"This remarkable study, combining learning, realism, and literary adroitness, brings us close to Luther. Above all, it conveys Luther's power: the intensity of his faith, the coherence of his thought, the force of his personality."—New Yorker

“A brilliant account of [Martin] Luther’s evolution as a man, a thinker, and a Christian. . . . Every person interested in Christianity should put this on his or her reading list.”—Lawrence Cunningham, Commonweal

Written by one of the world’s greatest authorities on Martin Luther, this is the definitive biography of the central figure of the Protestant Reformation. The book portrays the controversial reformer in the context of his own time, analyzing his state of mind and describing his world more closely than has ever been done before.