Roman Catholic Scholar, Franz Posset, carefully explores the history of Luther's development in the crucial years of 1501-17 before Luther's views were disputed. Setting aside legends and accusations, Posset gets at the facts about Luther as a late medieval friar in an age of reform. The book includes:

• Illustrations from Luther's career
• A complete, new translation of Philip Melanchthon's memoirs of Luther's life, based on actual discussions with Luther
• A fresh chronology of Luther's life from 1501-17, based on the latest research
• Extensive references to both primary and secondary literature for Luther studies