Review
"Frederic Baumgartner's book is well balanced, both in its wide sweep of centuries and in fairness to individuals, be they popes, cardinals or monarchs...this history will give us an understanding of the evolution of the world's oldest elected institution. It should be made required reading for the college of cardinals, and perhaps presented to a new Eminence with his red hat."--Richard Mullen, Catholic Herald
"There is something irresistibly exciting about a papal election--but reading this fascinating and scholarly account of elections over 200 years, it seems the forthcoming conclave will be one of the dullest in history...The use of white smoke, along with the strict secrecy, Baumgartner shows, is an innovation scarcely more than 100 years old. But the process is still a fascinating one, as this readable, very well researched and interesting book proves."--David McLaurin, Church Times
"It's surely no surprise that a history of papal elections is largely a history of bad behavior: self aggrandizement, corruption, bribery, nepotism, greed and cynical manipulation."--Barney Zwartz, The Age Praise for Baumgartner's Longing for the End:
"...a lucid and readable survey of the many varieties and permutations of millennialism in Western thought." --Paul Boyer, author of When Time Shall Be No More


Review
Praise for Baumgartner's Longing for the End:
"...a lucid and readable survey of the many varieties and permutations of millennialism in Western thought." --Paul Boyer, author of When Time Shall Be No More



Book Description
Since the early seventeenth century, whenever a pope has died, the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have convened in Rome behind locked doors to elect a successor--and all eyes focus on The Eternal City. The Papal Conclave is an event like no other. Highly secretive and conducted behind the doors of the Sistine Chapel, it happens only a few times every century. Cardinals meet en masse in their scarlet robes. Throngs of the faithful stand watch in St. Peter’s Square. Finally, white smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaling the election of a new pontiff. In Behind Locked Doors, Frederic J. Baumgartner evokes the high drama of this event while simultaneously providing a comprehensive and rigorous history of the papal elections. Behind Locked Doors is a fascinating look at the death of popes and the centuries-old transfer of Vatican power from one man to the next.



About the Author
Frederic J. Baumgartner is Professor of History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

With the words "extra omnes!" ("Everybody out!"), all individuals, other than the assembled cardinals of the Roman Catholic church, are ushered out of the Sistine Chapel. The doors of the chapel are locked and the Cardinals are left alone in the peace and majesty of that place known to millions to begin the deliberations that will elect a new pontiff. Since the early seventeenth century, whenever a Pope dies, the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have convened in Rome in a similar fashion to elect a successor and all eyes focus on The Eternal City. The Papal Conclave is an event like no other. Highly secretive and conducted behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, it happens about eight times every century. It is an event that has evolved over the years and is always filled with high drama. Cardinals meet en masse in their scarlet robes. Throngs of the faithful stand watch in St. Peter's Square looking for the white smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel signaling the election of a new Pontiff. The fascination this event has for the world was evoked in the film The Shoes of the Fishermen when Anthony Quinn was elected as the first non-Italian pope in many centuries. That drama was played out for real when the current Pontiff, Pope John Paul II, was elected to succeed Pope John Paul I after a reign of only a few weeks that was cut short by a shocking death from heart disease. In his newest book, Frederic J. Baumgartner evokes the high drama of this event while simultaneously providing a comprehensive and rigorous history of the papal elections. Since secrecy was not heavily invoked until the twentieth century, there is a vast store of rich material to work from and Baumgartner uses it to its utmost to detail the bickering and blatant politicking that goes on behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, we have not yet experienced this event that transfixes the world's gaze on Rome, but no

SYNOPSIS