God's Bankers

February 1, 2015

Stories of the inner workings of the Vatican Bank are popular among those fascinated by conspiracy theories. A mysterious organization managing billions of dollars in assets and controlled by the largest church in the world naturally invites intense interest and scrutiny. Posner (Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK) is no stranger to such stories, having written books about theories surrounding the deaths of both John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Here he expertly shows that theory and conjecture aren't necessary when the real-life narrative is compelling enough. Despite its extensive length, with nearly 200 of those pages as notes, Posner's history of the institution reads like a sprawling novel, full of complex characters and surprising twists. The book also serves as a modern history of the Catholic Church, showing how the institution's financial issues connect with its broader goal of maintaining and growing its influence over the faithful. VERDICT Readers interested in issues involving religion and international finance will find Posner's work a compelling read. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/14.]--Brett Rohlwing, Milwaukee P.L.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2015
A decade of exhaustive research into the deep and mysterious history of the Vatican's finances is a monumental task, but controversial author Posner proves more than up to this daunting challenge. The tireless and prolific historian and investigative journalist has also written weighty tomes on such conspiracy-laden topics as the assassination of John F. Kennedy (Case Closed, 1993) and the 9/11 attacks (Why America Slept, 2003). Unsurprisingly, the Catholic Church had no interest in welcoming him inside its secrecy-shrouded archives, so Posner had to sift through thousands of government papers, court records, and private-company documents scattered around the world, in multiple countries, just to piece his remarkably taut expos' together. He also interviewed a handful of clerics and officials in Rome who spoke only on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. At 700-plus pages, the book's sheer size might intimidate some readers, but it's a fast-paced read that brings history alive on every page. The book will captivate those who prefer their historical nonfiction spiked with real-life tales of murder, power, and intrigue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)