This is a book that focuses on how the Popes have been chosen and elected, starting with Peter and going all the way to John Paul II. Given that records of the earliest elections are scant, or non-existent, Baumgartner spends only about 20 pages going through the first 1000 years of the Church, and then another 20 pages for the next 300 years or so, but Baumgartner presents all of the solid historical information that is available, without engaging in the salicious or scandalous rumors that have characterized other histories of the Church. For example, he mentions "Pope Joan" only in passing but provides references for both those who believe she was only a myth and for those who believe she was real. Baumgartner is sparse with his footnotes, which makes the book easier to read, but all sources are cited.

The book, strangely enough, does not provide a list of Popes and their dates of reign, which is unfortunate since sometimes the dates in the text are hard to find. However, that kind of information is readily available on the Internet from places like advent.org and other Catholic Encyclopedias.

The only other flaw I could find is that the description of John Paul II's election could have had more depth, but Baumgartner does include information on the changes the current Pope has made in the election process that would affect the choice of his successor, which will be interesting when that event occurs.

This is a great book if you're looking for details about how the longest unbroken line of rulers have been chosen for almost 2,000 years. Good, bad, and lost opportunities are all presented, and it fills in some of the whys and wherefores that standard histories might miss.