"The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World"

I've decided to begin posting BRIEF reviews whenever I complete a book. Personally, I do not like long book reviews. I want it short and to the point, so that's the way I'm going to do it.

Yesterday I completed "The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World."

The title of this book is a bit misleading because it suggests that it is all about Martin Luther. That is not the case. In fact, only one chapter in nine focuses on the German Reformer.

This book is a quick (about 150 pages) and fun look at the primary characters of the Reformation. Stephen Nichols, professor at Lancaster Bible College, does an excellent job of making the story of the Reformation come to light. Nichols writes in such a manner that the reader feels like he is reading a story. That's why I was able to finish this book in just a few days.

This text has eight chapters. After the introductory chapter, Nichols focuses one chapter each on Luther, the Swiss Reformers, the Anabaptists, John Calvin, the British Reformation, the Puritans, and the women of the Reformation.

If you are looking for an in-depth study of the Reformation, this is not the book. If you are looking for obscure details about any Reformer in particular, this is not the book. However, if you are looking for a fun read that gives a broad overview of the main participants in the Reformation, then this is the book for you.

"The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World" is published by Crossway Books.