His Holiness: John Paul II and the hidden history of our time.

His Holiness by Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi Doubleday, [pounds sterling]20.00

This was always going to be one of the most fascinating stories of the 20th Century. When the conclave of cardinals decided in October 1978 to elect the first non-Italian pope for 456 years, they knew they were making history. But few could have foreseen the full impact Karol Wojtyla's election would have on world affairs over the next 20 years.

The first signs of what lay ahead were seen in the new pope's own country, Poland. The news of his election spread like wildfire; the streets of Warsaw filled with joyful people on their way to church. Even the communist leadership were not immune. `Jaruzelski seemed almost overwhelmed with ambiguity,' write Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi, the authors of this new book on Pope John Paul II's impact on modern history. `Wojtyla as pope meant trouble. Yet the general allowed a wave of patriotism to sweep over him... It was as if this day had conferred a magnificent prize on the entire nation.'

Millions around the world watched on TV as three hundred thousand people attended Mass in Warsaw's Victory Square during John Paul II's visit to Poland in June 1979. On his ranch near Santa Barbara, Ronald Reagan, then campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, watched the ceremony with Richard Allen, who became his first national security advisor. `As the Polish crowd dissolved in rapture, Reagan's eyes began to fill with tears. What the two men were witnessing, they agreed, confirmed that there was a metastasis [chemical transformation] in the body of communism.'

The top Soviet leadership in Moscow were also watching--with some alarm. The USSR Council for Religious Affairs had recently reported to the Politburo, `The Polish comrades characterize John Paul II as more reactionary and conservative in church affairs, and more dangerous on the ideological level, than his predecessors.'

This book, by two renowned investigative journalists--Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame and Marco Politi of Italy--reveals much of what went on behind the scenes during those decisive years. The authors had extensive interviews with many of the key figures and access to Soviet files and Politburo minutes, which show Brezhnev, Andropov and their colleagues discussing at length how to deal with the Pope.

The book elucidates much that one wondered about at the time: the role of CIA head William Casey and of Vernon Walters, Reagan's ambassador-at-large, who were both devout Catholics; the vision that Reagan and John Paul II shared of reversing the Soviet domination of Central and Eastern Europe; Jaruzelski's fears of suffering the same fate as Alexander Dubcek of Czechoslovakia did in 1968. Gorbachev's long talk with Jaruzelski about the Pope in 1985, and his visit to the Vatican in 1989, make fascinating reading.

There is an excellent index and bibliography and a full list of sources with page references. This is a book to be treasured by all those who like to keep abreast of recent history.