A comprehensive and compelling account of the life and work of Pope John Paul II.

When the Holy Father first asked George Weigel to write his biography he said: “You have the interior disposition to do this…you know my mind”. In this the only account of his life to be written with the Pope’s co-operation, a remarkable and unique person is revealed.

Drawing on unique access to Vatican papers and based on extensive interviews with the Pope himself, George Weigel draws together the two main strands of the ministry of the head on the Catholic Church. Others have written about the Pope as a political figure, but none with so much privileged information. The spiritual side, however, has largely been neglected by commentators and observers alike.

This authoritative and complete biography examines the driving forces of the Pope’s Christian faith and his dramatic reform of the papacy for the modern world. It looks at his philosophical position, prophetic outlook, his profound understanding of human freedom and his work for unity. The book explores his challenge to the sexual revolution, his concern for young people and his dialogue with science.

For those of all faiths and none, Witness to Hope will make a powerful impact on every reader.

“A lucid account of John Paul II’s life is the best we have.” Daily Telegraph

“The first full scale biography that presents the Pope’s life from the inside and the convictions that shaped his life.” Catholic Times

George Weigel is a Roman Catholic commentator on issues of religious and public life. He has been a theologian, a journalist and an author. His books have been published by OUP and Eerdmans, including The Final Revolution : The Resistance Church and the Collapse of Communism in 1992. Since 1986 he has served at the James Madison Foundation and is on the editorial board of three journals.