as the controversial Pius XII, whose actions during World War II would be subject for debate for decades to come.

With the recent opening of the Vatican archives covering Pius XI's papacy, the full story of the Pope's complex relationship with his Fascist partner can finally be told. Vivid, dramatic, with surprises at every turn, The Pope and Mussolini is history writ large and with the lightning hand of truth.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Trade
Published: 01/06/2015
ISBN: 9780812983678
Pages: 592
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.90w x 1.40d

Review Citations: New York Review of Books 04/23/2015 pg. 48
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SKU: 84963412900

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Lynette
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★★★★★ 2
not indestructible
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My dog ate through it in 4 days. The bear is not indestructible. It died a very undignified death. I am convinced that my dog was a goat in a past life. He eats everything that is not nailed down.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2026
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Stephanie P.
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★★★★★ 1
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DO NOY BUY!! It lasted not even 3 minutes with my 6 year old rottie. She bit right through the nose and pulled out the stuffing. Don't waste your money!! I would give it zero stars if I could!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2026
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KATHLEEN PATTERSON
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★★★★★ 1
Not good for an aggressive chewer
Color: 1PC
This toy is not indestructible. My little Aussie had one ear off and its neck cut in less then 6 hours and by the next day he had the foot chewed off. It is cute and he loved it, but it is stuffed and not really safe for an aggressive chewer.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2026
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Natasha Bowman
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 3
It is not a good product for a dog. I didn’t even last five minutes.
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I received this package and I just gave it to my dog. Doesn’t last five minutes. It’s already tore up.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026
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Amazon Customer
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 1
A real review.
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When I saw the Unbreakable Teddy Extreme Bear 2.0, I thought, Finally! A toy that might survive my 9-month-old Rottweiler puppy, Pepper. She’s an aggressive chewer with a love for stuffies—she adores them, right up until she disembowels them and feasts on their cotton insides like a tiny, unhinged zombie. The toy’s name, "Unbreakabear," sounded promising. Durable? Stuffie-like? For large breeds? Sign me up! Fifteen minutes later, it looked like a crime scene from a horror movie. The Good: Pepper was IN LOVE with this toy... for about 10 minutes. The double pack is nice in theory—you know, so you have a backup when the first one inevitably doesn’t live up to its "unbreakable" promise. The Bad: False Advertising: This toy is marketed as "extremely durable for aggressive chewers." But let me tell you: Pepper’s chewing isn’t aggressive—it’s surgical. She shredded the bear’s ears, ripped off the tail, and then went straight for the brain like she was auditioning for Zombie Dogs Gone Wild. It didn’t even put up a fight. Durability (or Lack Thereof): Calling this toy "extreme" is like calling a paper towel roll a chew toy. One good shake, and the seams basically exploded in surrender. Safety Concerns: Once Pepper exposed the stuffing (and the metaphorical "brains"), it was a race to see if I could stop her from swallowing it. Stuffing everywhere. The floor looked like someone had murdered a carnival bear. The Ugly: Walking into the room after Pepper was done was like stumbling upon the aftermath of a teddy bear massacre. The "Unbreakabear" lay limp on the floor, its ears and tail missing, stuffing spewed around like it was the victim of a bear-sized horror flick. Pepper, triumphant, sat there with bits of fluff clinging to her mouth, looking like a deranged extra from The Walking Dead. Final Thoughts: If your dog is a light chewer who likes to gently cuddle their toys, this might be fine. But if your dog sees toys as a challenge, run. Stick to hard rubber toys, Kongs, or something without a vulnerable, squishy middle. As for the warranty? Sure, I could try to get a replacement, but what’s the point? Pepper will just go full zombie surgeon again. Would I recommend this toy? Only if you’re filming a sequel to Teddy Bear Massacre. For aggressive chewers, this is nothing but fluff and disappointment. Pepper’s Review: 5/5 stars for taste. 0/5 stars for durability.
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