Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church excels at providing an impressive and instructive historical treatment of the Christian church. This eight volume work begins with the early Church and ends at 1605 with the Swiss Reformation. Schaff's treatment is comprehensive and in depth, discussing all the major (and minor!) figures, time periods, and movements of the Church. He includes many footnotes, maps, and charts; he even provides copies of original texts in his treatment.