5 comments about Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II (G K Hall Large Print American History Series).

1. This is the story of an unpretentious, self effacing, little newspaper man, who once described himself as a "slightly used second hand man;" a man who through dedication, common sense, and a love for his fellow man and "the God-damned infantry," as they liked to call themselves, went on to become the pre-eminent war correspondent of World War II and likely of any other war -- past, present, or future. But, Ernie Pyle was much more than that. As the war wore on, Ernie, through his thoughtful and heart-felt reports from the European war zone became America's "everyman," a little fellow, who could be your next door neighbor, caught up in the events of war. Many of his readers came to see him more as a friend than as a reporter and, as America's situation improved, became more concerned about Ernie than they were about how the war itself was going.
   
   Once known for his somewhat mundane traveling adventures, a column which he wrote for seven years prior to the war for the Scripps-Howard Newspaper chain, Pyle's reports from North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and eventually broader Europe took on a life of their own. His column spread to other papers and to a much broader readership. But this new found fame, and the prospect of fortune, never went to Ernie's head. He said that he was too old, he was in his forties, had been a reporter too long, twenty years, and had seen too much of the war to be impressed with such things. It seemed funny to him that he should be considering a deal worth $150,000 while soldiers were dying all around him on the battlefields of Europe for only $50 a month. Ernie didn't expect to live to see war's end anyway.
   
   There was only one Ernie Pyle and it is unlikely that there will ever be another, for in his writings he caught the essence of the young men who were fighting and dying in war. His readers got to see what they saw, feel what they felt, and know what they hoped and dreamed of. And it was through his reports that the American people caught a glimpse of World War II and what their sons were going through.
   
   This is a remarkably good book about a remarkable man; well researched and well told. In it, you will get meet the real Ernie Pyle and read some of the writings which won him praise and eventually the Pulitzer Prize. Among them are four of his finest: A Forward Airdrome in French North Africa (pg. 71); In the shadow of the low stone wall (pg. 133); Now to the infantry (pg. 262); and A Pure Miracle (pg. 271).



2. This is a fascinating book, and this from a reader more into fiction than historical biography - but the best fiction writer would be hard pressed to come up with a character like Ernie Pyle.
   
   A page turning look into World War II from someone who could have been your neighbor but was far more than what you would have expected.
   
   I have no idea why a modern rendition of this story has not hit the big screen - it seems a natural, captivating story that would educate as well as entertain.



3. this must be THE book to read on war - what it's really like in all of its aspects - his description of the beach, after D-Day was gripping and haunting and it has stayed with me many years later -
   
   and how he relates the everyday and ordinary in war -
   
   and how, in any group or organization, it's often a small percentage of the people who are carrying the load - that's just one example of the many insights and truths in this book that relate to all of life, not just life in a war zone -
   
   and it is a great book for anyone to read - a stunning life achievement for ernie pyle -



4. James Toban has written a stunning book in "Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II". Toban has succeeded in giving readers the rare opportunity to see the human frailties concealed within one of America's greatest and most valuable World War II correspondents.
   
   James Toban present a picture of the complex Ernie Pyle; a man that entered the World War II carrying only a broken Remington typewriter and a deep desire to describe the life and hardships of the horrific world of the infantrymen to the American public. The reader will learn of the contradictory Ernie Pyle. The Ernie Pyle who despised war, but who could not stay away from the physical and emotional anguish of battle. The Ernie Pyle who loved his wife, but who continually left her behind to travel to the front lines. Ernie Pyle, the seemingly frail and terrified journalist who demonstrated his bravery by traveling to the front lines to be with and write about "his boys". Ernie Pyle, a genius for writing about the common soldier, but who needed constant reminding that he was the best at what he did. His articles became legendary and the hope and news link for Americans with loved ones in the front lines.
   
   James Toban's "Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II " is a must read for World War II readers and all readers who wish to know about the human spirit and about a plain old fashion brave American.



