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Characters of the Reformation: Historical Portraits of the 23 Men and Women and Their Place in the Great Religious Revolution of the 16th Century Paperback – April 1, 2009

by Belloc (Author)

29 customer reviews

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Perhaps the most fascinating book ever written by this great Catholic historian. Here in bold, living colors Belloc sketches the destructive results of the greed, lust, weakness, tenacity, blindness, fear and indecision of 23 famous men and women of the Protestant Reformation period, analyzing their strengths, mistakes, motives and deeds which changed the course of history. Belloc cites Anne Boleyn, not the weak-willed Henry VIII as the "pivot figure" of the English Reformation, for it was her iron will to be Queen which started the movement. He describes Cromwell, the monastery looter and destroyer, as "the true creator of the English Reformation." He shows how the crafty William Cecil accomplished the task of "digging up the Catholic Faith by the roots" and "crushing out the Mass from English soil." Belloc also highlights the fatal error of Cardinal Richelieu in putting France before Catholicism and thus torpedoing Europe's last great chance of keeping Christendom united. Belloc warns that this breakup of Christendom may still destroy our Christian civilization. Even those who think they do not like history will be unable to put this book down. Brings history vividly to life!

Characters of the Reformation: Historical Portraits of the 23 Men and Women and Their Place in the Great Religious Revolution of the 16th Century

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hilaire Belloc was born at St. Cloud, France, in 1870. He and his family moved to England upon his father s death, where he took first-class honors in history at Balliol College in Oxford, graduating in 1895. It has been stated that his desire was to rewrite the Catholic history of both France and England. He wrote hundreds of books on the subjects of history, economics, and military science, as well as novels and poetry. His works include The Great Heresies, Europe and the Faith, Survivals and New Arrivals, The Path to Rome, Characters of the Reformation, and How the Reformation Happened.

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Product Details

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: TAN Books and Publishers (April 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0895554666
ISBN-13: 978-0895554666
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #222 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > History > Historical Theology
- #1539 in Books > History > World > Religious > Christianity
- #1577 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Churches & Church Leadership > Church History

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Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

5 star		69%
4 star		17%
3 star		4%
2 star		3%
1 star		7%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 46 people found the following review helpful

a must-read -- finally, the truth about the Reformation

By AJD on July 31, 2004

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

This is the first book I've read by Belloc and I'm forever indebted to Belloc for the truth contained in his writings and his writing styles. I enjoyed the book so much that I immediately went online and ordered seven more books of his!

First, regarding his writing style: Belloc doesn't use boring footnotes or cite historical sources. This is actually appreciated, rather than criticized, for, the footnotes and sources are often ignored by the reader anyway and get in the way of the writing's flow. Also, Belloc writes remarkably like a modern-day writer in, say, a magazine article. He is speaking to the layperson in an easy to read style that is almost like a conversation. You will breeze through page after page.

Second, regarding the substance of Belloc's writing: this is an INDISPENSABLE work. Belloc starts out by stating that the English Reformation cannot be overemphasized because if England had not become Protestant, all of Europe would be Catholic today. This is most certainly true and Belloc easily lays out why. A chapter is dedicated to each person who played a major role in the Reformation, or attempted to combat it: characters like Henry VIII, Thomas More, Mary Tudor, Elizabeth, Mary Stuart, Thomas Cranmer, Thomas Cromwell, Steven Gardiner, etc. (23 individuals total). The chapters are small (a few pages each) and thus easily retain the reader's interest while still providing enough information for the reader to have an accurate picture of each individual.

Lastly, Belloc is writing from a Catholic viewpoint and, as such, the portrayals of the characters are devoid of the usual "the Protestant Reformation was a great and noble undertaking" bias and baloney.Read more ›

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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Excellent, Readable, and Concise

