In this best-selling biography of John Knox, Rosalind K. Marshall traces the life of one of the Reformations' central characters. Following his career in Scotland, England, France, Switzerland and Germany, she explains in straightforward terms the issues and beliefs which concerned him so deeply. She also focuses on his relationship with the opposite sex, discussing the notorious First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, his dealings with Mary, Queen of Scots and the patient, revealing letters he wrote his mother-in-law.

This book untangles truth from mythology in the life of this strange, complex and determined man and constructs a balanced picture of sixteenth century Scotland that places Knox clearly within the context of change and reformation which was sweeping the whole of Europe. The result is a richer and more complex portrayal of both Scotland and Knox than any hitherto available, and the first modern paperback of one of the most famous of all Scottish figures.