The Jesuits

“A work distinguished by deep scholarship, clear exposition and comprehensive coverage… . A smooth narrative covering nearly five centuries of Jesuit history in just over 800 pages… . The Jesuits is the best single-authored book on the subject I have seen.”—Ronnie Hsia, Times Literary Supplement“This is a magisterial book, massive in its compass, its erudition, and its attention to detail. The history of the Jesuit order has usually been written by one of the members of the Society of Jesus, and yet here is a book of amazing scholarship, written by an outsider and, arguably, all the better for that; for the author brings a freshness of outlook to his task.”—Lavinia Byrne, Church Times”“[A] comprehensive history… . A remarkably fair assessment of the complex history of the Jesuits.”—Peter Davidson, Literary Review“A comprehensive and unbiased history of the Society of Jesus… . Friedrich doesn’t shy away from controversial topics (such as the Jesuits’ roles in colonization and American slavery), nor does he attempt to either apologize for or demonize the people who are his object of study.” * Christian Century *“A fast-paced and richly researched history… . Friedrich’s sweeping chronicle has much to offer.” * Publishers Weekly *“However scholarly this magnum opus is, it can be read and enjoyed by anyone interested in the topic. The translation from the German original, published in 2016, is exceptionally gratifying.”—Cornelius Michael Buckley, S.J., Catholic World Report“Friedrich tells this story with an exceptional command of a wide variety of sources in several languages. He’s assisted by John Noel Dillon in a graceful and very readable English translation. The result is a book that will be of benefit not only to scholars, but also to general readers.”—Timothy Walch, Catholic News Service“A fine accomplishment… . Friedrich writes in a clear and organized manner that makes for something of a ‘page turner’ experience; whereas some histories of the Jesuits sacrifice readability for density of detail, Friedrich achieves a good balance.”—Doug Jones, Jesuit Post”[An] immensely readable history of the order that will appeal to an audience beyond the Catholic tradition.”—Thomas Filbin, Arts Fuse“Markus Friedrich’s volume could be described as relentless, but its barrage of information is a trustworthy basis from which to begin to understand one of the most remarkable products of Counter-Reformation energy.”—Diarmaid MacCulloch, London Review of Books“Friedrich’s tome marks a key development in Jesuit history—a non-Jesuit historian has approached the history of the Order without (presumably) any particular Jesuit motive or prejudice.”—Mark A. Lewis, S.J., The Catholic Historical Review“The Jesuits: A Thematic History is, ultimately, thought-provoking, and thus worth reading and discussing for those already immersed in Jesuit studies.”—Thomas Flowers, Archivum Historicum Societatis Iesu

Markus Friedrich is professor of early modern history at the University of Hamburg. His books include The Birth of the Archive. He lives in Hamburg, Germany.

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