Reviews (5)

A Favorite in our School
Dr. King is a favorite hero among elementary school children. This book is the perfect way to introduce them to the life and philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The language is simple and the illustrations are interesting. I've found that although students know the "Happy Birthday" song, they aren't aware that Stevie Wonder wrote the song as a tribute to Dr. King. We always end our read aloud by singing a chorus of the song.

An effective picture book on an important American leader
"Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King" fills a need for effective picture books for young readers about this important American leader. The scratchboard illustrations, although unusual for this format, create a vibrancy that enhances the text.

This narrative revolves around the statement: "The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., is famous because he helped our country change some of its laws." Then in simple language it goes on to explain some of the laws he helped change.

It goes on to say, "Poor people, rich people, white people, black people, and people from all around the world listened when Martin Luther King spoke." Of course, there is mention of his 1963 speech in Washington, D.C., where his "dream was that people everywhere would learn to live together without being mean to one another."

This is an excellent book to read aloud to younger students, although as a school librarian, I have seen it used effectively up to the 5th grade (like another reviewer here). Another good title that covers some of the same territory for young readers is "A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.," by David A. Adler.

First Grade Teachers......A book for you!
I've been searching for a short read about Martin Luther King, Jr. that would excite my first grade students and keep them focused on the background of this great American. The illustrations are lovely and the size of the book is perfect for classroom storytime.

This is a very good book about a very good man.
I am a fifth grader at North Hills Traditional Academy.

I like this book because it tells how Martin Luther King grew up. And it was sweet how he grew up.

I like the book because the pictures are colorful and the story is sweet.

The thing I really like about the book is that it tells sweet things about his personal life, not just his public life.

Mostly, I really like it because it tells how he grew up and about his friendship with a little white boy.

It's really clever because it shows what Martin Luther King was like when he was young.

It's a great book. I think you should read it. And I know that you will enjoy it.

A gentle tribute to a giant.
As an elementary school librarian I liked this book because it can be read and appreciated by children from first grade to fifth grade. It has a simple, gentle approach to Dr. King's life from his birth to his death. The students love the "scratchboard" method that the illustrator used for the beautiful artwork. Jeanne Feeney ... Read more

Book Description

More than a biography, To the Mountaintop is the history of a turbulent epoch that changed the course of American and world history. Moral warrior and nonviolent apostle; man of God rocked by fury, fear, and guilt; rational thinker driven by emotional and spiritual truth -- Martin Luther King Jr. struggled to reconcile these divisions in his soul. Here is an intimate narrative of his intellectual and spiritual journey from cautious liberal, to reluctant radical, to righteous revolutionary. Stewart Burns draws not only on King's speeches, letters, writings, and well-reported strategizing and activities, but also on previously underutilized oral histories of key meetings and events, which present a dramatic account of King and the movement in the crucial years from 1955 to 1968.

In a striking departure from earlier books on Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, Burns focuses on King's biblical faith and spiritual vision as fundamental to his political leadership and shows how these threads wove together a "single garment of destiny," making King the most important social prophet of the twentieth century. King is not portrayed as a lone exalted hero, butas the heart of a fabric of principled leadershipthat stretched from his closest colleagues to the movement's foot soldiers on the streets. This book stresses his shaping by other leaders -- heroic figures such as Bayard Rustin, Ella Baker, James Bevel, Bob Moses, and Marian Wright Edelman -- and his conflicted relationships with John and Robert Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

To the Mountaintop is uniquely powerful in presenting actual conversations between King and others, and in showing how King's public words often revealed his private torment. Burns provides a uniquely realist portrait of King and the civil rights movement by revealing the vital but neglected religious character of the story, and by demonstrating how King profoundly experienced the movement as a sacred mission following a path of liberation and sacrifice pioneered by Moses and Jesus.

