Martin Luther

“This is a smart, accessible, authoritative biography of one of the most dynamic figures in European history. Lyndal Roper writes with clarity and discernment, so that nothing stands between the reader and her grimly fascinating subject; she grounds the reformer, situating him psychically as well as geographically in a Germany she describes as vividly as if we lived there: mining towns as well as lecture halls, courts as well as cathedrals. She creates a context for a man who arouses both admiration and horror in the modern reader. Here he stands: never more vocal, more controversial, more compelling.”—Hilary Mantel

“It is inevitable that the anniversary of the Reformation would bring forth a flood of new publications. Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet is undoubtedly one of the best and most substantial. . . . This biography offers a fresh and deeply illuminating study of the man who somewhat reluctantly divided a continent. What emerges is a work of impeccable scholarship and painstaking fairmindedness. . . . A richly satisfying book [that] offers some penetrating insights.”—Andrew Pettegree, The New York Times Book Review

“One of the best of the new [Martin Luther] biographers.”—Joan Acocella, The New Yorker

“A fine achievement, deeply researched and fluently written, and it brings its difficult and cantankerous subject to life as no other biography has. . . . A fine account of the man, both his good and bad sides, rooted in a profound knowledge of the social milieu from which he came and through which he worked: a magnificent study of one of history’s most compelling and divisive figures.”—Richard Evans, The Wall Street Journal

“Roper’s biography is a demonstration not only of her skill as a historian but also as a storyteller. . . . Extremely readable and will find a welcome audience among history enthusiasts.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Rich with detail, scholarly but accessible, Roper’s great biography of this critical, courageous, confrontational, and controversial figure provides a perfect work for the five-hundredth anniversary of his Ninety-Five Theses.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Arguably the most consequential figure in Western history between Jesus and Napoleon, Luther fully merits the grace and perceptiveness of Roper’s fine book.”—Booklist (starred review)

“[Luther] leaps off the page in a vivid array of colours. . . . The work of one of the most imaginative and pioneering historians of our generation.”—The Guardian

“Roper, Regius professor of history at Oxford University, has an extraordinary talent for making complex theological issues not just clear but entertaining. Luther jumps from these pages with immense vitality, as if his exploits occurred last week. Theological history often seems monochrome. This is Luther in colour.”—The Times

“Enlightening . . . [a] formidably learned biography . . . [Roper’s] approach is avowedly new.”—The Sunday Times