Confessions of an Italophile
I am proud to say without reservation that I am in love. I love my wife and two daughters and am completely smitten by my granddaughters. Beyond the love for my family, I love America, my Catholic faith, my home, and my friends. In that mix of people, places, and things also resides a deep—sometimes-intoxicating—love of heritage. In my case, I am without a doubt a hopeless Italophile. Think about this seriously: Who could argue against a people and culture that have spawned
Prologue to Spear of Lepanto
BOOK I THE PAPAL PRIZE Prologue Algiers - September 1580 The sun blazed down on the courtyard of the Kasbah, high above the bay and city of Algiers. There, a prisoner stood chained between two wooden posts as a whip stung his flesh with masterful precision. His chilling shriek pierced the ears of the silent prisoners, many bearing scars from the same leather. Until this moment, the man, bound at his wrists and ankles, had not believed this could happen to him. He lunged forwa
