Pope John Paul II is revealed as a man who experienced decisive events of the 20th century and became an icon who touched millions of lives. Annotation. Greene is a freelance writer specializing in biographies of historical and popular culture figures. She concentrates on Karol Wojtyla's formative years and his life before he became John Paul II, to explain how he became the person that he is, and explains the accomplishments and limitations of his papacy. The text includes a timeline of significant events in his life and a bibliography of print and electronic resources. Intended as a reference for high school and undergraduate college students, this text is accessible to general readers.