Book Description

Dexter Scott King's disarmingly candid memoir of growing up in the shadow of his father is now in trade paperback.Seven-year-old Dexter Scott King was in his family's den watching television when a special news bulletin announced that his father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had been shot in Memphis. While the nation and the world mourned the death of one of the most important and powerful figures in history, the young son began what would be a lifelong personal journey of not only learning to cope with the loss of his loving father, but of exploring how best to make sure that his message and spirit lived on. Remarkably honest and emotionally intimate, this book offers a rare and touching look into what it is like to grow up as the son of a world renowned hero. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Very Insightful Read
This was a very insightful read for me. No, this is not a story about Martin Luther King, Jr .. it's about living the life as Martin Luther King, Jr's child. It reveals the ups and downs of being born to a public figure such as the late GREAT Martin Luther King, Jr. Dexter does a pretty good job of showing us the hurdles he and his family have had to cross. I think it's good for people to read, because you get to see what the family members are faced with (a sort of behind the scenes glance at being in the shadow of one's famous father). Dexter also gives you insight on The King Center. I recommend this read to all people. Teachers and professors should also have this book on their list of student required reads.

Tonya Howard
http://www.sisterdivas.org

Routine autobiography, nothing new to add to the King aura
This is NOT a story about Martin Luther King, Jr...But then again, it is! With such an imposing aura and legendary persona that Martin possesses even in death, it would be extremely hard for anyone trying to extract meaningful context without him playing a prominent role to analyze anything for or against it. GROWING UP KING is Dexter Scott King's story. He being the youngest of Martin's four children, sets out to give revelations for the first time what it was like growing up within the huge monolithic shadow of greatness, and how his fathers' maxims continue to inspire and inform his own ideas on race matters. I would imagine amid the aura of being a member of such a prominent family it would behoove one to set a sustained agenda to carve a preferred path. With this book, you'd think that definitions would be finally told in the first person. I wanted to be rational as I read this book and try not to compare the Martin of yesteryear to what his offspring needed to bring forth. But to do this, I knew I had to do so with an open mind. Thus, I read it with mixed emotion, and tried to be objective in attaining a reasonable view to support the author's intent, and more importantly, to see if certain truths would come forth to quell rumor, and set the record straight on a multitude of issues. Most notably the controversy surrounding The King Center for Non-Violent Social Change.

I came away with a feeling of loss, as if something truly was missing that wasn't said that should have been. I kept looking for reasons to give standing ovations to a member of this family who had the courage to give insight to all questions the public wanted answered. For those looking for insight that hasn't been before public domain, there may be something that Dexter espouses that may warrant merit. File this one on the shelf with the rest of the books written about the King family legacy. I rate this book above average, but still worthy of a read if nothing more than to give chance to this scion who endeavor to be his own man.

MOVING BEYOND THE SHADOW
The progeny of great men and women are usually compared to their venerable parent. Such is the case in the Martin Luther King, Jr. family. Since his death a microscope has been placed over his children comparing them to him. Dexter, the second son and third child of King attempts to break out of the shadow of his father and reveals to us his hopes, dreams and aspirations for himself and his family. Dexter's text is a good try but fails in its efforts.

Growing Up Kings gives the reader the perspective of a child raised in the Martin Luther King, Jr. family. Dexter reveals the challenges that he faced in living under the shadow of a famous father. We as readers are shown the stresses and pressures put upon the family as they faced tragedy after tragedy but continued on with the dream as articulated by King. Dexter does a fair job in sharing with us some of his family's personal matters but is very restrained in critiquing the actions of his mother and other civil rights icons.

As you walk through the narrative, you will find Dexter repeating himself and giving the reader a history of the civil rights movement. He shares his foibles but was again there is a restraint in his revelations. Just how much is Dexter telling us that is true? Our author seems to never be able to stand on his own two feet without invoking the shadow of the King family over his life.

The best part of the book is his explanation regarding the safeguarding of M.L.K Jr.'s speeches and intellectual property that is not in the public domain. You will learn that there is another side to the story and Dexter tells it well. You also receive a bit of insight regarding the functionairies of the King Center and how Dexter chose to resign his position as president rather than become a puppet.

