Filled with images taken by photojournalist Giuliani, this tribute to the late Pope John Paul II is destined for display on well-appointed Catholic coffee tables. Accompanied by text from John Paul himself; the new pope, Benedict XVI; and Leonardo Zega of Famiglia Cristiana
magazine, the book cycles through the late pontiff's 26-year reign, calling particular attention to his extensive travels, which are listed along with his encyclicals and a chronology of his life. The photographs showing John Paul embracing children and at worship are among the most powerful in the collection. Other captivating images include one of the pope looking like a tribal leader in fringed vestments as he emerges from an Indian tent during a 1987 visit to Canada, and another of him sporting a construction worker's hardhat on a 1988 trip to Bolivia. Giuliani's photographs, many of which are being published for the first time, also capture the late pontiff at work, in meetings with world leaders and in vulnerable moments like the 1981 attempt on his life. Pope Benedict's contribution comprises reflections written at the 10-year and 20-year marks of John Paul's papacy and the homily he delivered at the pope's funeral. John Paul's charismatic appeal should make this visual memoir popular among Catholic readers. (Nov.)
