Frederick the Wise

by Sam Wellman

Frederick the Wise unlocks German research to make available in English, for the first time, a full-length story of Frederick III of Saxony. The fascinating biographical journey reveals why this noteworthy elector risked his realm of Saxony to protect the fiery monk Martin Luther and the developing reforms of the Church. As one of the most powerful territorial princes of the Holy Roman Empire of his time, Frederick's "humanity and integrity were rare for someone of his elite status", notes Dr. Paul M. Bacon. "Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony was much more than simply Martin Luther's noble protector."

A valuable resource for students of German history and the Reformation period.


Discusses how Frederick dominated other princes of the Holy Roman Empire for nearly 40 years
Tells why Frederick s only wife but not their children had to be kept secret
Chronology of events relevant to Frederick the Wise
Index of persons and places

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

Sam Wellman, PhD, is a writer of numerous biographies. He has traveled to Germany many times and twice stayed for several months (in Berlin and Wittenberg). He blogs and tweets on Martin Luther and Frederick the Wise. He lives near Wichita, Kansas.

Reviews

[Sándor Szabó · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used it as a sourcebook and I was absolutely satisfied with it. For example I found the info about the (possible) first meeting of Luther and Spalatin only here. The style is between the dry textbook and a more vivid biography, it was OK to me. I found this book from the blog of the author, that is also a very informative one.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly interesting biography of one of the more important figures of the Reformation. That said, there book absolutely has limits. Part of the problem is caused by the simple "cast of thousands" that Imperial politics of the era force upon the reader. That said, it can get to be rather difficult to keep people straight.

More serious to my mind is that it can be hard at times to tell where the borderlines between raw speculation, informed guessing and proven facts lie. There are many "perhaps this happened" sorts of things.

I'd not really suggest the book for anyone who doesn't have at least a little bit of a background in the rather complex nature of the Holy Roman Empire, but if you are willing to work through the above, it's a worthwhile read.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A potentially fascinating topic is disappointingly handled. The simple and sometimes incoherent sentence and paragraph structure leads to frustration. Poor editing and lack of stylistic use of conjunctions occurs all to frequently. This biography for the first two-thirds portrays Frederick as a completely flat character. Tangents about artists and architecture make the book seem more like a tourist guide to Torgau and Wittenberg. Some chapters barely mention Frederick and instead focus on Emperor Maximilian and Habsburg dynastic ambitions.

Of course things pick up when Luther arrives on the scene; yet there is little additional insight given on Frederick and his mind and motives than what one reads in Luther biographies.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible research, but I felt I learned more about everything surrounding Frederick than I did about Frederick.

[Richard Willsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fred is such an important cog in the reformation, it’s sad we know so little about him. A veritable hero of our faith.

[K B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography, well-researched history. Recommended reading