A preeminent authority on the Catholic Church and papal biographer describes what he learned from chronicling the life of Pope John Paul II In Lessons in Hope , George Weigel tells the story of his unique friendship with St. John Paul II. As Weigel learns the pope ``from inside,`` he also offers a firsthand account of the tumult of post-Vatican II Catholicism and the Cold War's endgame, introducing readers to the heroes who brought down European communism. Later, he shows us the aging pope grappling with the post-9/11 world order and teaching new lessons in dignity through his own suffering. A deeply humane portrait of an eminent scholar learning a saint, Lessons in Hope is essential reading for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of a world-changing pope.