John Cornwell Book order

"Pope Francis is prepared to say "bring on the collapse", as perhaps the only way of purging a disgraced Church. "It is not impossible," Francis has said, "that I will go down in history as the one who split the Catholic Church?" However, for Catholics as a whole, the Church will, if Francis is successful, be a friendlier, more empathetic, presence in their lives. Bestselling author, Vanity Fair regular contributor, scholar and teacher John Cornwell argues that the disruptions of Pope Francis are a calculated gamble, offering hope for vast numbers Catholics who feel excluded, demoralized, scandalized. The Catholic Church, numbering 1.2 billion members, is in crisis at every level. More than a third of America's 74 million Catholics said they were contemplating departure in 2018. It is estimated that over the past twenty years the Catholic Church has been losing $2.5 billion dollars annually in revenues, legal fees, and damages due to clerical abuse cases. The decline in church attendance, marriages, and vocations to the priesthood and sisterhoods, tell a story of major decline and disillusion. Cornwell's big and controversial message is that Pope Francis is attempting to reverse the tide of disgrace and disillusionment by disrupting entrenched ways of Catholic thinking and working directly against over a thousand years of history and tradition as he does. His strategy looks like havoc; and he himself recognizes the danger of his strategy. Conservative members of the faithful, from cardinals to lay people, have attempted to thwart him, the conservative Catholic media have condemned and disparaged him. They look to his successor to reverse the "Francis Effect": but Cornwell claims that what he has set in motion is unstoppable"-- Provided by publisher

The story of the very first volunteer for the Sheffield Pals, as well as that of the last survivor. Insight into officer training and life in the trenches.

Would you tell your deepest secrets to a relative stranger? And if you did, would you feel vulnerable? Cleansed? Or perhaps even worse than you did before? Confession has always performed a complex role in society, always created mixed feelings in its practitioners. As an acknowledgement of sinfulness, it can provide immense psychological relief; but while aiming to replace remorse with innocence, its history has become inextricably intertwined with eroticism and shame.The Dark Box is an erudite and personal history; Cornwell draws on his own memories of Catholic boyhood, and weaves it with the story of confession from its origins in the early church to the current day, where its enduring psychological potency is evidenced by everything from the Vatican's 'confession app' to Oprah Winfrey's talk shows. Since the 16th century, seclusion of two individuals in the intimate 'dark box', often discussing sexual actions and thoughts, has eroticised the experience of confession. When, in 1905, Pius X made confession a weekly, rather than yearly ritual, the horrific cases of child abuse which have haunted the Catholic church in the twentieth century became possible.

John Cornwell offers a critical response to Richard Dawkins' defense of atheism, engaging with the themes of evolution and the implications of Darwin's ideas. Through a letter format, Cornwell explores the relationship between humanity and divinity, questioning the narrative that positions evolution as a purely materialistic process. The critique addresses the broader philosophical and ethical implications of Dawkins' arguments, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of belief and the nature of existence.

The “explosive” (The New York Times) bestseller that “redefined the history of the twentieth century” (The Washington Post ) This shocking book was the first account to tell the whole truth about Pope Pius XII's actions during World War II, and it remains the definitive account of that era. It sparked a firestorm of controversy both inside and outside the Catholic Church. Award-winning journalist John Cornwell has also included in this seminal work of history an introduction that both answers his critics and reaffirms his overall thesis that Pius XII fatally weakened the Catholic Church with his endorsement of Hitler—and sealed the fate of the Jews in Europe.

John Cornwell tells the story of Germany's scientists from World War I to the collapse of Hitler's Reich. He shows how Germany became the world's Mecca for inventive genius before Hitler's regime hijacked science for wars of conquest and genocidal racism

The investigation into the unexpected death of Pope John Paul I on September 28, 1978, reveals deep-seated conflicts within the Vatican regarding the circumstances surrounding his passing. John Cornwell delves into theories of foul play involving various groups, including the KGB and Freemasons, while conducting an independent inquiry invited by the Vatican in 1987. The narrative unfolds a chilling exploration of the secrets and intrigues within one of the world's oldest institutions, offering a compelling look at the events leading to the Pope's mysterious demise.

This hugely controversial, bestselling history tells the story of Eugenio Pacelli, the man who was Pope Pius XII, and arguably the most dangerous churchman of modern times. As Vatican Secretary of State, Pacelli signed an agreement with Hitler in 1933 that protected the power of the Catholic Church in exchange for their complete withdrawal from politics. This act proved fatal. When he became Pope Pius XII, he continually refused to condemn the Nazis - even though he was one of the first European leaders to be made aware of the Final Solution. And even when Italian Jews were rounded up under the walls of the Vatican and transported to the death camps. His failure to criticize Nazism, especially when seen in the light of his patent anti-Semitism, is one of the great scandals of wartime. Using a wealth of new material, including Vatican documents, John Cornwell makes a firm and final indictment of Hitler's Pope's silence.