5. "Ernie Pyle's War" by James Tobin was a thorough read. Tobin described Pyle down to the very last detail, uncovering almost every aspect of his life. After reading this book, the reader had a clear view into Pyle's mind and was able to recognize the feelings he possessed about his professional and private life. The way Tobin intertwined Pyle's messages home with biographical details along with interviews of acquaintances, made this story an easy read. "Ernie Pyle's War" earned five "stars."
   Tobin's style of writing was one reason this book was so effective. He used partial quotes from Pyle to title his chapters, which brought an immediate sense of intimacy to the story. Tobin began the book with a chronological introduction to Pyle. This style of writing, although typical for biographies, was well suited for this story and not at all cliché. Readers were able to become acquainted with Pyle as a young man and then mature along with him as he grew into an established adult. By describing Pyle as a young man, readers were able to understand more clearly why he was the way he was as an adult.
   Tobin used vivid descriptions to paint a picture of Pyle in the minds of the readers. This was an important aspect because Pyle's physical demeanor was one of the main problems and/or benefits in his life. As a child and young adult, his size hindered his relationships. But, as a war correspondent, the people saw Pyle as more of a hometown boy rather than a studious journalist. This added to his success as a war correspondent.
   After transitioning into Pyle's career as a war correspondent, the story line became more tedious. Pyle was in and out of combat and the surface facts of his life were boring. Tobin, understanding the paleness of biographical data, used Pyle's messages home to spice up the story. Like most people, Pyle's life was not what it seemed to be. Besides leading a "glorified" life as a war correspondent, he had major problems at home. Tobin showed the audience this by weaving together Pyle's biographical information with the messages he sent home. This gave the reader a sense of what Pyle was actually feeling. Using these messages instead of his columns allowed reader's to see the "real" Pyle.
   Tobin uncovered personal feelings about his professional and personal life, which gave the reader a feeling of empathy toward Pyle. Showing that he did not feel like an outstanding reporter, let readers see Pyle was human. Tobin successfully showed the man behind the pen by opening up Pyle's mind to the audience. He did this by using Pyle's own letters and messages home that contained intimate details of his life. Without the added touch of Pyle's actual writing, the story would have failed to be as successful.

5 comments about Dante.

1. In depth about his life, but fortunately was only about 200 pages.



2. Dante was the poet-historian of Florence. He associated himself with his native city. He was an ardent personality. In Florence there was a surging economy and seven guilds. City walls were extended to form a new circuit completed in 1333.
   
   Virgil's AENEID was the poem Dante admired most. Dante died in 1321 in Ravenna and is buried there. In 1373 Boccaccio offered a series of lectures on Dante's life and work. Dante's father died in the early 1280's. Brunetto Latini became a role model. Dante provides a portrait of the old master in his COMEDY.
   
   Dante had divergent impulses. Love and death are counter themes in VITA NUOVA. Following Beatrice's death, Dante became immersed in THE CONSOLATION OF PHILOSOPHY by Boethius describing a soul finding comfort in the vision of God. Dante was gifted in discourse. He led a private and family life during the years he held public office.
   
   Florentine discord began in family feuding between the Donatis and the Cerchis. Dante became a literary man, exalting the welfare of the commune over the warfare of the two sides. Around 1301 Dante incurred the Pope's displeasure. Subsequently the poet suffered banishment and the threat of the imposition of the death sentence. First he lived in Verona, like Florence a daughter of Rome.
   
   Next Dante went to Padua, briefly, and then to Bologna. He was on his own. He identified fourteen separate Italian dialects in one of his books. He wrote much of the INFERNO on the run. He settled in Verona from 1312 to 1318. The PURGATORIO was written there and the PARADISIO begun. There is a tone in the former work of hope refreshed.
   
   In 1318 Dante moved to Ravenna. The Christian humanism of Thomas Aquinas appealed to him. Both men hold the idea that grace perfects nature. Examination of what he truly believed found Dante a changed man. Peter, James, and John represent faith, hope, and love. The PARADISIO was completed in 1320.
   
   T.S. Eliot's mind was infested with Dante.



3. The Peguin Lives series thrives on its clever and sometimes surprising pairings of subjects and writers, often non-specialists with a more personal take on the life. Giving Dante to a Yale English professor isn't the most inspired choice, though Lewis's expertise is mainly American lit. The book shows the marks of several pleasant vacations in Tuscany, with brief pen portraits of the various sites and geographical features that shaped Dante's world providing most of the color in an otherwise dry march through the facts of his life. Lewis often circles back to people or scenes described earlier in the work, which is either a tribute to Dante's own narrative style or a sign of slack editing. If you don't know something about Dante already, this isn't the book to convince you he's one of the world's great writers, or to help explain why. But for a quick tourist map of a complex place and time, it's a short, effective read.