Like many people I was attracted to this book due to the nature of its contents. Who wouldn't want to know what it is like growing up under Martin Luther King, Jr.? Dexter's story was interesting but lacked a greater depth in terms of his own vision for the future beyond his family. He appeared to be trapped in the King mystique although he tried to become his own man. The book neglected any full scale treatment of his relationships with his mother and siblings. Yes, he throws tidbits concerning his failed love relationships but those appear to be mere diversions to keep up your interest. In general we are given a decent perspective of the King family.Hopefully a more definitive portrait of the family will come from the rest of his siblings.

Finally their side of the story
I read this book by Dexter King, but I have also read Growing Up X. There were some similarities between both books, but there were some differences also. I had heard some of the rumors and speculation about the King family trying to milk Dr. King's legacy in the monetary sense. However, Dexter does a good job of clearing things up about how much time and money is spent protecting his father's legacy due to the fact that some individuals and corporations believe and/or assume that Dr. Kings' speeches and papers are public property and can use them for monetary profit. I agree whole heartly with the King family in protecting their father's legacy including all of his speeches and writings. The thing that stood out the most to me pertaining to this issue was that we as blacks in America discount great black thinkers, intellectuals and people who take a stance in the black community. We have a belief that our black intellects work such Dr King, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers is not as valuable as compared to that of their white counter parts such as Nixon, Kennedy or Bush.

Dexter King also gives us some insight into how he grew up near housing projects in Vine City, attended a exclusive private school then public high school, and life at Morehouse. I had no ideal that Dexter's mother currently lives in Vine City, because gossips have always said she was living in a huge mansion in Buckhead. Next Dexter talks about his love life, but never gives any names but calls one serious girlfriend "Mon Ami." I would recommend this book to anyone trying to find out more about the King family.

This is a terrific book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Growing Up King." This is a
terrific book. Not only is this book required reading for
any student of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it also brings
insights how the King Center in Atlanta is run while main-
taining its mission to spread the teachings of Dr King. There
are lessons here for any well-intentioned organization.

This book is clearly written by subject and most of the subjects
overlap chronologically.

Thank you, Dexter King! ... Read more

Book Description

Quoting extensively from Dr. Martin Luther King's sermons and speeches, the author chronicles King's rise from a young minister in Montgomery, Alabama to the world's greatest spokesperson for civil rights. ... Read more

Book Description

This little boardbook uses only approximately 200 words to tell about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and to explain, in simple terms, how he ended segegation in America ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful and Perfect
This little board book is the most beautiful and perfect book on Martin Luther King, Jr. I have ever seen as Dr. King's message is kept pure, untainted, clear and focused. The colors are soft and gentle, the words simple and easy. It is a perfect introduction to Dr. King, his life, his work as well as an introduction into human values such as respect and equality. It is never too early to begin educating children on such matters nor too late for adults to refresh their memories on these core matters especially as so many are waving flags: remember what those flags represent and the lessons of Dr. King. This little book can help any age do so...even you!

Telling the Tale
Parents quite often want to begin to teach their children about important aspects of
history and culture even at the earliest of ages. This book is the perfect avenue
through which parents can begin teaching their children about Martin Luther King and
the Civil Rights Movement.

Moore has done a superb job in writing a biography that is short, concise and easy to
understand. Even children with the shortest of attention spans can enjoy and understand
this book. Friendly illustrations will make this book even more pleasurable for
children. The boardbook format of this book makes it easy for children to handle
the book and even turn the pages without parents having to worry about the book being
damaged.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. with black-and-white photos. This revised edition of the popular

Random House Step Up(TM) Biography of the

great civil-rights leader and advocate for peaceful resistance now includes new

text and additional dynamic photos. Reading level: 2.2.




... Read more

Reviews (2)

WOW!I can't believe what my child learned.
We have read a lot of biographies, but this one was different.I don't really know why.My son, 6, was captivated by this book.He now devours EVERYTHING he hears about Martin Luther King, Jr.My son learned about a man like himself in many ways who experienced difficulties and fought unfair laws just because of his color.He also learned about a man named Gandhi and the influence he had on Dr. King.I was so impressed by the impression that this book made on my son.And he recognized scenes from the book when we watched the movie "KING."Rarely does any book have this much impact on a young child.It definitely deserves 5 stars.

