The images in the book were lovely and a great way for young adults and adults alike to learn about the life and contributions of Martin Luther. This is particularly timely given the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

How many of us can say we really know anything about the Reformation, beyond its simple existence, much less about the life of Martin Luther? Visually, this is an intriguing book. The illustrations and text blocks are styled on medieval manuscripts, using an old English typeface and woodblock style illustrations. The exploration of Luther's life isn't particularly deep. The focus is on the ways his life events influenced his eventual decision to challenge the Catholic church. Most importantly, the final pages summarized some of the major theses. It's a niche biography but a good introduction to a less known figure.

Fascinating non-fiction book highlighting the life of Martin Luther. I really enjoyed the detailed illustrations depicting how Klaus accurately depicts people, buildings, events as well as the printing press.

'The Life and Times of Martin Luther' by Meike Roth-Beck, with illustrations by Klaus Ensikat and translation by Laura Watkinson is a timely book to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the 95 Theses.

The life and times of Martin Luther are condensed for younger readers. His early life, and conversion to a religious life, the indulgences, the Diet of Worms, the proclamation of the 95 Theses. Many of the Theses are explained. The later life of Martin Luther including his marriage to Kate and their home, the "black cloister." It talks about how Martin Luther translated the Bible so that the common person could read it.

The illustrations are really good, with a key at the end for all the things the illustrator put in the pictures. They are dense and somewhat dark and fit the text perfectly. The text is also perhaps a bit dense. This won't be a picture book to read to the very young, but young school age children might find it of interest.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Wm. B. Eerdman's Publishing Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

The Lives and Times of Martin Luther is an informative and clearly written, if somewhat dry, survey of Luther’s life and impact authored by Meike Roth-Beck and wonderfully illustrated by Klause Ensikat.

The book’s description says it is aimed at seven and up, but I would think it skews a bit older thanks to language, assumptions, and the detail in the illustrations— ten and up might be a better range, though of course adults reading aloud could explain things to younger readers as needed. I'd also say it assumes (slightly) a Christian/Lutheran audience based on just a few references, such as to holidays.

Roth-Beck opens with a nicely concise description of broad changes in society and religion then moves into Luther’s life, beginning at birth and progressing quickly but informatively through his youth, decision to enter the priesthood, disenchantment with the church followed by out and out defiance and several near arrests. Then it's a more detailed look at some of his 95 Theses, a summary of his work translating and preaching, ending with his death and a brief recap of his impact with regard to religion and war.

A few nice touches include mention of his hymn writing, which is often buried beneath a strict focus on his challenge to the Church, frequent acknowledgment of those who helped him on his path, eschewing the “lone wolf” version of history; and a particularly lucid exploration of his views on penance and forgiveness.

The prose is clear, clean, and fluid. Where it falls down somewhat is perhaps a few missed opportunities for some more vivid language or a more narrative excitement, such as when Luther escapes arrest or a few nuns are smuggled out in barrels. These scenes fairly cry out for a storyteller’s sense of drama, but instead they blend in to the rest of the summative style.

On the other hand, the illustrations do convey a few of these moments more vividly for those with an attentive eye, and really teh drawings stand out throughout the book. Detailed, historically accurate as far as I can tell/know, and wonderfully rewarding to those who linger over them thanks to those sharp details and busy backgrounds, the book is pretty much worth it for the pictures themselves. There is also a nice little addendum that explains some illustrations further.

For older children curious about religion (theirs or another's) or for parents/librarians looking for an easy to read, concise, and informative look at an important figure in history (though I wish a bit more had been made of his impact beyond religion), The Lives and Times of Martin Luther is a strong choice.

The Life and Times of Martin Luther by Meike. Roth-Beck. Illustrated by Klaus Ensikat. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. EBYR. Biographies & Memoirs, Children's Nonfiction. Amazing, colorful and detailed images by a winner of the Hans Christian Andersson Award that commemorates liftime achievements accompany biographical information about Martin Luther. Recommended for your middle grade readers as a wonderful introduction to Luther and his times. Thanks to NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company for providing this ebook for review.

Educational and highly informative. I really recommend this book.

The facts of Luther's life as described in the book may be true. The illustrations are exquisite. And this title seems to fit within Eerdmans calling as a publisher (moreso than other books for children they have released of late).

But what many do not realize is Luther's legacy of virulent anti-Semitism--a legacy that influenced the likes of Hitler. Yes, he may have nailed his theses on faith and the Church to a door in Wittenburg. Even the LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) branch of Lutheranism acknowledged and disavowed his dangerous anti-Semitic writings.

Therefore, we cannot laud a man who influenced so many with his hateful rhetoric--and cannot recommend a book that leaves this part of his life out. It is ironic that the publisher of Marvin Wilson's "Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage" (978-0-8028-7145-9) would bring to print a book with only part of Luther's story.

5 stars for this short biography of Martin Luther.

Celebrating 500 years since Luther published his Ninety-Five Theses that led to the Reformation, this concise biography is aimed at children but is also a great resource for adults. The book outlines what life was like in Germany and Europe in 1517, and sketches Luther's family background and education. The main focus of this book, however, is to explore Luther's journey towards rejecting the Catholic Church sale of Indulgences (letters of indulgence promised forgiveness of sin, for a price), his response in the form of the Ninety-Five Theses, and the consequences of this response. I particularly liked the simple, clear explanations of Luther's Theses concerning penance and grace.

This book is suitable for Christians but also works as a history/religious education resource for secular schools, since there is no pushing the reader to believe what Luther believed.

This book is well-written (by Meike Roth-Beck and translated by Laura Watkinson) and the illustrations (by Klaus Ensikat) are a delight because of their detail and meaning - so much so that the book ends with two pages of notes on the illustrations.

I received this ebook free from NetGalley and the publisher, Eerdmans.

A fantastic introduction to the life and times of Martin Luther. The young and not so young will be captivated by this story. The edition features beautiful graphics that help the young people to imagine in much more detail the story of Luther.
Written in an ingenious way, it shows us the most important details of Luther's life.
The graphics are very good, and the style of the writer very friendly.
It is an edition that young people can not miss and meet Luther.

An informative biography of the father of the Reformation, pitched perfectly for young readers, and a great primer on the life of the theologian for adult readers. The celebrated German children's illustrator Klaus Ensikat has outdone himself; the illustrations in this book can be poured over for hours, they're so rich in detail and will resound with fans of Maurice Sendak's art.

A short biography of Martin Luthers for children. It’s absolutely a good way to introduce the father of the Reformation to the young children
The illustrations are richly done and very detail. Very well done.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

A provocative and interesting look at the life of Martin Luther.

It strikes me as being almost a secular biography of a Christian. It covers the high points of Luther’s life such as his time in the monastery, the trip to Rome, the 95 Theses, the Diet of worms, and his marriage. The connection between the sale of Indulgences and the 95 Theses is carefully explained. Roth-Beck shows that Luther believed Indulgences could never forgive anyone’s sin, but he never explains what Luther believed was the solution for sin. No Scripture is used.
I received this as a Free ARC from NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

As I am living in Germany, this year marks the celebration of 500 years of Reformation and this book is a welcomed English addition to the usual literature about this event in the German language. It is an extensive and contextual - although not critical - journey into the life of Martin Luther and his efforts to move forward with the dramatic changes within the Catholic Church of the time. An interesting lecture, with some historical details and thematic illustrations. Recommended to anyone interested to have a short introduction to Reformation and Martin Luther in general.