Rating: 
Summary: Great, but
Review: It should have been done after Columbine and including what happened at Columbine. Otherwise, it is great. The pictures and the Christian "Wanted" Poster bring it right home. There are instances missed and the newer ones should have been in graeter detail. If another one is done, it should include more pictures and/or artwork to go with the accounts.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical Importance = 5 stars Actually history = 1 star
Review: John Foxe's book of martyr's is a classic as far as historical importance is concerned. With Queen Elizabeth solidifying Protestant power in England and suppressing the Catholic religion, John Foxe's propaganda linking the Protestant martyr's during Queen Mary's reign with the early martyr's of the ancient church became extremely popular. The popularity of the book, along with the Reformation tradition of nationalism and xenophobia, helped spread hatred and fear of Catholics throughout England as traitors who were beholden to a foreign ruler.It's relatively easy to see that the history takes a back seat to the "spin" after the deaths of early church martyrs (Foxe borrows slavishly from Eusebius' Church History for this) are recorded. Amazingly enough, Foxe makes orthodox Christians out of the Albigensians, a group of heretics who, if transported to the 16th century, would've been burned at the stake by any Protestant cleric or ruler. Foxe reserves the most venom for "bloody" Mary. Although a legitimate monarch, she was not as skilled at the fine art of propaganda and Protestants, who had virtually mastered the art, exploited that. Her first mistake was that she married a spanish man, leaving her wide open to xenophobic attacks by Protestants portraying her as someone who was subverting England through "foreign influence." Second, when a small minority of religious extremists tried to overthrow her legitimate rule and the traditional religion of the people, she responded by using the death penalty for heresy. Protestants seized on this and claimed that they were being punished unjustly for maintaining "biblical" Christianity. When Elizabeth was making martyr's out of Catholics (and in greater numbers than "bloody" Mary), Protestants appealed more to nationalist sentiment by saying that the Catholics were traitors trying to subvert their free state. This worked masterfully to demean catholics in the eyes of the English, becuase instead of threatening some abstract theological concept, the catholics were said to be subverting the country. Something that struck fear in every English man and woman. Stuck in the middle of this is a brief apologia for John Calvin. I'm pretty sure that this wasn't in the original edition of the Book of Martyr's, but the essay contains similar propaganda techniques. Calvin is portrayed as a prophetic voice that was roughed up by the institutional church that cared more for authority than pure doctrine. The essayist glosses over the cruelty and intolerance of his rule in Geneva and attempts to pin most of the blame for Michael Servetus' execution on Farel, claiming that Calvin wanted Servetus to repent and not to execute him (ignoring some of the more incidiary quotes in which he claimed that if Servetus came to Geneva, he wouldn't leave alive). The essayist wraps it up by making the head scratching claim that Calvin was a "friend of civil liberties. The historical importance of Foxe's Book of Martyr's cannot be overstated. It was hugely popular in its day and shaped England's attitude toward Catholic's for hundreds of years to come. In fact, modern day heirs of John Foxe in the fundamentalist camp view this as almost on par with the scriptures themselves. Although the Foxe's writing is almost transparently propaganda to all but the most committed fundamentalists today, it is still historically important towards understanding the mind set of the times and shouldn't be ignored.
