John Knox in Controversy by Hugh Watt
The title explains perfectly the content of this little book. This is not a biography of John Knox but rather an overview of four major controversies or confrontations that he encountered as he led the Reformation in Scotland in the sixteenth century. A fuller understanding of Knox’s life is needed to get a decent handle […]
Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey by Lillian Schlissel
If you are looking for a Louis L’Amour storyline, this isn’t your book. If you are looking for authentic accounts of the mid-1800s wagon trains on their journeys west and that from the perspective of the women travelers, you have come to the right place. As the title implies this is not a novel but […]
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
For some reason this little story about the last days of a man dying of a terrible disease has hit the right buttons. It is the account of a 30-something yuppie who has sort of lost his way in life, but finding new insight about what is truly important from his former college professor. Every […]
Tolkien, a Biography by Humphrey Carpenter
With Tolkien mania on the rise again, Tolkien buffs will want to read this authorized biography. This is a well written, interesting biography that fleshes out Tolkien’s personal and professional life. Tolkien’s relationship to C. S. Lewis is detailed, including the part he allegedly played in Lewis’ conversion. Whether Tolkien himself was a Christian is […]
The Wolf from Scotland by William B. Forsyth
In the mid 1800s a pioneer missionary took the gospel to two Portuguese speaking nations: Medeira and Brazil. Dr. Robert Reid Kalley was in the same league as Hudson Taylor and Adoniram Judson as far as his effectiveness as a missionary, but he lacked the fame of his peers. This biography goes a long way […]
The Story of Billy McCarrell by Dorothy Martin
This little biography of the founder of the IFCA, while certainly not a comprehensive study of McCarrell’s life, is nevertheless well worth the time it takes to read — especially for those in the IFCA, and similar separatist organizations. In my opinion, Martin spends too much time with minor details that are not later developed. […]
The Life and Times of Cotton Mather by Kenneth Silverman
I can’t imagine too many Christians wading through a 400+ page biography about a man that most of them have never heard about, but they should. If nothing else, they would gain tremendous insight about life in early America, especially the Boston society. Along the way they would learn much about one of the most […]
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Perhaps because it has been heralded as one of the finest of all autobiographies, I found Ben Franklin’s a bit disappointing. Not that it isn’t interesting, filled as is was with all sorts of trivia not usually found in the history books, but on the other hand, there is nothing outstanding or terribly exciting either. […]
That Man of Granite with the Heart of a Child, A New Biography of J. C. Ryle by Eric Russell
There has been a recent resurgence in interest in the life of John Charles Ryle. This is due largely to the reprinting and promotion of some of his many writings, especially the excellent book Holiness. Ryle was a nineteenth century English Reformed evangelical pastor, author and, for his last twenty years, Bishop of Liverpool. His […]
That I May Know Him by Vance Havner
There is just something about the preaching and writing of Vance Havner that relaxes the soul. This little book is vintage Havner: low key, tranquil, thought provoking. As Havner himself admits, his ministry did not major on interpretation but on application. He was not a profound expositor of the Word; he was a simple country […]