Holy See, Unholy Me!

by Tim Fischer

As the first Australian Ambassador to the Holy See Tim Fischer is is the unique position of being able to tell what it's really like in the seat of power in Rome. Here he reflects on his time in the Vatican, the details which made up his life, the protocols, the people and also on the role that religion still has to play in the lives of future generations. Appointed by Kevin Rudd in 2009, Tim found himself in the singular world of Vatican diplomacy, where, even more than most diplomatic circles, the right word in the right ear is an essential artform, and where the person sitting next to you at dinner could be Colonel Gadafi or the Pope. Armed with the skills he learned as an activist politician - and with his trusty black Akubra - Tim learned to navigate this strange new world and has lived to tell the tale!

Genres: Biography, Australia

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy memoirs. You get the sense of the writer's personality and attitudes.

Not with this one. It is as dry and as boring as a Cabinet report on the price of cabbages in Cobram.

In one word: dull.

[Kate Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quietly enjoyable.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of anecdotes and tidbits from the author's time as Australian Ambassador to the Holy See. Information on the diplomatic intrigue and drama he encountered is almost invisible, with a clear focus on the PR-side of diplomacy. There were a number of unforgivable editing mistakes (e.g. "Cypress" not "Cyprus", "Former Republic of Macedonia" instead of "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia") and double-printed words that let the book down.

[Tc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the tales to be told but have to admit I found the editing a little bit painful. Well done Tim on sharing an insight into many different aspects of the Holy See, but I do think it lacked some assistance with the way it was all put together and checked over.

[Jeannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting insight into the Vatican and diplomatic life - but needed a good editor