The sixteenth-century Reformation marked a period of profound religious upheaval, possibly the greatest since Christianity's beginnings. This color-illustrated book vividly brings the period to life, looking at why it happened, how it happened and its impact in dividing and shaping early modern Europe. Covering key figures such as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Cranmer and Ridley and Ignatius Loyola, among others, The Reformation also explores the wider political and social implications as well as the theological and personal differences.