BRAND LUTHER How an Unheralded Young Minister Turned His Small German Town Into a Center of Publishing, Made Himself the Most Famous Man in Europe--and Started the Protestant Reformation

Ignore the crackerjack title—this is an excellent audio history of the life of Martin Luther and the birth of the Protestant Reformation. Pettegree focuses on the way Luther’s prolific writings nourished the German printing industry and made him Europe’s bestselling author. This seemingly narrow and technical aspect of man and movement provides a fresh perspective on both Luther and the Reformation. Paul Hecht brings the requisite command of German names and phrases, and maintains a smooth, steady pace that underscores the objectivity of the text. Next year marks the 500th anniversary of the publication of Luther’s 95 Theses Against Indulgences, a trigger for centuries of debate, war, and massacres. This balanced history bypasses the doctrinaire and canonical issues to report instead on how the word got out. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2016]