4. Prior to this biography on Dante, R. W. B. Lewis had established himself as one of the leading authorities on Edith Wharton and had also written a book about Florence. Although he is not widely acknowledged as a Dante scholar, this brief volume is testimony to his obvious love for Florence's greatest poet. Unlike many brief biographies of great literary figures, this is a remarkably balanced account of Dante's life and career. Given the strictures on what can be covered in a small number of pages, other biographers of other writers often focus on an individual's life to the near exclusion of all else, or on the greater cultural context of their work, or on a discussion of the writings, ignoring the writer's world and life. Lewis strikes a marvelous balance between explaining the historical-especially the political-context for Dante's life, in detailing the significant biographical moments that informed his career (including most of what we know about his limited encounters with Beatrice), and the development of his art. Lewis's skill in refusing to neglect any significant aspect of Dante's life and work is laudable.
   
   Lewis's narrative progresses chronologically on a number of parallel levels. He reverts on several occasions to Dante's genealogy, on the political situation in Florence in the conflict between the Ghibellines (who favored the claims of the Holy Roman Emperor in Europe) and the Guelphs (who favored the Pope and later split into the Black and White Guelphs, Dante being associated with the latter), Dante's platonic adoration of Beatrice, the development of Dante's poetry, Dante's role in the government of Florence, his eventual banishment from Florence, and the composition and content of his COMEDY. I was especially encouraged by the number of theological figures who were crucial to Dante and essential for understanding the theological structure of the COMEDY.
   
   I do have a couple of minor criticisms. One is that Lewis isn't always as sharp in his exposition as he clearly is capable of being. There are also some curiosities, such as his comments near the end identifying Robert Penn Warren as "the most complete man of letters of our time," a good if not great writer whom I believe will be largely forgotten in as little as twenty-five years (one wonders if Warren and Lewis were close friends). There is an annotated biography, but most of the secondary works Lewis discusses are either out of print or not readily available, while many key contemporary texts dealing with Dante are omitted, such as Freccero's THE POETICS OF CONVERSION. And how could any discussion of translations omit Singleton's, which is easily one of the highpoints of Dante scholarship in the past half century? Two other small complaints: no index and no chronology of Dante's life. My own feeling is that there is never justification for not including an index in an academic book; the omission sharply reduces the book's usability. Even in a short biography a chronology is useful, allowing one to make rapid comparisons between the various events in a writer's life and their work.
   
   Nonetheless, for most readers of Dante in English, this brief biography will serve as a superb introduction to both Dante's life and his work.



5. This is one of several volumes in the Penguin Lives Series, each of which written by a distinguished author in her or his own right. Each provides a concise but remarkably comprehensive biography of its subject in combination with a penetrating analysis of the significance of that subject's life and career. I think this is a brilliant concept. My only regret is that even an abbreviated index is not provided. Those who wish to learn more about the given subject are directed to other sources.

   When preparing to review various volumes in this series, I have struggled with determining what would be of greatest interest and assistance to those who read my reviews. Finally I decided that a few brief excerpts and then some concluding comments of my own would be appropriate.

   On Dante's masterpiece: "The Commedia, to which the adjective Divina was affixed two centuries afterward, is, all things considered, the greatest single poem ever written; and in one perspective, as has been said, it is autobiographical: the journey of a man to find himself and make himself after having been cruelly mistreated in his homeland. It is also a rhythmic exploration of the entire cultural world Dante had inherited: classical, pre-Christian, Christian, medieval, Tuscan, and emphatically Florentine. And it is the long poetic tribute to Beatrice Portinari which Dante promised, at the end of the Vita Nuova." (pages 12 and 13)

   On Dante's response to Beatrice's death: He "did more than write an occasional poem of memorial grief; he put together the work to which he gave the title La Vita Nuova di Dante Alighieri. It was essentially an act of compilation, probably begun in 1293 and finished two years later. Dante drew up[ a narrative account of his relationship with Beatrice Portinari, from his first sight of her at the May Day party in 1274 to her death sixteen years later, sprinkling through it the poems -- canzones, sonnets, a ballad -- written to enshrine each successive moment." (page 59)

