CITY OF SAINTS

DE HELIGAS STAD – CITY OF SAINTS

By Steve Sem-Sandberg

‘MÜNSTER WAS SAID to be the New Jerusalem over which the final battle for God’s world domination would soon be fought. Then the earth would open beneath everyone’s feet and the universe would be consumed by the flames of destruction. Only those who sought refuge within the city walls would find that God held his hand of protection over them.’

IN 1534, MÜNSTER becomes the scene of one of the bloodiest and most protracted conflicts of the Reformation. Radical Anabaptists seize power and proclaim a new era and a new world order. Persecution and death await the doubters, and soon the city is surrounded by forces to stop the spread of revolutionary doctrine.

IN THE MASTERFUL City of Saints, as in the broadly conceived novels Emperor of Lies and W, a kind of primal scene is drawn for the European madness that seems doomed to be repeated over the centuries. With epic clarity and historical depth of vision, Steve Sem-Sandberg takes the reader into the heart of this besieged city, which will so brutally experience the lure and ruthlessness of faith.