The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope was Elected and Where He Will Take the CatholicChurch

“Commendable and balanced . . . With crisp writing and an amazing attention to detail, Allen brings readers inside the papal jockeying, covering the days of mourning and the conclave.” —The Los Angeles Times

“A welcome contribution to understanding the new pontificate . . . The Rise of Benedict XVI is a useful chronicle that packs a lot into relatively few pages.”
—Richard John Neuhaus, First Things

“For a current look at the new papacy, Allen is the person to read. He is fair, free from th...