Pontius Pilate - by Ann Wroe (Paperback)

About the Book

A finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize and the W.H. Smith Award brings Pontius Pilate, the man and myth, to life. Working from classical sources, Wroe takes readers to biblical Judea under the reign of the erratic and licentious emperor Tiberius to witness the trial of Jesus, in all its confusion, from the point of view of his executioner.

Book Synopsis

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK - "Sublime . . . The definitive study of Pilate."--The Washington Post Book World

"A masterwork . . . one of the most interesting and creative books I've read in a very long time."--Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle Is the Way

"Compelling, eloquent and vivid . . . In a superb blend of scholarship and creativity, Wroe brings this elusive yet pivotal figure to life."--The Boston Globe

One of Esquire's Best Biographies of All Time - Finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize

The foil to Jesus, the defiant antihero of the Easter story, mocking, skeptical Pilate is a historical figure who haunts our imagination. For some he is a saint, for others the embodiment of human weakness, an archetypal politician willing to sacrifice one man for the sake of stability.

In this dazzlingly conceived biography, Ann Wroe brings man and myth to life. Working from classical sources, she reconstructs his origins and upbringing, his career in the military and life in Rome, his confrontation with Christ, and his long journey home. We catch glimpses of him pacing the marble floors in Caesarea, sharpening his stylus, getting dressed shortly before sunrise on the day that would seal his place in history. What were the pressures on Pilate that day? What did he really think of Jesus?

Pontius Pilate lets us see Christ's trial for the first time, in all its confusion, from the point of view of his executioner.

Review Quotes

"By turns enchanting, learned, urbane, nimble, touching, caustic and playful . . . As a portrait of a flawed man caught up in the adventure of being good, it is both sobering and inspiring. As an indirect portrait of Jesus, it is unique."--The Providence Journal

"Triumphant . . . It is Wroe's achievement that her Pilate, cloaked in infamy, connects at almost every turn, in his humdrum humanity, to her readers."--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Pontius Pilate is a veritable treasure trove of history, legend, fascinating information and thought-provoking speculation."--The Christian Science Monitor

"A splendid biography of Pontius Pilate and of the Pilate myth, meticulous and eloquent. In the course of this account, the reader discovers in a new way that evil and good are often deeply and mysteriously complementary."--Karen Armstrong

"Wroe's large fund of knowledge and her beautiful ability to wed a carefully collected fact with a credible and illuminating speculation is plainly superior to the skills of all her [predecessors]. What [she] has given us . . . is ample cause for thanks."--The New York Times Book Review

"Dazzling . . . startlingly poetic and compelling."--Los Angeles Times

"A rich narrative . . . that invites the reader to imagine what sort of man stood in the presence of Jesus and dared to ask, 'What is truth?'"--The Oregonian

"Brilliant . . . her writing is so large in its appetites and so accomplished in its execution. . . . It's a Pilate for our time. . . . It disturbs even as it delights."--Toronto Globe and Mail

"Imaginative . . . This book makes Pilate a vivid figure not only in his own time but for the succeeding centuries as well."--Parade

"Wroe's power is to make us feel the hard light and broken stone, the heat and dust of Jerusalem. . . . Supple, wise, deeply felt, an exact balance of fact and poetry. Whatever your faith or belief, this book won't fail to move you."--Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

"Profound and beautifully written . . . Wroe's book is a work of real imaginative literature."--The New York Review of Books

About the Author

Ann Wroe wrote her first book at the age of seven. She received her doctorate in history from Oxford University, and then joined the BBC World Service to cover the last years of communism in Europe. Since 1992 she has been the editor of the American section of The Economist; before that she was its literary editor. Her books include Lives, Lies and the Iran-Contra Affair and A Fool and His Money, an account of a scandal in a French village during the Hundred Years' War. She lives in London with her husband and three sons.