Rating:
Summary: Historical Importance = 5 stars Actually history = 1 star
Review: John Foxe's book of martyr's is a classic as far as historical importance is concerned. With Queen Elizabeth solidifying Protestant power in England and suppressing the Catholic religion, John Foxe's propaganda linking the Protestant martyr's during Queen Mary's reign with the early martyr's of the ancient church became extremely popular. The popularity of the book, along with the Reformation tradition of nationalism and xenophobia, helped spread hatred and fear of Catholics throughout England as traitors who were beholden to a foreign ruler. It's relatively easy to see that the history takes a back seat to the "spin" after the deaths of early church martyrs (Foxe borrows slavishly from Eusebius' Church History for this) are recorded. Amazingly enough, Foxe makes orthodox Christians out of the Albigensians, a group of heretics who, if transported to the 16th century, would've been burned at the stake by any Protestant cleric or ruler. Foxe reserves the most venom for "bloody" Mary. Although a legitimate monarch, she was not as skilled at the fine art of propaganda and Protestants, who had virtually mastered the art, exploited that. Her first mistake was that she married a spanish man, leaving her wide open to xenophobic attacks by Protestants portraying her as someone who was subverting England through "foreign influence." Second, when a small minority of religious extremists tried to overthrow her legitimate rule and the traditional religion of the people, she responded by using the death penalty for heresy. Protestants seized on this and claimed that they were being punished unjustly for maintaining "biblical" Christianity. When Elizabeth was making martyr's out of Catholics (and in greater numbers than "bloody" Mary), Protestants appealed more to nationalist sentiment by saying that the Catholics were traitors trying to subvert their free state. This worked masterfully to demean catholics in the eyes of the English, becuase instead of threatening some abstract theological concept, the catholics were said to be subverting the country. Something that struck fear in every English man and woman. Stuck in the middle of this is a brief apologia for John Calvin. I'm pretty sure that this wasn't in the original edition of the Book of Martyr's, but the essay contains similar propaganda techniques. Calvin is portrayed as a prophetic voice that was roughed up by the institutional church that cared more for authority than pure doctrine. The essayist glosses over the cruelty and intolerance of his rule in Geneva and attempts to pin most of the blame for Michael Servetus' execution on Farel, claiming that Calvin wanted Servetus to repent and not to execute him (ignoring some of the more incidiary quotes in which he claimed that if Servetus came to Geneva, he wouldn't leave alive). The essayist wraps it up by making the head scratching claim that Calvin was a "friend of civil liberties. The historical importance of Foxe's Book of Martyr's cannot be overstated. It was hugely popular in its day and shaped England's attitude toward Catholic's for hundreds of years to come. In fact, modern day heirs of John Foxe in the fundamentalist camp view this as almost on par with the scriptures themselves. Although the Foxe's writing is almost transparently propaganda to all but the most committed fundamentalists today, it is still historically important towards understanding the mind set of the times and shouldn't be ignored.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book that will make you angry and sad
Review: Prepare to be angry, very angry. This book is the ultimate collection of the truth behind intolerance towards Christians and protestants in particular. Throughly updated and revised it bring the persecution of Christianity through 2002, so that you will see for yourself the more then 500 years of persecution and murder that has been done against Christians. In normal books one reads that Christians were the ones hurting and suppressing others but this book makes plaint he truth, the truth that honest peaceful Christians are the victims of intolerance all over the world from Pakistan to the Sudan to Nigeria to India and beyond. Everywhere lone Christians are under assault and this book catalogs but a small portion of the incidents. From the beating and burning to death of a Christian woman in the Sudan to the raids by armed mobs on Christian youth camps in Indonesia this book is a wonderful collection. The original Foxes book of martyrs was to catalog the assaults in England by the Queen `Bloody' Mary. This text keeps the tradition alive as it details the persecutions from that time to the present. This book may enrage you but it will also wake you up and encourage you to support peaceful protestant movements the world over.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book that will make you angry and sad
Review: Prepare to be angry, very angry. This book is the ultimate collection of the truth behind intolerance towards Christians and protestants in particular. Throughly updated and revised it bring the persecution of Christianity through 2002, so that you will see for yourself the more then 500 years of persecution and murder that has been done against Christians. In normal books one reads that Christians were the ones hurting and suppressing others but this book makes plaint he truth, the truth that honest peaceful Christians are the victims of intolerance all over the world from Pakistan to the Sudan to Nigeria to India and beyond. Everywhere lone Christians are under assault and this book catalogs but a small portion of the incidents. From the beating and burning to death of a Christian woman in the Sudan to the raids by armed mobs on Christian youth camps in Indonesia this book is a wonderful collection. The original Foxes book of martyrs was to catalog the assaults in England by the Queen 'Bloody' Mary. This text keeps the tradition alive as it details the persecutions from that time to the present. This book may enrage you but it will also wake you up and encourage you to support peaceful protestant movements the world over.
