“Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's”, by R. A. Scotti

320 pages, Viking Press, ISBN-13: 978-0670037766

Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's is a densely written (though by no means dense), thoroughly researched, and dramatically portrayed account of the building of St. Peter's in Vatican City. In this thoughtful and sweeping account, Ms. Scotti covers over 120 years of Church history and the reign of several Popes, discusses the political and other forces which both drove and stalled the construction of what is now one of the most recognizable sites in the world, and examines the fierce competition among the master artists (Bernini, Raphael, Michelangelo and others) to gain artistic control over the project. Despite its somewhat overwhelming scope, Ms. Scotti deftly weaves together all of these factors in a compelling narrative.

Basilica is in no way a dry account of the construction of St. Peter's. Rather, and Ms. Scotti has imparted a truly human element to this true-life drama. She discusses at length Michelangelo’s conflicted feelings about the project, his anguish over the abandonment of what he felt was to be his signature work (a planned marble tomb for Pope Julius II), his banishment to the Sistine Chapel and his triumphant completion of what many (including Michelangelo) thought was an impossible assignment: the fresco which covers the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to this very day. Ms. Scotti also clearly discusses the political effects that the proposed construction had on the Church and on Europe as a whole. She correctly identifies the project as one of (if not the seminal) financial abuses Martin Luther used as justification for the posting of his famous 95 Theses which, as we all know, led to the Reformation and the creation of the Lutheran Church, along with innumerable other Protestant Churches, and pulls no punches when describing the lack of fiscal responsibility exercised by the Medici Popes. Her description of one dinner party where the host casually tossed the dirty gold (real gold!) dishes into the river echoes recent newspaper accounts of some of the galas thrown by certain high-level executives in days before the recent corporate scandals. She also describes, in vivid detail, the competition between the prominent Italian families of the day to gain the papal seat, the fierce rivalry among now-legendary artists and their patrons, and how the construction of St. Peter's led to the rebuilding of Rome into the city that we know today.

Basilica is a rare find: an intriguing account of some of the foremost figures in the history of the Church and leaders of the Renaissance. The construction of St. Peter's was an immense undertaking, the scope of which was unparalleled, as were the egos of many of those involved. Working from a trove of research, including several first-party accounts, the author spins a delicious tale of intrigue, strife, power-mongering, corruption and waste which, amazingly, culminated in the completion of one of the most acclaimed and recognizable architectural monuments of all time.

“The Downing Street Years”, by Margaret Thatcher

912 pages, HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-0060170561

This first volume of memoirs by the late Margaret Thatcher frankly recalls the former British prime minister's dealings with U.S. presidents, the Falkland War, and her election victories in 1979, 1983 and 1987. She also details the back-stabbing and eye-gouging that the British call politics. It may be a little less corrupt than politics in some other countries I could name, but it sure ain't an arena for the faint of heart! There were never any gray areas with Thatcher: the British either worshiped the ground she walked on, or detested her every word. There was nothing in the middle, because Thatcher was not given to taken the middle course. “There's nothing I like more than a lively discussion”, she would say (what she meant, of course, was that she loved a damn good argument!) This first part of her autobiography is as outspoken as she was: she pulls no punches, and her unequivocal opinions about world events she participated in and world leaders she encountered leave you wondering how she survived eleven years as Britain's Prime Minister. But would we expect anything else from Thatcher as she explains and defends her controversial policies, which caused the dismemberment of socialism and Britain's resurgence as a world power after many years of liberal misrule.

Mrs. Thatcher's memoirs of her decade-plus as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom are a very illuminating look at the 1980s, which were perhaps the most critical decade for Britain – and the rest of the Western world – since the Second World War. This is a massive, 800-plus page tome. But if you're interested in recent British history, or in the 1980s or the late Cold War, this book will reward your time and effort. Mrs. Thatcher may have been controversial: loved by many and hated by nearly as many, but one thing you can't accuse her of is failure to lead.

