In The Lonely Cold War of Pope Pius XII Peter Kent shows how the Catholic Church was able to continue to exist on both sides of the Iron Curtain in spite of the division of Europe after the Second World War. Although Christian democracy became increasingly influential in western Europe, the struggle to preserve the position and rights of the Church in the east was much more difficult. When east European governments, under Moscow's direction, began their offensive against the independence of the Church in 1948, the papacy found that it stood alone, with little assistance from the U.S. Kent offers a new assessment of Pius XII, extending the study of his career and papacy beyond the Second World War. He also examines the origins of the Cold War, the European perspective on American and Soviet policies, and the diplomatic role and influence of the Roman Catholic Church.

PETER C. KENT was at the centre of the Strax affair as assistant to the president at the University of New Brunswick. A former dean and professor of history, Kent's area of speciality is the history of modern Catholicism. He lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

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"The archival research is impressive, and the factual content excellent. By concentrating on the period of 1943 to 1950, Kent is able to give a more detailed and nuanced picture than more general accounts of Vatican policy. And by embracing the U.S. and western Europe in his compass, he has provided a more extensive and balanced analysis than other studies which fix exclusively or largely on the Vatican's post-World War II role in eastern Europe." Alan Cassels, Department of History, McMaster University ----- "A significant contribution to our knowledge of the Vatican and its role in the post-war world. Kent's archival research is very impressive as is his grasp of the intricacies of Vatican diplomacy. He is well-informed about Roman Catholicism in a very wide range of national contexts, and his grasp of the political issues in the major European countries is solid - in itself no mean accomplishment." Bill Irvine, Department of History, York University