"A contribution to the history of the Catholic church during World War II, this is an eyewitness account of the life and politics of the Vatican by an American who worked there from 1940 to 1944." "The question of whether Pius XII and the Vatican must bear blame for failing to act decisively in response to Hitler's Final Solution is as hotly debated today as in the years directly following World War II. Inside the Vatican of Pius XII presents for the first time the observations of an American diplomat who spent four years inside the Vatican. Writing of his own activities as a diplomat, Tittmann chronicles his role in assisting and hiding escaped prisoners of war and his experiences navigating the tensions of living side by side with the representatives of enemy states. Deftly conveying the beauty and solemnity of events that took place in the dramatic settings in St. Peter's, the Sistine Chapel, and the Pope's private chapel, Tittmann's work will be valued by historians and students of history."--BOOK JACKET.