By Arthem on December 12, 2003

Format: Paperback

Belloc does an outstanding job tracing a thread of continuity among the characters selected for this study. He is not wholly partisan, managing to achieve some slight pathos for Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth. To get this across to a partially educated Catholic reader is no mean feat, particularly when the last reformation history they read was Cobbett's polemic.
I did note that Belloc relies on Cobbett's History of the Protestant Reformation in England & Ireland as a source. And while this work is rousing, fairly convincing, and entertaining, it is too strong a piece of counter-propoganda to be relied upon.
Still, this has minor impact on Belloc's portrait. His assertion that the Reformation hinged in England is well supported. If anything, there is a subtle disdain for the Austrian/Spanish emporers (which I attribute to Belloc's Anglo-franco environment), particularly compared with the much more rigorous treatment by Warren Carroll.
This is an engaging read, and certainly provides an angle on the Reformation that is unlikely to be developed elsewhere. The book cannot be read without prior knowledge of Reformation & European history, or without a handy reference, as Belloc does not fully develop the historical context around his characters. Rather, the focus is on the characters themselves, and in this, Belloc is admirably successful in his efforts to rewrite the legacies of these individuals.
Finally, I found most impressive Belloc's assertions that Pascal and Descartes (as products of the Reformation) were the unwitting forebears of secularism, rationalism, and materialism. While Belloc's very brief argument needs further scrutiny, his division of Western Thought into Greek/Thomastic and post-Descartes is intriguing.

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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

Who's Who in the Reformation

By M on July 15, 2000

Format: Paperback

Characters of the Reformation is a great insight into the motives of the folks who brought us the reformation. If you like Plutarch's Lives of famous Roman and Greeks, you'll like this book's style. Belloc examines each person's virtues and foibles, showing how they led to the split of Western Christendom. Luther, Calvin, various popes, and political figures are there. Belloc also includes overlooked characters, especially women like Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I. Belloc, who was a close friend of G.K. Chesterton, puts a Roman Catholic spin on the Reformation which is too often considered only from a Protestant perspective. Whatever your perspective, if you like knowing what makes people "tick," you'll get a kick out of this book.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

The Reformation Viewed by the Character or Lack of Character of Some of the Leaders

By James E. Egolf VINE VOICE on July 8, 2006

Format: Paperback

Hilaire Belloc' CHARACTERS OF THE REFORMATION is an informative book that explains the religious upheaval through the individuals who either supported it or tried to stop it. Belloc is very clear that most of those who supported the Reformation were motivated more by greed and desire for political power rather than any religious conviction.

Belloc begins this study with a background of the Reformation, and explains how the Reformers and those opposed to the Reformation responded to the disunity of the Catholic Church. The historical background is important in that each of those who supported the different "reform" movements conform to the general direction of the Reformation. This early section of the book is important to comprehending the remainder of the book.

Belloc's sections regarding Henry VIII (1509-1547) is instructive. Henry VIII was an intelligent, vibrant man when he first took power in 1509. Yet, due to Henry VIII's lust, he ruined both the Catholic Church in England and his own life because of sexually transmitted diseases. Many uninformed Protestants argue that Henry VIII's break with the Catholic Church was due to his attempt at annulment from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Belloc destroys this myth. Henry VIII's desire for Anne Bolyn was the reason for his break with the Catholic Church. Readers should also note that Henry VIII considered himself a good Catholic, and he merely replaced the Pope with himself. Henry VIII kept the Sacraments and Liturgy of the Catholic Church. What Henry VIII had to do to keep support of his nobility and members of Parliament was to either sanction or at least turn a blind eye to these people literally looting the Catholic Church's wealth and property including universities, orphanges, farm land, monastaries, etc.Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Enjoy a new prospective on the reformation

Easy read and very informative . Definitely recommend.

Published 3 months ago by Maryrose Banahan

A great intro to the Reformation

As a Catholic I knew little about the reformation, and this book was a perfect introduction, because in Belloc's engaging, conversational style one can learn about the people... Read more

Published 4 months ago by A. Lane

classic Belloc

All the interesting bits you didn't hear in school! How secular ambition for riches set Christendom in its head. Belloc retells history and makes it spellbinding.

Published 5 months ago by Neil Frazier

great

Great

Published 6 months ago by memphisangel1948

This is fun stuff. It's a good compilation and covers a ...

This is fun stuff. It's a good compilation and covers a lot of territory.

Published 7 months ago by Richard D.

A must read to the truth

A must read for every person interested on what the truth was and what really happened in those long ago turbulent times. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Bill Mc Kinnon

Fab

Fab book. All out for the Catholic viewpoint, well supported, written with style & insight.

Published 11 months ago by John R. Brady

Against the Whig grain

Publication date: 1936

Belloc himself gives a concise bill of fare, or gallery guide:
"... Read more

Published 13 months ago by Christopher

characters of the Reformation

Belloc was a very great writer and historian. He had a bad habit of writing true history instead of the official propaganda that all too often passes for history.

Published 14 months ago by Tom Sez

Easy to read and very interesting

It's very easy to read, as it consists of short chapters about different people that were involved with the Reformation. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Bruceman