The Reformation (The Story of Civilization VI)

One third of the book lapses before a singal mention of Martin Luther is made, but this is certainly not a flaw, Durant just shows how calls to reform happened centuries before him. Most histories simply focus on Luther, Calvin, and Henry the 8th, and fail to cover the whole age of the Reformation. This is not the case here. Durant begins with the condition of the Roman Catholic Church during the Papal Schism, moves to Wycliffe, shifts to Huss, and merges them with Zwingli, Luther,etc. Some forgivable digressions are made, but they end up serving their purpose well. Will Durant, a Catholic, judges the full scope of the Reformation with impartialty, revealing the pro's and con's of both institutions with sagacity. All in all this work is industrious and inspiring.