{"product_id":"church-of-spies-the-popes-secret-war-against-hitler-9780465094110","title":"Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe heart-pounding history of how Pope Pius XII -- often labeled \"Hitler's Pope\" -- was in fact an anti-Nazi spymaster, plotting against the Third Reich during World War II.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Vatican's silence in the face of Nazi atrocities remains one of the great controversies of our time. History has accused wartime pontiff Pius the Twelfth of complicity in the Holocaust and dubbed him \"Hitler's Pope.\" But a key part of the story has remained untold. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Pope Pius in fact ran the world's largest church, smallest state, and oldest spy service. Saintly but secretive, he sent birthday cards to Hitler -- while secretly plotting to kill him. He skimmed from church charities to pay covert couriers, and surreptitiously tape-recorded his meetings with top Nazis. Under his leadership the Vatican spy ring actively plotted against the Third Reich. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Told with heart-pounding suspense and drawing on secret transcripts and unsealed files by an acclaimed author, \u003ci\u003eChurch of Spies\u003c\/i\u003e throws open the Vatican's doors to reveal some of the most astonishing events in the history of the papacy. Riebling reveals here how the world's greatest moral institution met the greatest moral crisis in history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMark Riebling\u003c\/b\u003e is a path-breaking writer on secret intelligence. The author of \u003ci\u003eWedge: The Secret War Between the FBI and CIA\u003c\/i\u003e, he lives in New York.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50460293398802,"sku":"9780465094110","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_83fe10c4-ef80-4d49-ace3-2c7014f4a01c.jpg?v=1730035912","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/church-of-spies-the-popes-secret-war-against-hitler-9780465094110","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}