ANHOW Review of Books: Martin Luther: The Great Reformer -- Adilbrand Noblesword's Hall of Warriors

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Date Posted: 02:46:35 02/28/04 Sat
Author: Mt. Healthy Mountaineer - AAARRRGHH!!!!!!!
Subject:

ANHOW Review of Books: Martin Luther: The Great Reformer

Published: 1995 by Barbour Publishing
Genre: biography
Author: Edwin P. Booth
Edited and abridged by Dan Harmon (see below)

Synopsis: A brief biography of Luther's life. Part of a series of approximately 20 books entitled "Heroes of the Faith". Evidently, it is edited and abridged from a larger work by one Dan Harmon.

My review: Mr. Harmon has done a poor, poor, poor job of editing a larger work. Really bad. The book has large, direct quotes from other sources, including big chunks of the questioning of Luther at the Diet of Worms in 1521. This is most appropriate since Luther was a well-spoken as well as plain-spoke debater. His text is lively and interesting to read. Even to the modern reader his meaning is quite clear and devoid of all of the flowery Renaissance nonsense that entraps other writers and bores me to distraction.

However, Harmon edited out Luther's most famous line: "My conscience is captive to the Word of God...Here I stand I can do no other." This is the image of Luther presented in every school book in the world - the solitary monk standing up to the entire church and against all of Europe's kings at the Diet of Worms on a matter of conscience and refusing to blink because, by God (literally), he thinks he is right and is willing to die for that belief. In my mind, this is one of those moments of heroism that everyone should admire, even if you are not a believer. But, this editor edited it out!!! The height of his shining moment - gone!!

Ironically, that quote is featured on the back of the book - it is in bold print and serves as the "headline" for the description of the book! AARRGH! Even sillier, the editor has left in a one page description of Charles the Elector's retinue and the parade as they entered Augusburg in 1530. Wow!!!! - if they were trying to limit the size of the book, they really edited out the wrong part!!!! Who really cares what color his men wore as they paraded into town!

My grade: The book is, in general, informative and would serve as a decent introduction to Luther. However, I cannot forgive the very poor editing job. Imagine a Lincoln biography without the Gettysburg Address, a Martin Luther King, Jr. biography without his "I have a dream" speech or a Julius Caesar biography without "Vini, vidi, vici". I have to give it a "D". Man, my blood is up. Imagine, printing this whole book and EDITING OUT THE POINT!!!!!!! Really, I cannot stress my irritation enough, as you all can surely tell by this point...

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