The Reformation of the sixteenth century was a vast and complicated movement. It involved kings and peasants, cardinals and country priests, monks and merchants. It spread from one end of Europe to the other, and manifested itself in widely differing forms. Yet in spite of its diverse and complex character, to start to understand the Reformation you need know only one name: Martin Luther. Roland Bainton's Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther remains the definitive introduction to the great Reformer and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this towering historical figure.

The vow -- The cloister -- The gospel -- The onslaught -- The son of iniquity -- The Saxon Hus -- The German Hercules -- The wild boar in the vineyard -- The appeal to Caesar -- Here I stand -- My Patmos -- The return of the exile -- No other foundation -- Rebuilding the walls -- The middle way -- Behemoth, leviathan, and the great waters -- The school for character -- The church territorial -- The church tutorial -- The church ministerial -- The struggle for faith -- The measure of the man.