Great Bio for Kids
This is the perfect biography for kids around 8-12 years old to read.It has lots of information and is a little more advanced than a Martin LutherKing biography you would find in a first grade classroom would be.Thiswould also be a great book to read if a child has to do a report. ... Read more

Book Description

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was, during his lifetime, an inspiration and an example; today his influence on American life is stronger than ever. This book is a pictorial record of Dr. King's leadership in the nonviolent movement for racial equality and human dignity from the boycott of segregated busing in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 until his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. The commentary accompanying the photographs includes a chronology of Dr. King's career and the texts of his major addresses. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Coram Deo
"Man before God," that sums up Luther's resultant reformation in theology. Brecht in this volume of three, takes us into the context of this change and the resultant history thereof.

It is marvelously rich in its scope and depth, and written fairly and with good style. Originially in German, here it is aptly translated by James L. Schaaf.

One will receive fine insights into Luther's theology in this volume from his days at Erfurt through to the Diet of Worms.

Excellent Luther reading for those so inclined. All three volumes highly commended for your persual.

Comprehensive, positivistic bio by conservative German prof
Brecht's biography (3 volumes--this is volume one) was the first comprehensive biography in our century that fully explored the later Luther and is also the only Luther biography that tracks every single thing Luther ever wrote. If you are reading something by Luther and want to know the context, this is the place to look. It's readable and takes a conservative position on all of the major controversies. Beware, though: Brecht simply is not interested in source critique. ... Read more

Book Description

At a turning point in American history, Martin Luther King, Jr., the minister of a small black Baptist church, was able to accomplish the impossible: he transposed the themes of love, suffering, and justice from the sacred shelter of the pulpit into the arena of public policy.

The Preacher King chronicles Martin Luther King, Jr.'s religious development from his childhood as a "preacher's kid" in segregated Atlanta to the most influential American orator of the twentieth-century. Richard Lischer draws almost exclusively on King's unpublished sermons and speeches to give the most accurate portrait possible. Utilizing speeches, recordings, interviews, and even police surveillance reports, Lischer shows the unedited King and reveals his real African-American preaching voice. But King was also profoundly influenced by Gandhi and philosophers such as Hegel, Marx, Thoreau, and Freud, and blended both into his compelling vision of brotherhood and and justice which electrified audiences nationwide. Lischer also focuses on the much ignored later phase of King's development wherein he was consumed by prophetic rage, leading him to condemn American religious and political hypocrisy.

In The Preacher King, Lischer has captured the crucial identity of Martin Luther King, Jr. Here is a complex human being who, unlike any other preacher in living memory, never gave up trying to shape a congregation of people that would be capable of redeeming the moral and political character of a nation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Evaluation of King's Preaching & Theology
One can easily see why this book was awarded the Outstanding Book of 1995 by the Religious Speech Communication Assoc., it is so well written. The research appears exhaustive, the writer is is firm touch with his subject matter, having poured over sermon manuscripts and listened to tape after tape, and conducted interview upon interview.

One is able to grasp the essence of King's preaching from this reading. Long suspecting that King comes out of the liberal element in the church, this confirmed that suspiscion. The theology and subsequent preaching is far from what my confession would maintain as Biblical. This is social gospel, theology not from heaven down, but earth up, trying to impose its agenda upon God, rather than letting His word and plan of salvation have its way.

While one can easily relate to the race problems and frustrations with an American that would not listen to the pleas, but an America that responded violently, there remains no cause to make the precious Gospel a political one. Jesus had attempts to preach such freedom from political oppression, but in each and every instance, He maintained the gospel at the level it is intended, spiritual.

King thus is out of sync with his namesake, Martin Luther, as well as the historic Christian church. The gospel is about the forgiveness of sins for the life everlasting. As the famous hymn sings: "What is the World to Me?"

This book is vibrant with the complexities of the background and influences on King's theology and preaching. Enjoyed it, yet sad that the title "preacher" is applied to such a false teacher of God's Word. To apply humanity's agenda above and beyond God's is the height of sin and rebellion.

