The History of the Popes is a monumental work of historical scholarship that traces the evolution of the papacy from the late Middle Ages to the modern era. Written by the German historian Ludwig Pastor, this book draws on primary sources from the Vatican archives and other original documents to provide an authoritative account of the popes and their role in world history. With its meticulous research, lively prose, and extensive notes and bibliography, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Catholic Church and the papacy. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.