Writing for people of every religious allegiance, John Kelly gives concise accounts not only of all the officially recognized popes from St Peter to John Paul 11, but also of all their irregularly elected rivals, the so-called antipopes. Also listed is the legendary existence of a popess called Joan. Each pope and antipope's entry covers his family and social background and pre-papal career as well as his activities in office. The entries are arranged chronologically making this a continuous history of the papacy which has an unbroken existence of almost 2,000 years. It reveals how, for much of that history, spiritual and temporal power have been inextricably mingled in the person of the pope.