Lischer
I love this book, but I was looking for the hard jacket, and could only find softcover. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Martin luther King jr. Book response
This review is about the book My life with Martin Luther King Jr. By Coretta Scott King. This book touched me because my grandpa used to know Dr.King and this book tells me all the stuff my grandpa never told me. Like when Martin protested to all the whites, the Ku Klux Klan, or [KKK] told Dr.King to stop protesting or he would never see his family again, but Martin was not afraid,and with that the KKK bombed his house as a warning, luckally no one was hurt. The "I have a dream speech". Won Dr.King the noble peace prize, That angered the KKK and in his hotel The KKK guned him down in front of his family, and after the funeral the Mayor made it a law to treat blacks equally. Martin Luther King had one but had lost his life in the process.
I reccomend this book to all people [Blacks & Whites alike] that had a goal in life and did not stop until they achevied it.

Coretta King writes an epic of the life of her husband
I read this book for my Modern American History class and aside from two uses of "G__ d___," which I feel Mrs. King used to show the historical accuracy of the persecution during one of Martin's marches, that this was an informative read. I don't know that much about black history, but Mrs. King seems to go in depth while being completely concise. Famous historical figures such as Malcolm X and Ralph Abernathy are littered throughout and we have what I believe is probably an accurate view of the mores and values of the times. The book inspired me to stand up for my beliefs at the expense of persecution. In this book, we have a more human picture of Martin, the love he shared for people and his determination to lead them out of the valley of despair. As I approached the end of the book, I couldn't put it down because I was completely riveted at the events that ensued after his assassination. I've not read any other books about this period, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the authorative work on the history of black civil rights during that time period.

A Wonderful Book by Far!!!!!!
I thought the book was wonderful!!! It gave me insight to what life was like living with MLK Jr. You felt the pain when things went wrong. You felt the happiness when things went right. Coretta Scott King did a great job of letting everyone know the imtimate details of her and her husbands life. If you haven't read it , check it out. Trust me, as a teen, it was a book that grasped my interest. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!!!

And I thought she was just the wife of a great leader...
After reading this book, my respect for the great leader Dr. King, as well as his phenomenal wife grew. I never knew she was a such a success story apart from Dr. King. I also admire her for literally laying down her life to be a support to her husband. The courage she demonstrated encouraged me so. I am also the wife of a Black Baptist preacher and I now know that there are no limits for me and any strong Black male leader must have a strong Black woman standing behind him. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

A riveting new chapter to America's Civil Rights saga
The fates of those who sacrificed during the 60s to make America a more perfect union were varied; Some were cut down by assassins. Others re-defined the struggle by securing historic victories at the ballot box. Most simply returned to anonymity, choosing to bear the scars of battle in silence.
While many of these heroes remain unsung, the legacies of the more prominent among them have been well-documented in mainstream media outlets dutifully marking civil rights anniversaries as a way of gauging how far we've come since then. In some cases, these stories have now been re-told so often they seem dated and stale.
But John Blake's compelling new book, "Children of the Movement" traces those human blood lines forward and breathes life into these intimate -- but largely unknown-- family portraits. His interviews with the sons and daughters of those who fought for America's soul are at once inspiring, depressing, universal and utterly unpredictable.
Blake's sparing but effective writing frames each vignette, putting them in context without overwhelming you with tons of historical detail that might have detracted from the narrative. His book is not only a pleasure to read, but also informative, captivating and timely.
Most of all, "Children of the Movement" reminds us that while the struggle for civil rights has changed much in a generation, it is still far from over.

Portrait of the Heart and Soul of the Freedom Movement
John Blake's book, "Children of the Movement," provides a powerful, if painful, glimpse into the heart and soul of the Freedom Movement of the Sixties, as, an insightful portrait of its legacy, through the lens of some of its children--one of whom is my own daughter, Ericka Abram. Blake's tenderly-written report reveals many common themes in the perspectives and lives of these offspring, the most compelling for me being that Movement parents seemed to have been so committed to our cause and protecting our children from the social ills we fought, we forgot to tell them what and why we were fighting. The resulting common disconnection between parents and children is more broadly reflected in the confusion and despair of today, in dealing with unrelenting racism and poverty and oppression, that stand in the stead of the clarity of purpose and commitment of the past. Blake's book opens the door to a healthy discussion toward healing familial wounds and easing generational divisions so as to bring us together in a new effort to finally find freedom in America.