   On progression in the Paradiso: In it, "Dante ascends; he does not climb, as in the Purgatorio, but, as he is constantly remarking, is propelled upward with the speed of an arrow. He is swept up through the lower planets -- the Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn; into the Fixed Stars; then upwards to the Primum Mobile, when come all distinctions of space and time, of 'where' and 'when,' through itself beyond space and time; to the Empyrean, the actual and eternal dwelling-place of the Three-in-One God, of the angels and the saints, of the community of the blessed." (page 170)

   In the concluding portion of his biography, Lewis briefly but eloquently suggests the ubiquitous and energizing presence of Dante in English and American literature, notably in the works of Shelley, Byron, Robert Browning, Rossetti, Emerson, Pound, Eliot, and Warren. According to Lewis, that presence "sparkles and sings and smiles like one of the spirits in Paradise." The same can be said of Lewis' writing style which, in combination with his erudition, enables the modern reader to gain a greater appreciation of someone who lived more than 600 years ago but whose Comedy is as contemporary as tomorrow's sunrise.

   As is also true of the other volumes in the "Penguin Lives" series, this one provides all of the essential historical and biographical information but its greatest strength lies in the extended commentary, in this instance by R.W.B. Lewis. He also includes a brief but sufficient "Bibliographical Notes" section for those who wish to learn more about Dante. I hope these brief excerpts encourage those who read this review to read Lewis' biography. It is indeed a brilliant achievement.

1 comments about A New Home – Who'll Follow?.

1. Either it was the broken heater in my apartment that always kept it around a cool 98 degrees or the long, detailed, and pointless descriptions in this book that made me fall asleep after two pages of reading. You decide.

No comments about The Unsettled Account (Ulverscroft Large Print Series).

No comments about The Dillen: Memoirs of Stratford-Upon-Avon (Isis Reminiscence Series).

5 comments about Winston Churchill.

1. Let's say you know absolutely nothing about Winston Churchill and in a few days you're about to meet the President of your company who happens to be a true blue card carrying Churchillian. How can you make an impression on this man?
   Well if I were that man, I wouldn't be reading Martin Gilbert's complete biography. Instead I would read John Keegan's Penguin version of Winston Churchill
   Keegan minces no words, he gets right to it from Winston at Harrow onto Sandhurst and his military career in India and Africa.
   Keegan goes right to the jugular in explaining the Conservative politics of Churchill onto his jumping the aisle to the other party and later his high office during World War I and after.
   He describes Winston's wilderness years and goes into detail of Churchill's leadership during World War II.
   All is described and gives the basic essence of this multi-talented man of the 20th Century.
   In keeping with the abbreviated Penguin format, I say in closing, good show. Five Stars!!



2. I've never been a big fan of Winston Churchill, but after reading esteemed historian John Keegan's succinct biography of the man, I must say that I like AND respect him just a little bit more. Keegan himself confesses that he never thought much of old Winston until he stumbled across an old recording of his speeches (in NYC of all places) and realized what a gifted and inspirational orator and leader he was. He led his beloved Britain through her darkest hours in modern history, to a victory that was anything but assured. The people seemed to genuinely love him, and his sentiment was seemingly mutual.
   
   His years as Prime Minister during WW2 are the most well known, but Churchill led an amazingly full life, and his life of public service began way back in the late 19th century. Keegan describes how the young Winston, who did poorly in school, but had an undeniable intelligence, educated himself in politics, history and the English Classics. He was a romantic who was in love with his small island nation, and he dedicated his life to it. He was a brave soldier who served in numerous wars, including WW1, and while it would be fair to say he was a little too fond of war, he was no different from the average English officer of the time in this regard. In my eyes, his major fault was his hypocrisy. It just seems hard to reconcile his staunch imperialism with his constant talk about the virtues of freedom and liberty, and how Britain was the main proponent of such things. I would have liked for Keegan to address this point a bit more, but for such a short biography, I can let it slide.
   
   I was intrigued to learn that Churchill and IRA founder Michael Collins were on friendly terms and greatly admired each other. In fact, Churchill apparently had a "gut sympathy for fighters" which is why he had more respect for the Irish and Boers of South Africa than he did for Ghandi and his passive movement in India.
   
   Anyways, the book is extremely well written and entertaining, and I found it to be an overall excellent introduction to the life of one of the most important figures of the 20th century. 4.5 stars.



3. In 1895 when his father died, the sickly and indifferent 21-year-old military cadet Winston Churchill was flat broke, the legacy of a father who was a compulsively extravagent wastrel.
   