All of the important events of her tenure as PM are covered. Some of it is tedious (such as minute details about tax policies, for example, although these do, however, illustrate Mrs. Thatcher's impressive ability to understand the complexities of important issues). But the wonderful thing about this book is that it's organized simultaneously chronologically and topically. I particularly liked the parts dealing with the Falkland Islands War and those dealing with the Cold War. In the case of the former, I've read several military accounts of the conflict, but Mrs. Thatcher's detailed chronicling of the diplomatic aspects added greatly to my understanding of it. It was amazing how much the US, in the form of Secretary of State Al Haig, meddled in it to try to achieve “compromise”, despite the fact that Argentina was clearly the aggressor.

The parts on the last phases of the Cold War were the strongest parts of the book. It's neat to get an insider's account of all the personalities and the diplomatic wrangling. Mrs. Thatcher was the Churchill of her time – she was instrumental in using real leadership skills to help hold together an alliance against aggressive dictatorships. The combination of her leadership with that of Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, and Mikhail Gorbachev, the first Soviet leader who seemed to genuinely have good intentions, despite his continuing belief in communism, was a major factor in bringing about the end of the Cold War. I believe that as time goes by, Mrs. Thatcher will only be more vindicated, both for her contributions to the West's Cold War victory, and for starting the process of revitalizing Britain.

Yes, this book is biased and one-sided; Mrs. Thatcher, atypically for a European leader, speaks (and writes) in a very straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is, here's-what-I-think-and-why-I'm-right fashion (she almost seems like an American, with a habit like that!) But remember, these are memoirs. Memoirs, especially by former political leaders, are ALWAYS biased; they're not meant to be objective. Instead, they're meant to be one person's account, one person's case. If you keep that in mind, this is a very good book – huge and dense, perhaps, but worth the effort if the subject matter interests you.

“The Path to Power”, by Margaret Thatcher

656 pages, HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-0060172701

Just how did the grocer's daughter end up on No. 10 Downing Street? Grit, conviction, and her famous steel backbone combined with razor-sharp wit. Margaret Thatcher rivals Sir Winston Churchill as being one of the greatest international leaders of the 20^th Century; indeed, she is perhaps the greatest peace-time PM Britain has ever produced. This is her own account of the path she took to topple decades of Labour Party Socialism that crippled Britain.

At 17 the young Margaret Roberts was refused recommendation by her headmistress to receive a scholarship to Oxford University, the reason given that she did not complete three years of Latin. Margaret went directly to the Admissions office and challenged the entrance exam. She crammed three years of Latin into three months and sat as an independent. Margaret aced the test and studied chemistry at Oxford before becoming a tax lawyer and politician. Thus was born the Iron Lady, a woman who would be as much a bain to the Soviet Union as she was to Oxford University.

What makes an autobiography worthwhile are the confessions along the way. Like President Grant, she makes no bones that in her early days she made lots of mistakes and she learned several lessons the hard way. For many people the lessons she took from an event are not ones they would take from the same circumstances, but they explain many of the responses to events over her time in office. For example, the Heath cabinet was notable for its Comity, a Comity that lead them into destruction. The Thatcher governments were chiefly notable for their level of quarrelsomeness all through the 11 years she ran the country.

Thatcher adds a postscript to this book completed after the account of her time as Prime Minister in which she gives her prescriptions for a better Britain and Europe (in some ways, she might agree that her stance on the Euro is a la Nancy Reagan, i.e., “Just say No!”). She has a few swipes at John Major, the man she helped into power, perhaps hoping to be able to be an active and effective agent from behind the scenes. Major retaliates a bit in his own autobiography.

Margaret Thatcher stood up to the coal miners, stood up to the unions, and stood up for Britain. She earned the title “Iron Lady” by taking a stand and never bending in the name of popularity. Her wrath was to the debilitating social welfare state what Churchill’s “Bulldog defiance” was to the Axis powers during WW2. The Path to Power is excellent reading for those who find the British Parliament to be incomprehensible, and for those who wonder if an American woman can ever be another Thatcher and for those who simply like a Horatio Alger story. Now, is it a bit dry? Yes, but you didn't really expect gooey girl talk from Margaret Thatcher, did you?