Meet the Puritans

With A Guide to Modern Reprints

This is the Christian guide to building a excellent library. Period.

This is another collection of biography, this time of the 17th century Reformed Theologians. But not just their lives, but also their books. The authors, Dr Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson, have written out the definitive encyclopedia of the biographical and bibliographical information of the English, Scottish, American, and Dutch Puritans. This compendium details the Puritans' devotional, practical, and academic works, and that's all under one cover!

But some may say, what's so special about the Puritans? That's a question that will take more than a short book review to answer, but I will try to answer in a few sentences. The Puritan aligned themselves with the historic doctrines of the Reformation in the Calvinist tradition. The Puritans defined these doctrines in a few quaint outlines.

One was the Fives Solas; Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Fide (Faith alone), Sola Gratia (Grace alone), Sola Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God alone). The Puritans saturated their teachings with these five doctrines (not to forget the Five Points of Calvinism, too).

The Puritans' love of the Scriptures, and their ultimate aim,being to glorify God, and abase man, commend their books to me, and I will continue to stock my bookcases with their volumes.

The Puritans were not perfect, as the authors of Meet the Puritans explains. Their teaching wasn't always orthodox, nor their lives always guileless. As a Baptist, I disagree strongly will some of their most beloved teaching, yet this does not persuade me to chuck their tomes away. Instead, it will may me strive to define my beliefs, and share it with others.

Now to finish my actual review on the book. I would recommend it to every Christian who wishes to find good books, and learn of the lives of stalwart men of the faith. History, theology, biographies, literature, portraits, quotes, and much more are all collected in over 800 pages in this marvelous feat of Christian writing.

Soli Deo Gloria,

The Book Adventurer

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Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson

Bravest of the Brave

The Story of the Victoria Cross  

I like heroes. Especially warrior heroes.

And this book is full of them.

This collection of true accounts of bravery by the military historian John Glansfield, is aptly named Bravest of the Brave: The Story of the Victoria Cross, and it is my favorite book on soldiery exploits I have read as of yet.

The subtitle suggests a history of the medal itself, and although there is two chapters that explains its origin, and chronicles its development, the majority of the book is the stories of hundreds of soldiers and their bravery. Their duty, and sometimes sacrifice resulted in the honor of winning the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for valor in Britain.

This book in both sobering and motivating (to a lad aspiring to do great feats of valor like myself, of course). Glansfeld's retelling of the achievements are detailed, electrifying, and sometimes gory, but no matter the deed done, I felt the soldier always won the Cross.

The cases are varied, from a midshipmen throwing off a bomb off his ship in the Crimean War, only to lose it on a train, to fathers and sons winning the Cross for individual acts of gallantry during the Indian Mutiny.

 What a book relating armies being massacred by Savage Zulus, and Brits in a mini-sub being trapped under a Japanese war-ship after attaching bombs to it during WWII? It's all here, and more, including warriors being refused the Cross for fighting in the wrong wars!

When you read this book, and learn of the rewards these men received one very important thing to remember is that even a medal, the ultimate recognition of doing your duty, is only a medal. As Christians, we should live and fight for Christ, never for self, and earthly rewards. We should act courageous and gallant, but for our King, and not man's applause.

I look up to men for their supreme acts of valor, but I look to Christ for His saving mercy towards me.

Soli Deo Gloria,

The Book Adventurer

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Bravest of the Brave: The Story of the Victoria Cross by John Glanfield