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In 1521, the Catholic Church declared war on Martin Luther. The German monk had already been excommunicated the year before, after nailing his Ninety-Five Theseswhich accused the Church of rampant corruptionto the door of a Saxon church. Now, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V called for Luther to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic. The edict was akin to a death sentence If Luther was caught, he would almost inevitably be burned at the stake, his fragile movement crushed, and the nascent Protestant Reformation strangled in its cradle.In Luthers Fortress, acclaimed historian James Reston, Jr. describes this crucial but little-known episode in Luthers life and reveals its pivotal role in Christian history. Realizing the danger to their leader, Luthers followers spirited him away to Wartburg Castle, deep in central Germany.