The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe is a 2014 biography of Pope Pius XI about his relations with Benito Mussolini and rise of Fascism in Europe by David Kertzer.

[1] The book examined documentary evidence from the Vatican archives, arguing that Pope Pius XI played a significant role in supporting the rise of fascism and Benito Mussolini in Italy, but not of Nazism in Germany.

[2] The Pope and Mussolini won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

[3] This is the story of Pope Pius XI’s relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, based on archival material from both.

[4] The book was lauded by many authors including Joseph J. Ellis, who wrote, "Kertzer has an eye for a story, an ear for the right word, and an instinct for human tragedy.