   Lord Randolph had been syphilitic since early youth. His mother, American-born Jennie Jerome whose father was a stockbroker and part-owner of 'The New York Times', was always attracted to men other than her husband or her sons (Winston, born 1874, and John Spencer, born 1880). In modern terms, they were trailer trash; in Phoenix, Sheriff Joe would have set aside a bunk in his tent-city jail for Winston.
   
   But, instead of slums, Winston was born and brought up in Blenheim Palace, built 1704-22 and still one of the great estates of England. American ex-presidents get palatial libraries as their memorials; the British rewarded their leaders with mansions and great estates. Blenheim Palace was one of the finest, far better than the estates later awarded to Nelson and Wellington.
   
   Perhaps it was the milieu of Blenheim Palace, but Churchill matured into a man absolutely convinced of the majesty of the British virtues of patriotism, loyalty, courage and fair play. For him, being British meant manliness, courage, tenacity and ultimate moral decency. It resonated with the vigorous American spirit of Theodore Roosevelt and the beauty of the strenuous life.
   
   President George Bush is reported to keep a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office; perhaps as a reminder of the complete contrast to himself. Bush ducked the Vietnam War in the Texas Country Club Air Guard; Churchill eagerly sought war, even though he hated it.
   
   Like Ulysses S. Grant, Churchill was a gifted wordsmith instead of a stumblebum. He free-lanced as a journalist while serving as a British officer and was sometimes earning 20 times his military pay. He never stopped learning, he wanted facts, order, reason. His mother sent him crates of books while he was on duty, and he devoured them all.
   
   Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener described him as a "medal-hunter" and "self-advertiser" who was "super-precocious" and "insufferably bumptious." It was a good assessment. But, the public loved his books and even the Prince of Wales praised him. Whatever one thinks of Churchill, his career and successes are due to his own effort, intelligence, work and nerve.
   
   In brief, this is the story of a man who might well have ended up as a Soho souse, but instead became the greatest man of the past century. He did it through his own efforts, not because of Daddy's friends, money or ability to pull strings.
   
   This book defines the character of a great man.



4. Doubtless this biography is insufficient to really understand Churchill, but for those who are fairly ignorant of the man, it provides a useful quick sketch, and perhaps a jumping off point for further reading.



5. Let me make clear at the outset that I am no historian. Indeed, I wouldn't even qualify as an amateur historian. I am just your average 30-something fairly ignorant reader living a period of love for more or less recent history. Given this premise, I found this little book quite perfect for what I was looking for.
   
   This is a short, entertaining, and VERY well written biography of one of the greatest men in the 20th century. Because of the serious limits of my knowledge on the subject, I certainly cannot judge on the accuracy of the reports. However, to the best of my knowledge, the author is considered a reputable WWII historian. Indeed I liked this book so much that I also purchased his history of WWII. You can read this book in a day, and it will entertain you like a good novel, while also informing you as few novels would do.
   
   I would not pay too much attention to those reviewers that complain about this book not delving into Churchill's shortcomings as a man or as a politician. This is a very small book, about 190 small-format pages. You can hardly expect a comprehensive treatise from such a book. Also, I suspect that emphasizing Churchill's shortcomings would be like emphasizing Hitler's moments of tenderness with his lovers or with some German children during the Nazi regime. I mean, they surely happened, but it's not what you want to spend pages on, if you have only limited space to devote to the topic, isn't it? Besides, even if the Churchill that emerges from this book is certainly a truly great man, he does not emerge as a perfect great man. To me that was enough, and I am glad I read this book.
   
   I am grateful to the author, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a short, beautifully written biography of this man, to whom I certainly owe something...

3 comments about Angela Lansbury: A Life on Stage and Screen (G K Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. Angela Lansbury is, without doubt, a national treasure as an actress and has become something of an icon to many. While her television work has made her a durable popular favorite, recognition of her formidable talent and skill as a serious film and stage actress is less widespread, as this biography highlights.
   
   The book is something of a valentine to Ms Lansbury, and while it
   does include interesting tidbits of information about her life and work, manages to touch on the main events of her personal and professional life and has a decent offering of quotes from colleagues, friends and Ms Lansbury herself, it is by no means an
   in-depth biography of this fascinating, multi-facted woman.
   
