'All in all a very nuanced biography of a prominent pre-modern rabbi, enjoyable for any Jewish history buff.'- Roger S. Kohn, AJL Newsletter'Joseph Davis ... has done remarkably well in producing the first English biography of one of the giants in European Jewish life.'- Uri ben Alexander, European Judaism'A welcome addition to the history of early modern Jews, those of eastern Europe in particular'- Magda Teter, Jewish History'Does this person merit a biography? The answer is a resounding yes ... The narrative style is very vivid, paying close attention to particulars of time, place, personality traits, and interpersonal relationships that bring the story to life. While the primary audience of this book is other Jewish historians, the work will also be useful to the Europeanist who is not familiar with the details of Jewish life. Davis situates Heller in the larger European context and highlights many interesting points of comparison between Jews and their Christian contemporaries ... an exemplary study of Ashkenazi Jewry through the lens of one of its leading personalities.'- Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Renaissance Studies'Highly successful biography ... Davis successfully brings Heller to life by detailing his intellectual achievements, his communal leadership, and personal travails ... a lucid and highly informative work that helps open the world of early modern Ashlenazic luminaries.'- Shlomo Brody, Tradition Online