Excellent
Written more like a book of short stories than a chapter in America's history I found John Blake's writing style to be descriptive,straight forward, and appealing. Each page was full of substance and very readable. To my surprise I found myself unable to put this book down. I found food for thought and hours of discussion in this work.

John Blake's Children of the Movement gives one a view of the real life struggles of the men and women involved in the Civil Rights Movement. For those who are not familiar with the infamous names an explanation is given of each participant's standing in the movement but more interestingly a glimpse into the personality and humanness of each as well. He then goes a step further and brings a vivid picture of the effect these lives selflessly led had on the children. I was touched by the Black Panther leader who felt that if she saved all black children she would save her own child, a child who so wanted to be important in her mother's life. I was inspired by the daughter who now works by her father's side on the Algebra Project preparing black students for college. I was moved by one man's continued pursuit for justice in the murder of his brother. Each interview reminds us of the struggles of the parents and illustrates how each child was molded by the experience. Children of the Movement brings to light how much was sacrificed to share the Dream. ... Read more

Book Description

The fascinating story of the frightened young monk who became the "Father of the Reformation."

When the young monk Martin Luther nailed his famous Ninety-Five Theses to the Castle Church in Wittenburg, his bold action ignited the fires of the Reformation that were to blaze across Europe.

But the man who defiantly criticized the corruption of the church and declared that faith in Christ was all that mattered was neither brave nor strong. Only God could help him overcome the fears and terrors that had gripped him since childhood and inspire that courage that challenged the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Luther's trial and condemnation as a heretic at the Diet of Worms, his rescue to the Wartburg Castle, his translation of the New Testament into German, and the leadership that he provided to the growing Reformation movement are legendary. This short biography makes for great reading.

"Here I stand. God help me. Amen."

Reviews (1)

Young people! A great introduction to the great reformer!
This is a dramatised overview of the great German reformer's life.Indeed it is a very good start for the reader to come to an understanding of Luther and his contemporaries.

Read about his frightened childhood, education, escape from Ausburg, the Leipzig debate and the famous Diet of Worms.We are firmly placed into the very era that the book is set in for there is plenty of historical information regarding some of the well known artists such as Da Vinci, Raphael and Michaelangelo.On lending this book to young people, it is good that they can learn for the first time that these people were artists of Luther's time, and not just characters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! ... Read more

Book Description

Few figures in history have defined their time as dramatically as Martin Luther. And few books have captured the spirit of such a figure as truly as this robust and eloquent life of Luther. A highly regarded historian and biographer and a gifted novelist and playwright, Richard Marius gives us a dazzling portrait of the German reformer-his inner compulsions, his struggle with himself and his God, the gestation of his theology, his relations with contemporaries, and his responses to opponents. Focusing in particular on the productive years 1516-1525, Marius' detailed account of Luther's writings yields a rich picture of the development of Luther's thought on the great questions that came to define the Reformation.Marius follows Luther from his birth in Saxony in 1483, during the reign of Frederick III, through his schooling in Erfurt, his flight to an Augustinian monastery and ordination to the outbreak of his revolt against Rome in 1517, the Wittenberg years, his progress to Worms, his exile in the Wartburg, and his triumphant return to Wittenberg. Throughout, Marius pauses to acquaint us with pertinent issues: the question of authority in the church, the theology of penance, the timing of Luther's "Reformation breakthrough," the German peasantry in 1525, Mntzer's revolutionaries, the whys and hows of Luther's attack on Erasmus.In this personal, occasionally irreverent, always humane reconstruction, Luther emerges as a skeptic who hated skepticism and whose titanic wrestling with the dilemma of the desire for faith and the omnipresence of doubt and fear became an augury for the development of the modern religious consciousness of the West. In all of this, he also represents tragedy, with the goodness of his works overmatched by their calamitous effects on religion and society. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Clear and well written
Marius the author appears to have been a Roman Catholic. He is a former academic (he died in 2001) and has written a number of books including one on Thomas More which sold reasonably well.

