Eric Liddell: Something Greater Than Gold

Christian Heroes: Then & Now #6

by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge

Eric's refusal earlier that week to run on Sunday in the Olympic 100-meter race had stunned the world. Now his incredible victory in the 400-meter race further strengthened his belief in God's promise, "He who honors Me, I will honor."

Years later, Eric Liddell would be tested far beyond mere physical ability as a missionary to China. His character, perseverance, and endurance are a challenging example for all who would obey the call to bring the gospel to the nations (1902-1945).

Genres: Biography, Christian, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Childrens, Biography Memoir

199 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Janet and Geoff Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. They are best known for the books in the two series Christian Heroes: Then & Now series and Heroes of History. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Reviews

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I of course know the "Chariots of Fire" slice of Eric's life, but this was a nice little intro to the rest of his story. If you want to name your son after a man of whom the world was not worthy, you could do worse than Eric. His was a life well spent — a stellar example of living sacrifice.

I might have been sitting in Tapped blubbering over the end of the book this evening. Or it might have been some other silly middle-aged spinster. We may never know! 🤷‍♀️

[Daniel Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric inspired the movie Chariots of Fire for his actions during the 1924 Olympics. A fine man who got a bad break at 43.

[Allyson Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an incredible story about a man who wholeheartedly devoted his life to God. This is a man to admire.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually juvenile nonfiction, so it’s fine for MG and up. It’s 200 pages, so I’m sure there are more detailed biographies out there, but this one gives a great overview of Liddell’s life.

Liddell is most famous for winning Olympic gold medals and refusing to race on Sunday. How many Christians show that kind of devotion to the Sabbath day? It was rare then and must be rarer now.

Liddell was born in China to missionary parents. He loved China, and his time as an athlete was really just waiting to finish school so he could return. China went through a lot of turmoil while Eric was there, but it never concerned him. He only felt needed. It was interesting seeing World War II from China, which is something that often gets forgotten, I think.

Eric was a fascinating person, clearly an introvert, and I’ve concluded that he had the gift of charity: He was patient, kind, long-suffering, not puffed up, seeking not his own, and so on. The biography is meant to portray a great Christian, but I think anyone interested in biographies would like it fine. It’s not preachy.

There are some spelling typos throughout.

[Sara Hollar · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, I am not a heathen. I am a Christian who can admire and appreciate the life of Eric Lidell while simultaneously thinking this book was a huge disappointment. I'm starting to think its the entire "Christian Heroes" series. There has to be better Christian biographies written for children.

1. There are at least three typos in the book. This is a minor irritation, but I have expectations...

2. This series is more "informative" than a living glimpse into Eric's life and walk with Jesus. "Informative" is the word my 10 year old son used to describe the book. Is "informative" really the word I want my children to use to describe the impact a Christian missionary biography made on them?? There is a lot of description about people, places, names, etc. It was not a beautiful read aloud experience.

3. There were so many opportunities to get a glimpse into what God was doing that the authors chose to leave out. This book made it seem like Eric's ministry wasn't really impacted by the Spirit. "He did this, he did that, this happened, he was a nice guy, the kids liked him." What about his prayers? What about ways only the Spirit could have showed up to provide? If you've read God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew, you know what I'm talking about. This book was so spiritually dry, it made me so sad.

Overall, I think we will ditch the entire Christian Heroes series, sadly. I'm sure the people were amazing, but the books are terrible.

[Carol Ho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the movie chariots of fire... this book takes that a step further and tells a lot more details about Eric Liddell's life, and how he faced even greater things than the Olympics while in China as a missionary during the Sino-Japanese war and WWII, and eventually died in an internment camp there, but not without living am amazing life of faith. He was a leader an a man of God wherever he went and whatever he did.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. A legend. An icon. Such an inspiration. Now I want to watch Chariots of Fire haha. Takeaway: steady faith. All for God’s glory.
This is a kids reading level book but still very much enjoyed and felt informed so shoutout to the authors.

[Elijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Janet Benge is a very talented writer!

[Deborah Heatwole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one aloud to my children, and I cried at the end. The humble, selfless life of Eric Liddell calls me to be less afraid of danger and more aware of where God might want me or my children to serve him. This book illustrates how we can use our unique talents and gifts in whatever circumstances or situations we find ourselves, to bless others and find joy too, rather than use them in self-serving ways.

