Life

My Story Through History

By: Pope Francis

Narrated by: Stephen Colbert, Father John Quigley

Audiobook read by Stephen Colbert and Father John Quigley

POPE FRANCIS' DEBUT MEMOIR · A moving, deeply human account of the life and legacy of one of the bravest and most visionary leaders in modern history—A must read for all generations in a world yearning for hope and change

For the first time, Pope Francis tells the story of his life as he looks back on the momentous world events that have changed history—from his earliest years during the outbreak of World War II in 1939 to the turmoil of today. An extraordinary personal and historical journey, Life is the story of a man and a world in dramatic change. A champion for the oppressed and marginalized—and the future of our planet—Pope Francis has inspired all of us to take action to alter the course of history toward a more loving and humane trajectory.

With eloquence, passion, and humility, Pope Francis recalls his life through memories and observations of the most significant occurrences of the past eight decades. The book opens with three-year-old Jorge in the kitchen with his mother in Argentina as World War II breaks out, and he goes on to witness several historic events:

• The fall of the Berlin Wall
• Videla’s coup in Argentina
• The moon landing in 1969
• And even the 1986 World Cup in which Maradona scored the unforgettable “hand of God” goal.

Here are the frank assessments and intimate insights of a pastor reflecting on the Nazi extermination of the Jews, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 2001 terrorist attack on America and the collapse of the Twin Towers, the great economic recession of 2008, the Covid-19 pandemic, the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI, and the subsequent conclave that elected him Pontiff.

The “pope callejero” recounts these world-changing moments with the candor and compassion that distinguishes him and offers important messages on major crises confronting us now, including social inequalities, climate change, international war, atomic weapons, racial discrimination, political unease, and the battles over social and cultural issues. An innovative change agent and a profoundly empathetic leader, the late Pope's words and vision live on in this unforgettable account of a religious and humanitarian legend.

“We must learn from our elders what our planet has experienced, so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past.” —Pope Francis

Realness

He’s amazing! I loved his honesty throughout and realness. God bless him. He’s a great Pope

Loved Pope Francis’ thoughts, insight on being elected Pope. Appreciate his candor, humor and humility.

Great narration by narrators. Book really flowed from event to event. Never boring. Translation to English seemed natural.

Pope Francis shares his story

Just a good man! So kind. And a humble Jesuit - amazing!
So much to learn from him … Thank you, God, for guiding him to be your servant and to teach the world your ways.
Pope Francis shares his story — both the historical context and the personal experiences that shaped his life.

Excellent content, as expected

I enjoy hearing the wisdom of Pope Francis. This is my third audio book of his. One small criticism: the voice of the pope here is a Canadian. The "ooots" and "aboots" were a bit distracting.

wonderful to walk through history through Pope Francis' eyes

this is a different look at Pope Francis and I loved the perspective of how the rest of the world saw big events through his eyes.