Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen

" . . . lively and intellectually stimulating . . . " --Speculum

"Wunderli . . . has lucidly reconstructed a controversial conflict in 15th-century south-central Germany. . . . this engaging narrative takes off from Hans Behem--the peasant who claimed to see the Virgin and gained followers until crushed by the established church--to explore larger forces at work in Germany on the eve of the Reformation. . . Wunderli also attempts to sort out the violent conflict that ensued and Hans's subsequent trial. His scrupulousness and sensitivity make for a small but valuable book." --Publishers Weekly

"Fascinating and well written, this is highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries." --Library Journal

"Richard Wunderli . . . deftly tells the story in Peasant Fires, finding in it a foreshadowing of peasant uprisings in the 16th century." --New York Times Book Review

" . . . a stimulating read . . . an engaging synthesis." --Central European History

In 1476, an illiterate German street musician had a vision of the Virgin Mary and began to preach a radical social message that attracted thousands of followers--and antagonized the church. The drummer was burned at the stake. This swiftly moving narrative of his rise and fall paints a vivid portrait of 15th-century German society as it raises important questions about the craft of history.

"A gem of a book. . . . It has a plot, good guys and bad buys, it opens up a 'strange' world, and it is exceptionally well written." --Thomas W. Robisheaux

RICHARD WUNDERLI is Professor of History at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and author of London Church Courts and Society on the Eve of the Reformation.