This book is not so much a biography but is an account of Luther's early life and his break from the Church. It is more an explanation of the doctrinal divergence which led to the Reformation. A number of people who have reviewed the book have suggested that Marius is biased against Luther. To some extent this is true and the last chapter of the book is a summation of what Marius sees as the negative aspects of Luther?s legacy. The fragmentation of Christianity the over reliance on Scripture and other problems. Some of these are a bit far fetched for instance Marius suggests that one of the reasons for the falling away of Christianity is that the key to worship in the evangelical church is preaching. This depends on the quality of the individual minister in a parish. The Catholic Church depends on ritual and thus even mediocre priests can keep a congregation because of the power of the ritual.

Despite what is said in the last chapter this is a readable and simple account of what is a complex subject. The Catholic Church in the 15th Century had developed doctrinal practices that were very different from the early church. The role of Mary, the importance of the saints, the importance of purgatory as a doctrine and the role of the Pope and the church were things which would have been difficult for those in the early church to understand. Luther believed that the key to an understanding of Christian doctrine lay with reading Scripture which he thought was the word of God. He placed no faith in the role of the Church as an institution and believed that all men could spread Gods word. He in fact called for the secular authorities to intervene in the affairs of the church and to reform it. The Church believed that it was an organisation which had been established by the word of God and that if no bible had been written then it and Christianity would still exist.

Marius is able to explain these two positions clearly giving justice to both sides of the debate. He in fact is able to talk about how the church had evolved and he is able to explain how reformers would be appalled by the veneration of relics and the use of the Popes powers over suffering after death to generate income.

The one weakness of the book is the overplaying of the suggestion that Luther was driven by a fear of death. An alternate explanation is simply that he was appalled by some of the practices of the contemporary church and he was a man who thought he had an insight in how it could be reformed.

The one weakness of the book is that it looks mainly at Luthers life and doctrine. It fails to explain why Luther was protected by the princes in Northern Germany and the institutional reasons why his message was accepted. Never the less an interesting and well written book.

"Grand Research, Good Depiction of Martin Luther"
Martin Luther,"The Christian Between God and Death," is a well written and detailed biography that pays its respects to any point of view or religious preference that one may have towards Luther and the reformation. I found no self-proposed inclinations towards any position that Marius held in relation to Luther, but rather, saw a lucid potrait of a sixteenth century reformer caught in the midst of a corrupt world burning to make the truth of the gospel known.

In paying no homage to either the Catholics or Luther, you as the reader will be left to formulate your own ideals concerning the case for Christian Europe. This I find to be a respectable trait in a biographer since many times the truth of history is left in scrupples due to egocentric bias rubb-offs. Marius does not confuse history with opinionative-literature, like many have often done before. He simply makes the facts known, and when the sources are meager and minutely reliable, he uses the analysis of others to compile a sound explanation for the blank spots history leaves us at times.

Overall I was very impressed with Marius' exhaustive research, which reveals the mysterious, incessantly tempermental, and paradoxical man who faced all the odds at all ends;the man Martin Luther. After reading this I felt compelled to purchase "The Life of Thomas More," by Richard Marius, which I am now enjoying whole-heartedly.

Entertaining Scholarship
Biography is a tough art to master. To make the subject(s) come alive requires not only precise knowledge of the events that shaped their life, but also of the interior forces that inspired or forced them to act as they did. In other words, the true biographer must be an erudite historian and perceptive psychologist at the same time.

Richard Marius proved himself to be both with his impressive biography about one of Europe's most troubled and controversial characters, Martin Luther. Noble reformer or destructive revolutionist? Luther's impact on Christendom and Western Civilization will no doubt be debated for some time to come, but Marius' comprehensive work helps gauge this impact and offers new insights into the man who helped bring about--for better and for worse---the 'modern world.'

