Eric Erwin

A thorough but biased analysis of a great religious mind

Revisado: 09-09-23

I have read numerous books and biographies about Martin Luther, and this work by Mataxas indeed provides many new valuable insights about the life and ideas of this remarkable mind. It is my experience that biographies of Luther fall into three broad narratives: “Luther the fanatic who destroyed the church and unleashed an apocalypse of religious wars,” “Luther the flawed genius who did some wonderful and some not so wonderful things,” and “Luther the glorious prophet of a reinvigorated and truer Christianity.” Mataxas’ falls into the latter of these… his admiration of Luther exudes from every page. He glosses over Luther’s deep character flaws, justifies his cruelty during the Peasants’ War and towards any colleague who dared challenge him, ignores the obvious symptoms of Luther’s insanity, and even performs intellectual gymnastics to explain away Luther’s virulent anti-semitism as “not really that bad.” At one point he even asks the readers to seriously entertain the possibility that Luther was indeed in a spiritual war with the true Satan and his demons- why? Because Luther believed it. The strongest part of this work is the author’s deep exploration and analysis of Luther’s reinterpretation of Christian theology. Despite it’s failings, this book is a good read.,

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Good history of an important battle

Revisado: 05-22-23

Balanced and well presented, this narrative is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of the words and stories of the combatants- both British and German

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Great book!

Revisado: 12-23-22

A great book- historical fiction in the realistic and carefully researched style of Alan Eckert

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Phenomenal book and magnificent reader

Revisado: 10-23-22

This book kept us spellbound- if you historical fiction- this is for you. Sure to become a classic. The multiple characters are relatable - and the reader does a fantastic job with them.

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A Must-Read for all Medieval Enthusiasts

Revisado: 08-20-22

Sometimes, readers encounter a book that is so unbelievably wonderful, so life-transforming, that they must share it with everyone. So it is with this marvelous history of Al Andalus (Islamic Medieval Spain). The text is so well written it is like melted butter, covering a wide variety of topics seamlessly and ideas. One can almost feel the warm Iberian sun on your skin and smell the delicious orange and lemon blossoms from the Caliph's gardens as the words wash over you. Once you start, you will not be able to stop listening. A host of topics, from religion to warfare, from language to commerce, are covered. This book proves that Medieval lives were mostly 'nasty, brutish and short' in Christian Europe, but in Spain Christian kings read and spoke Arabic, and Jews eagerly read and wrote Islamic poems of love, and the followers of Mohammad translated and preserved the treatises of the ancient Greeks, and where foods and music filled lives with joy and contentment... It is also a cautionary tale about how free and open societies can so easily be destroyed by religious fanaticism and conservative intolerance. Highly recommended!

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What story were you looking for?

Revisado: 04-12-22

Hummm… how to begin. I chose this book from an online recommendation, and thinking I was going to be enveloped in a sci-fi story… it is not sci-fi… and to be frank, I m not sure what this story is. The reader is tossed back and forth between fictional and historical characters fighting in World War 2, and unremarkable modern characters attempting to create a business in the new internet environment… I had whiplash. The plots are disconnected, and very mundane. No narrative tensions can be identified- no action, no character conflicts, no romance, no resolution. In addition, there are frequent and seemingly endless digressions into the nature and problems of cryptography. None of which expand your understanding of the author’s purpose… If you are person fascinated by the nature of cryptography, read a nonfictional manual and skip this book.

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fantastic!

Revisado: 11-27-18

A glorious reading of a great classic work! Set aside 3 hours beside a warm fire, curl up with your loved ones young and old, and let the Christmas spirits carry you away

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