Pope John Paul II : reaching out across borders

In this remarkable work, Reuters has assembled a collection of stunning images of Pope John Paul II alongwith a powerful text that gives fresh insight into the leader of the world's one billion Catholics andcharts his implacable opposition to communism, which changed the course of history.The book depicts the tension between a reformist pope, reconciling churches and reaching out to ordinarypeople across the globe, and a conservative pope with uncompromising views on issues like women priestsand birth control.Tracing the most traveled pope's spiritual odyssey across continents, the book uses informative colorgraphics to illustrate his determined mission to extend the Church's reach.

The gallery of pictures rangesfrom the majesty of Vatican ceremony and papal trips to glimpses of the pope's intense faith and goodhumor.The book ends with a detailed and forwardlooking examination of the pope's legacy, the state in which hehas left the Church and the succession.

The narrative looks at the standing of the Catholic Church in therest of the world as it enters the third millennium.The book draws on the expertise of a wealth of Reuters specialists, including Vatican correspondent PhilipPull