Norman Davies Quotes
It is important to remember that John Paul II was not an American or a Frenchman.
Davies, Norman. God's Playground: A History of Poland. Columbia University Press, 2005.
He was born in the Azerbaijan province of the Soviet Union and did most of his academic work in the United States. He is an example of a globalized scientist.
Pippin had the opportunity of expanding his empire by conquering the Lombards whose cavalry he could use if and when the Saracen Muslims would invade again. But he would be seizing another Christian country, contrary to the Pope’s edicts, thus losing the blessings of the Pope. Hence the question. He decided to go for the cavalry. Later, Joseph Stalin asked the same question in much different context. See {627524}. Some historians question whether Pippen actually uttered the quotation or just considered it.
Ivor Norman Richard Davies CMG FBA FRHistS is a Welsh-Polish historian known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Professor at the Jagiellonian University, professor emeritus at University College London, a visiting professor at the Collège d'Europe, and an honorary fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford. He was granted Polish citizenship in 2014.