Many reviews have dealt with the suspected 'Catholic' bias in the book. Such criticism is misguided. If anything, Marius' tone is one of learned skepticism in matters of faith. Marius takes a humanist approach in where Luther's faith is examined with old-fashioned enlightenment-style reason. Marius critically picks apart the spiritual milestones of Luther's life: the early brush with death, the monastc years and the deep resentment of 'exterior' authority, to create a fascinating psychology of a man possessed by his own mission. A mission to do God's will. And for Luther that meant liberating the gospel from the rigid and authoritarian structures of the Church. Marius shines light on how this 'subjective revolution' helped liberate Western consciousness from the shackles of monolithic interpretation. One Church, one Book, one Right Answer. Luther shattered this medieval icon to bits. An with it, the sense of order and meaning that the Christian Church had given Europe for hundreds of years. Marius' argues that Luther's flaw was two-fold: one, he failed to create a better order from the rubble of the one he helped destroy and two, that after having fought for freedom of conscience, Luther could never tolerate those whose spiritual principles differed from his own. Luther became just as tyrannical as the 'demonic' Papacy against which he rebelled. Marius' thesis wryly points out that the freed slave is often no better than his master.

If Marius's work contains a bias then, it is that of an overly- cautius humanist. Like his hinted-at mentor, Erasmus, Marius regards Luther as a self-obsessed, self-proclaimed prophet who did incalcuable damage to the long-tested and hard-won values that lay at the base of civilization. Marius argues that had Erasmus' plan of gradual a reform taken hold instead of Luther's fiery and defiant words, then many banes of modern Europe, nationalism and anti-Semitism for example, would have never exploded with such force as they later did. Clearly debatable. Systems, like people, are loathe to change without prodding. Sometimes sharp and painful breaks with tradition are the only ways to move forward. Also, to tar and feather one man as the nest of so many evils is to simplify things too much.

Despite the arguability of his thesis, Marius gives his readers a lot to chew on. And it is all done in a lucid, earnest and readable style. For those laymen and women wanting to learn more about one of the most turbulent periods and turbulent actors of the European stage, they would do well to pick up Richard Marius' 'Martin Luther: A Christian Between God and Death.'

Dawn of a New Era
This work caught my attention from a phrase in the introduction concerning the issue of violence in the Reformation, French and Russian Revolutions. It seemed to echo the grumbling slant of Schama's 'Citizens', perhaps a conservative gesture of revisionism. Is Luther in the same category as Lenin? The history of the sixteenth century through the Thirty Years War will speak for itself perhaps. But,there is little further in this vein in the book, but the provocation makes for a most interesting perspective on Luther, whatever one's possible disagreements on the way. The opening pitch is about right for a critical review of the subject, and the portrait of the period and the man is gripping. We speak of the 'Reformation', but the author's take highlights the obvious, that this was the first modern revolution, albeit a conservatizing one, with the fascinating figure of Muntzer brought into the account. Luther is an ambiguous hero of--yes--modernity, and seems completely understandable given the grim world against which he rebelled, a sort of terminal zone of religious confusion, ignorance, and papal politics. We can and must 'moralize' about what might have been (did Luther provoke much of the violence of the Thirty Years War?), but history in motion seems to be like that, and the transition was not a question of nice people. A great figure is not beyond judgement.
The book omits none of the darker sides of Luther, his antisemitism, his compromise with the princes, his democratic impulses manque.
One comes away from a useful snapshot still askance at the author's eccentric but fertile starting point.

A very sour account of an exemplary life...
Richard Marius has written a biography chock-full of untempered, atheistic fervor. Martin Luther was an extraordinary man and his legacy, and theology live on in the hearts of millions of followers. Why would a biographer choose a subject he seems to care so little for? The seething sarcasm and anti-religious sentiment in this book make it difficult to read. This book is more a presentation of the author's atheism than the life of Martin Luther. I detect hypocrisy not from this departed Christian man (Luther) but his biographer! If you are an atheist, then by all means, stick with subjects who share something of your lifestyle and beliefs (or lack thereof). ... Read more