"Beautifully crafted, deeply informed, and elegantly poignant" "In Martin Luther: A Late Medieval Life , Volker Leppin tells the riveting story of the man who courageously championed reform and inspired the world. Drawing from the best scholarship on Luther, Leppin weaves new details into a biography that will now be the major work on Luther for years to come." -- Christine Helmer , Northwestern University "Beautifully crafted, deeply informed, and elegantly poignant, Leppin's account of Luther's life and thought is a masterwork of theological and historical writing. Leppin offers a subtle yet sympathetic portrait of a notoriously complex and controversial figure who remains shrouded in myth and legend. Luther's brilliance and flaws emerge from the pages, as one of the leading Reformation scholars of our generation expertly guides the reader through a revolutionary age. This book is essential reading for all who seek a thoughtful, balanced account of the origins and development of the Reformation." -- Bruce Gordon , Yale Divinity School "Volker Leppin's biography is unmatched as a brief and engaging introduction to Martin Luther's life. Taking a fresh approach to familiar sources, Leppin presents a new view of Luther's transformation from faithful monk to ardent reformer and finally to figurehead in a movement that grew far beyond his control.

This lucid translation makes available to an English-reading audience the insights of one of Germany's most respected Luther scholars." -- Amy Nelson Burnett , University of Nebraska-Lincoln "This brief but authoritative theological biography gives Martin Luther his due without hero worship and gives us a fresh look especially at his debt to the prior German mystical tradition embodied in his mentor Staupitz." -- Paul Rorem , Princeton Theological Seminary "Volker Leppin is not only a leading Luther expert but also a talented storyteller. He presents the dramatic turns of the reformer's life, highlighting both the context of late medieval piety and the new discoveries of the Wittenberg circle. While Luther appears as professor and theologian, Leppin shows him also as publicist and prophet, educator and (almost) bishop, husband and father." -- Risto Saarinen , University of Helsinki.