   One is keenly aware that much has been left out or unexplored;
   it may be that Ms Lansbury's own preference for privacy and the
   power and status she possesses have made it difficult for a truly
   definitive biography to be created. This is a disappointment.
   
   In the right hands of a gifted biographer with deep access, the richness of Angela Lansbury's background, history, character, accomplishments and life would yield a magnificent theatrical biography.
   She is deserving of no less.



2. This is a thoughtful, three-dimensional portrait of one of my favorite actresses. It is well-researched, and full of anecdotes about Lansbury's life and thoughtful opinions of her film and television work. I learned much about Lansbury, and would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in her life and career.



3. THIS BOOK WAS A WONDERFUL INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF A GREAT LADY WHOS LIFE WAS AS INTERESTING AS THE MANY ROLES SHE HAS PLAYED THROUGH THE YEARS . MOVIES,STAGE,AND TV AND SONG SHE HAS DONE THEM ALL WITH STYLE AND ELEGANCE

No comments about The House of Nasi: The Duke of Naxos.

1 comments about Life in a Day.

1. I read this book when it first came out. It's a lovely lesson in being aware. Ms. Grumbach's awareness is keen, her ability to connect the dots of her life is a gift. Her life as revealed in the bits she recalls throughout the day is a mirror to the meaning of life: Relationship, inspiration, quotidian moments, and the struggle to grow old well. I enjoyed the book so much I wrote to the author; she wrote back. I've read it over and over since the first time.

3 comments about Martin Luther: The Great Reformer.

1. Synopsis: A brief biography of Luther's life. Part of a series of approximately 20 books entitled Heroes of the Faith. Evidently, it is edited and abridged from a larger work by one Dan Harmon.
   
   My review: Mr. Harmon has done a poor, poor, poor job of editing a larger work. Really bad. The book has large, direct quotes from other sources, including big chunks of the questioning of Luther at the Diet of Worms in 1521. This is most appropriate since Luther was a well-spoken as well as plain-spoke debater. His text is lively and interesting to read. Even to the modern reader his meaning is quite clear and devoid of all of the flowery Renaissance nonsense that entraps other writers and bores me to distraction.
   
   However, Harmon edited out Luther's most famous line: 'My conscience is captive to the Word of God...Here I stand I can do no other.' This is the image of Luther presented in every school book in the world - the solitary monk standing up to the entire church and against all of Europe's kings at the Diet of Worms on a matter of conscience and refusing to blink because, by God (literally), he thinks he is right and is willing to die for that belief. In my mind, this is one of those moments of heroism that everyone should admire, even if you are not a believer. But, this editor edited it out!!! The height of his shining moment - gone!!
   
   Ironically, that quote is featured on the back of the book - it is in bold print and serves as the headline for the description of the book! AARRGH! Even sillier, the editor has left in a one page description of Charles the Elector's retinue and the parade as they entered Augusburg in 1530. Wow!!!! - if they were trying to limit the size of the book, they really edited out the wrong part!!!! Who really cares what color his men wore as they paraded into town!
   
   My grade: The book is, in general, informative and would serve as a decent introduction to Luther. However, I cannot forgive the very poor editing job. Imagine a Lincoln biography without the Gettysburg Address, a Martin Luther King, Jr. biography without his 'I have a dream speech' or a Julius Caesar biography without 'Vini, vidi, vici.' Man, my blood is up. Imagine, printing this whole book and EDITING OUT THE POINT!!!!!!! Really, I cannot stress my irritation enough, as you all can surely tell by this point...
   
   ***Reviewer's note: please read the comment section. The editor of the text made a few comments that explain the "Diet of Worms" section was left out. Thanks, DWD 3-14-07



2. This German-born Martin Luther was the most prominent of all the Sixteenth Century reformers (as well as counter-reformers). His life became his religious struggle. Though he won some and lost some, he became a symbol of religious defiance to his adversaries, and an anchor-point to his disciples.
   This book did not detail us on the reason why some of his co-reformers parted ways with him; but I did enjoy the time I invested on reading it.



3. I picked this up at a Christian book store for half price. This is an abridged book in a series on famous Christians (mostly Protestant). The author, who is clearly sympathetic with Luther's cause, devotes more attention to Luther's personal relationships and political struggle than to his theology. However, this is probably appropriate for the intended audience (the book store located it near the young readers' section). I can't compare the book to others since this is the first I've read on the topic, but I've personally found it to be an enjoyable read.