A review by statman
The Reformation: A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch

3.0

I haven't ever read a book on the topic and it is one that I've been interested in for some time so I was excited to read this book. I was a little disappointed. This is a lengthy book of over 700 pages and it is very, very detailed. It was difficult to keep up with all the names and places as the author covers the many different individuals who were part of the Reformation throughout Europe. It helps you realize how complex and big the Reformation was as it was the product of many individuals across many countries over a fairly long period of time. It would be helpful to have a good background in European history to better follow the book. The first two-thirds of the book is more of a chronological history and the last third covers some common themes and topics without the chronology. If you are looking for a high level overview of the Reformation, this is not the book for you.