A notable and controversial figure in the English Reformation under Queen Elizabeth I was Edwin Sandys (1519–1588). Sandys is generally known as the archbishop of York who, along with several reforming bishops, was charged with implementing the Settlement of Religion enacted at the beginning of Elizabeth's reign. In addition to being a contributor to the Bishops’ Bible (1568), Sandys was an accomplished preacher who placed a premium on the preaching of the Word of God as central to the ongoing reformation of the realm. Yet, Sandys's personal flaws arguably proved to be greater hinderances to his reform efforts within the respective jurisdictions under his episcopal oversight than the external obstacles he encountered. Sarah Bastow skillfully weaves these seemingly conflicting aspects of Sandys's character into a fascinating narrative set against the background of the convoluted process of fully establishing a Protestant national church throughout the realm of England. This is the first modern comprehensive study of the life and career of this enigmatic cleric.

Taking the diversity of religious thought among Elizabethan reformers as her point of departure, Bastow argues that these same reformers mostly identified themselves negatively as those who rejected the Roman Church and thus were not papists. Sandys, therefore, serves as a case study of this argument, in that the author constructs her narrative on an examination of the reformer's endeavors to effect religious change in those areas of the realm assigned to his oversight and the continuous challenges he faced.

Chapter 1 begins with an assessment of the principal source of information we have concerning Sandys, which is an entry that appears in the 1583 edition of Foxe's Acts and Monuments—one most likely written by Sandys himself in the 1580s arguably as an attempt to rehabilitate his reputation, which had been sullied by scandal. From here Bastow explores Sandys's account of his early life and career within the larger context of the reforms under Edward VI (r. 1547–1553).

Chapter 2 examines the impact of exile on the reformers when they returned to England to assume key positions in what would become the Elizabethan church through the experience of Sandys. Like his fellow reformers, Sandys appreciated the networks formed with exiles of high social and political station, which would prove invaluable upon his return. The chapter goes on to analyze Sandys's circumstances after his return to England from exile after Elizabeth's ascension to the throne. The chapter, furthermore, surveys Sandy's career in the Elizabethan church, beginning with his elevation to the see of Worcester, and his attempts to implement the Settlement throughout this diocese. Bastow interprets this narrative through her analysis of Sandys's correspondence with the Continental reformers Heinrich Bullinger and Peter Martyr Vermigli (with whom he developed close relationships while in exile) and visitation records.

Chapter 3 details Sandys's efforts to implement the Settlement in his diocese at Worcester between 1560 and 1570. In her narrative, Bastow shows how important religious and secular debates directly impacted Sandys's life. As an evangelical in a mostly traditionalist region, Sandys endeavored to enforce the Settlement amid formidable opposition, especially that posed by Sir John Bourne. Also, it was during his tenure as bishop of Worcester that Sandys had seven of his nine children with his wife, Cecily Wilford.

Chapter 4 examines Sandys's tenure as bishop of London, which began in 1570. As Bastow clearly shows, Sandys's time in London coincided with some of the most turbulent events in Elizabeth's reign, most significant of which was the queen's excommunication by Pope Pius V in the same year Sandys was translated to this see. Throughout this chapter, Bastow highlights Sandys's zealous efforts to combat Catholic opposition in London, supposing that perhaps his assertive character was a factor in his selection for this see. At the same time, the author stresses Sandys's own ambivalence toward pursuing evangelicals suing for further reform. Eventually, Sandys would go on to oppose these would-be reformers because, in his estimation, they constituted a threat both to civil and ecclesiastical order.

Chapter 5 arguably is the most important section of the book as it discusses extensively Sandys's term as archbishop of York (1577–1588). The importance of this chapter lies in its examination of Sandys's occupation of the second highest see in England and the controversy that irreparably damaged his reputation. Throughout his archiepiscopate, Sandys encountered once again considerable opposition from Catholics in his efforts to enforce the Settlement. More significantly, Sandys effectively hindered his own work at York because of the quarrels he provoked with those who should have been his natural allies in promoting the establishment of the evangelical faith in the province of York, such as the Earl of Huntingdon over the residence at Bishopthorpe as well as Matthew Hutton, dean of the cathedral at York, and William Whittingham. Moreover, during his time at York, Sandys was plagued by charges of nepotism, as evidenced in his giving church estates to his children and relatives. Sandys justified his actions by arguing for his duty to provide for his family as a husband and father. However, the controversy that proved most costly to him involved the charge that he was caught in bed with a local innkeeper's wife. Though he was acquitted of the charge, the accusation severely damaged his reputation, which he tried to recover by publishing his account in Foxe's Acts and Monuments as well as his sermons a few years before his death in 1588.

Bastow concludes her work with a discussion of Sandys's death and the presentation of a summary portrait of a conflicted man who was in one respect devout, zealous, and faithful to his calling and, in another, prideful, irritable, and acquisitive.

Bastow's work serves as an invaluable contribution to the field of the English Reformation in general and specifically to that aspect of it pertaining to the Elizabethan church. In her account, Sandys stands as a case study confirming the convoluted and contradictory nature of the Reformation in England as it struggled to establish an official evangelical faith in a land still largely hostile to it. Of all the obstacles reformers like Sandys faced in this regard, probably the most formidable were those erected by themselves. Bastow's work is a laudable achievement and will aid greatly in continuing research on this vital period of ecclesiastical history.