Rating: 
Summary: Incomplete edition
Review: Readers of John Foxe's book of martyres should realize that the most complete edition of this work was published in the 1800s and comprised 8 volumes. A bound photocopy of that edition is available from Still Waters Revival Books in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They have a web site. The present edition is a small sampling of the real Foxe.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic on those who burned bright in the darkness
Review: Some historians have pointed out that Foxe was biased against Catholics. Although his personal conflict against Catholicism likely drove his effort to put this book together, one has to recognize that the very abuses described in this book are a large part of WHY he was set against Catholicism in his own day in the first place. So far as I know, most or all of the stories of burning heretics, which Foxe describes, are true. All of which is a part of what Pope John Paul II has begun apologizing for at the change of the millennium. But Foxe also spends an equal amount of time retelling the stories of Christians who were killed for their faith during the days of ancient Rome. As a result, I don't think the book builds Roman Catholic resentment in most readers. Instead, it reveals the real fabric of Christian faith. Those who like only a rosey picture of the Church are no different than those who like only a rosey picture of the real world we live in. This book describes the dark times in Christian history, but the light is never lost in that darkness. And that is what this book is really about--the inability of the darkness to snuff out the light of true faith--whether it is an internal darkness within the Church or an external darkness that tries to engulf the Church.
Rating: 
Summary: A valuable example in the history of fanaticism.
Review: There was never a worse time to be religious than in the 16th Century; Protestants persecuted Catholics and vice versa; each side persecuted its own heretics with equal vigour. Any old woman who lived alone (especially if she was foolish enough to keep a cat) was likely to be burnt as a witch. And everyone persecuted the Jews. Of course, they were brutal times. There was the death penalty for all but the most petty theft, and hangings were a popular spectator sport. Lesser ofences were punished with flogging, branding and mutilation etc. In some countries (e.g. Britain) being the wrong religion was treated as treason (see the movie "Braveheart" for the details of the punishment). All crimes which were subsersive of the established order were punished with frightful brutality. When the German peasants rose against their rulers, the ringleaders were hung up by the legs and sawn through from groin to head; Luther approved. Foxe's Book of Martyrs (published 1583) is this story from the Protestant viewpoint. Like all religious fanatics he believes that that when we (the true followers of God) persecute them (the followers of Satan) this is merely justice; when they persecute us it is is an atrocious martyrdom of the holy saints. The persecution of Protestants by Catholics in England is dealt with in great, and in the main accurate detail. The further afield he fares the more unlikely the stories become. There is one occurrence which he says happened in the Channel Islands which only a fanatic could possibly believe. The equally ruthless persecution of Catholics by Protestants is, of course, of no interest to him -- you will search in vain for the names of Thomas More, John Fisher or Edmund Campion, let alone for Jews, Muslims, "Pagans", etc. tortured and murdered by Christians of all denominations. Once you bear the author's prejudices in mind, this is an interesting read for those who like things gruesome. But if you want a balanced account of religious disputes and persecutions during the Reformation, look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Exvellent for Christians
Review: This book is excellent for Catholic Christians just because it reminds bloody spot on a body of this church.Till this time Catholic Church doesn't want to admit that it was crime to kill thousands peopel only for this that they wanted to live according Gospel -in evangelical poverty.This goal of corse didn't fit with polithical goals Fathers of Catholic Church.Most relations about this religious group is deteriorated by torture of "victims" done by Inquisition-institution of Holy Dominic.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest story in English History
Review: This book is pure history and is very controversial. There was a time when every home had this book along with The Bible. This book had a great influence on the English people for centuries. Much of the history covered here are events during the reign of Bloody Mary I. After the Reformation many kings and queens had a violent backlash against the people they believed a threat to their power. The printing press was a hated invention and owning a Bible was a death sentence because people for the first time in certuries people could begin to think for themselves. This is also a very hated book. It would be very easy to dismiss the events here to prejudice and propoganda but it should be kept to mind that the historic record does show 300 men and women were burned to death because of the Inquistion brought by Mary to England. This book was a warning to people of the things that could happen under a Catholic monarch. The distrust of Catholics would continue for hundreds of years. With this book came the end of burning heretics at the stake in England. The horror of this book may have showed the common man how wrong it was to be so cruel to his fellow man. It is a monument in English Literature and one of the earliest works of modern English. I loved every page.
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