[Robert Sutherland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had two Eric Liddell bios on the shelf, and accidentally picked up this one, the book my kids read in elementary or middle school. It was ok,written for juveniles and had several typos. Still, it was informative and made me want to read a more thorough telling of his life.

[Elisabeth Ensor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read aloud in our homeschool! I cried at the end, what an amazing life and legacy!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my eight year old son for a class he is taking in our homeschool community. It is my first real exposure to the man Eric Liddell. This book is so touching. It inspired me to learn more about this giant of a man. I'm so grateful to the mentors of the class for assigning this reading.
I was brought to tears a couple of times as I was introduced to the integrity of this man. I asked my son what he thought was really amazing about Eric Liddell and this was his response: "There are two things about him that are really Amazing. He never did anything that Jesus wouldn't want him to and he's a really fast runner!" It brought a smile to my face. When you can read a book that makes an 8 year old boy think a man is totally cool because he follows the Savior always, no matter what, you've spent time worth it's weight in gold!
This quote from the book describes what my son seen was amazing in Eric: "One of the best known and most admired men who ever took part in sport, whose devotion to his principles won him the highest esteem."
I highly recommend this book and the life of Eric Liddell to anyone looking for a stalwart example and hero for you and your family.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gentle, humble, and self-giving are the words I would use to describe Eric Liddell after reading this, and it was well worth the effort and time to follow his character through his exciting life! Even though the writing is nothing fancy, the chapters all end with a hint of what's to come--so it kept my family's attention (not so much the 5 yr old, but 8 & 10 were captivated). Some grown-ups may have gotten choked up during the reading of this book. It's a powerful story.

[David Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

You rate a book about its intended purpose. It is written to primarily help younger people learn about Liddell’s extraordinary yet humble life. I read this out loud to my 11 year old daughter who loved it and wanted to learn more about him. So with that in mind, it worked well. Most importantly, we had a great time reading it together.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this has been my favorite of this series. I was really encouraged by his kindness and love for God and others. I also remember that my dad liked him a lot and maybe that's why this one felt extra special.

[Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Christian Heroes are great! I loved this one!

[Liz Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story

Very good book with a lot of detail. Audible book is very clear and easy to listen to. Highly recommend

[Melissa Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I loved this book. I knew nothing about Eric Liddell starting it and was amazed by his life story. So good. Such an amazing Christian man!

[Eliana H · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style is just not for me

[Rachel Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the Audiobook with the kids. I enjoy all the books in this series

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Liddel: what a great life! This book is easy to read and filled with fascinating detail from his life story. Really enjoyed reading it.

[Ashley Benning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible telling of an incredible man’s life. Eric Liddell did so many inspiring things in his life and he always stayed true to his beliefs.

[Lea Berryreadinbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved him so much we named a chicken after him.

[Emily Josabeth Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the books in this series because they tell the stories of missionaries and great Christian men and women, oftentimes about people that aren't super famous.
Eric Liddell, for example, has the movie Chariots Of Fire, but it only tells part of his story, the most impressive part, and it doesn't tell you the rest. So, I'm grateful for this book because it answered questions that I always had.

However, as far as writing style goes, it is super simple and to the point. It could be a lot more moving, personal, or interesting. So, if you wanna know about some missionary because you've only heard a part of their story, that's fine, but if you really enjoy well-written entertaining stories... I guess I'm gonna have to write them. xD

[Nan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring.... used to read it when I was in sunday school... But not for me anymore...

[Rogue-van (the Bookman) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely readable account of Eric Liddell's life. Maybe not as fascinating as the movie about him, Chariots of Fire, but close. For me, the events in his life after the 1924 Olympics were of great interest. He left fame behind to go to China as a missionary--an unusual man!

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading these stories will greatly increase your faith-they did ours! Eric Liddell gives the word hero a new meaning.

[Jerian]

An amazing story with a very unexpected twist at the end. Cannot wait to watch Chariots of Fire

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great content and inspiring story. Not the highest-quality writing, but I really enjoyed what I learned.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this one is less compellingly told than some of the others in the series, I would let my kids read it, because it doesn't glamorize the missionary life.