Books on Luther and the Jews are plentiful, but this offering by the Reformation historian in Göttingen is especially informative and useful. Kaufmann's method is to examine the historical conditions under which each of Luther's so-called Judenschriften was written, published and then received by its readers. Three writings of Luther are given individual treatments: That Jesus Christ was born a Jew (1523), which had little to do per se with Judaism; Against the sabbatarians (1538), which mainly reacted to allegations that Jews were trying to convert Christians; and The Jews and their lies (1543), which used a Christian interpretation of Hebrew Scripture to contest claims to Jewish exceptionalism and to argue for their expulsion from Protestant areas. Two additional anti-Jewish writings, related to The Jews and their lies, appeared in 1543: The last words of David and Von Schem Hamphoras. Like many reformers in the early Reformation, Luther had benevolent words for the Jewish people in 1523 and held out hope for their conversion to Christianity once they heard the evangelical message. Kaufmann, however, rejects the argument that the later anti-Jewish writings were motivated by that same hope and by Luther's disappointment that the hope was not fulfilled. Kaufmann's detailed attention to the historical context of the anti-Jewish writings makes his argument persuasive, but it also provides ample information on the basis of which others can draw their own conclusions about Luther's motives. In fifteen short appendices Kaufmann offers reliable treatments of important questions that have seldom if ever been presented in such concise and helpful form. They include: the Jewish presence in places where Luther lived or which he visited; his personal encounters with Jews; the background of treating Jews ‘like dogs’; Luther's remarks about Reuchlin; the views of Justus Jonas, who translated three of the anti-Jewish works; attitudes toward Jews of Melanchthon, Erasmus, Martin Bucer, Johannes Brenz and Urbanus Rhegius; Luther's relationship with Sebastian Münster; and Catholic reactions to Protestant comments about the Jews. Kaufmann has amassed in only 182 pages of text a wealth of historical background to one of the most controversial issues of the Reformation. His book also bears testimony to the value of approaching those issues historically before making grandiose judgements about the sources and the people behind them.