'his book, besides providing a judicious narrative of the course of events in the period, also stands as testimony to developments within twentieth-century historiography ... His book will take a place in the literature as one of the few general surveys of the period, and as possibly the most accessible and authoritative.' Robert Eccleshall, Queen's University, Belfast, Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Volume 43, No. 1, January 1992 'Solt provides an informed, well-organized, easily read synthesis based on a critical analysis of a wide selection of specialized historical accounts and a limited body of sources.' P. Christianson, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, American Historical Review, February 1992 'This is a sound, up-to-date summary of the secondary literature covering the whole course of the topic to which the title refers ... it will serve both teachers and students very well both as an introduction and a work of reference.' The Heythrop Journal, April 1993, Volume 34, Number 2 'The writing is systematic, the approach to secondary sources irenic an dthere is some pleasure in escaping from the endless Reformation debate about what the common man thought.' Felicity Heal. Jesus College, Oxford EHR Apr '94