Rating: 
Summary: A Comprehensive, Fair and Clear Analysis
Review: This is a brief but sweeping overview of the Reformation, concentrating mainly on the political and social forces at work during the whole period. Although Belloc was an ardent Catholic, he is surprisingly balanced in his analysis; for instance he pulls no punches when critiquing the shortcomings of the Church, and is quite mild in his assessment of Martin Luther. (Belloc is most venomous toward the British upper classes, who so shamelessly exploited the Church, Elizabeth, and the common people merely to increase their personal wealth and solidify their political position. His analysis is undoubtedly contrary to mainstream English history, but is compellingly supported by the facts.) Belloc's greatest strength is his ability to distill general principles and underlying causes from the tidal wave of political and social upheaval that was pouring across Europe. Thus the book is a fantastic starting point for a study of the Reformation. Although it is short on details (especially military details) it provides a very clear context.
Rating:
Summary: A Comprehensive, Fair and Clear Analysis
Review: This is a brief but sweeping overview of the Reformation, concentrating mainly on the political and social forces at work during the whole period. Although Belloc was an ardent Catholic, he is surprisingly balanced in his analysis; for instance he pulls no punches when critiquing the shortcomings of the Church, and is quite mild in his assessment of Martin Luther. (Belloc is most venomous toward the British upper classes, who so shamelessly exploited the Church, Elizabeth, and the common people merely to increase their personal wealth and solidify their political position. His analysis is undoubtedly contrary to mainstream English history, but is compellingly supported by the facts.) Belloc's greatest strength is his ability to distill general principles and underlying causes from the tidal wave of political and social upheaval that was pouring across Europe. Thus the book is a fantastic starting point for a study of the Reformation. Although it is short on details (especially military details) it provides a very clear context.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent balanced presentation of the Reformation
Review: Two things I can say about Hilaire Belloc; he doesn't take sides where right and wrong are concerned, and he doesn't pull any punches. He just tells it like it was.The author, rightly so, refuses to put the blame on just a few reformers, and he also refuses to exonerate Holy Mother Church's role in this. Reading this book made me feel like he was saying, "Everyone we can find who is responsible will be held responsible, whether protestant or Catholic." To sum up (and this is explained more fully in chapter 9), the author puts the causes of the Reformation as thus: 1) A "special, personal hatred of the Faith" that has existed even as far back as Calvary; 2) The revolt was originally and essentially a protest against the spiritual power of the clergy and the financial power of the Church's heirarchy; 3) The movement was provoked by the very corrupt condition into which the official Church had fallen, notably the Papal court; 4) A new doctrine of unquestioned right in Princes to absolute rule, helped by the weakening of the Papacy (Popes leaving Rome, rival anti-popes); and 5) The ability to get stinking rich by the looting of Church property. A good book showing that arguments in doctrine had nearly nothing to do with the first few decades of the revolt; that the revolt was nearly purely political, and after the looting of the monasteries began, the revolt was further fueled by the chance for extreme wealth and power. Another great job by a great author. Five stars.
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