Faith Under Fire: Stories of Hope and Courage from World War II

by Steve Rabey

As World War II raged, millions of men and women confronted injury, destruction, separation from home and loved ones, chaos, and death. These challenges and traumas and many others forced an entire generation of everyday heroes to take stock of their lives. And in the process, many turned to God in ways they never had before. In Faith Under Fire , you'll experience scenes of astonishing bravery, moments of heart-breaking loss, and a pervasive sense of love for God, neighbor, and country that was strong enough to transcend denominational and national differences, inspiring selfless acts of courage and compassion under the worst of circumstances. From the Catholic chaplain who offered mercy among the carnage of Iwo Jima, to the Pentecostal boy who was saved from an incoming shell by the voice of God calling his name, to the young wife praying that her husband would survive life in a concentration camp, to the Tuskegee Airman who fought both totalitarianism and racism, these stories reveal the power of faith that sustained these heroes when there was nowhere else to turn. Award-winning author Steve Rabey presents more than twenty firsthand accounts of faith under pressure, many of them illustrated with war-time photos, letters, and journal entries. At a time when many who lived through these trying times are dying, their stories live on, passing on a legacy of faith and fortitude to future generations.

Genres: World War II, Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2002

About the author

Steve Rabey is an award-winning author who has written nearly twenty books for both the ABA and CBA markets as well as more than 2,000 articles about religion, spirituality, and popular culture for magazines, websites, and newspapers. His articles have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The American Spectator, Christian Retailing, Charisma, and Publishers Weekly, among many others. He speaks on a regular basis to groups such as Christian Management Association, Evangelical Press Association, and Current Thoughts and trends. Rabey serves as a member of the adjunct faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing collaboration of 21 stories of courageous men and women, telling their stories of their experiences in WWII. I cried reading this book. Like who cries reading nonfiction, right? Well, I did. ;) All of the stories were different, but they all shared one aspect – God is there, in the worst and the best of times.

The one thing I disagreed with was the different beliefs woven through the stories. Though the author wrote it with a non-biased approach, I didn't agree with some of the beliefs expressed. (Salvation through baptism, etc.)

All in all, an amazing book! :D If you enjoy reading of WWII, I would heartily recommend this book. <3

[inhonoredglory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories, let down by medial writing skills. The intense emotional potential of such tales as near-death scrapes, regret for not caring for one's men, guilt and hatred in a Christian's heart, are not given the poignancy and power that they deserve. The writer organizes each chapter by the individual, yet he jumps around the chronology of each person's life, breaking the flow and power of the story. There were indeed some touching, moving stories, but the overall style deterred me.

But to be fair, this book is a good perspective of some special people from that time. I did learn that mens' WWII experience prompted so much new international evangelism. And I believe the first stories were more in line with my expectations than the later ones.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. If you are a religious person in general, you would enjoy this perspective of WWII. It takes you down the stories of a verity of people who were involved with WWII and how they found God. They came from all different types of religious backgrounds. If your squemish about the ugly side of war, I wouldn't recomend this book. It goes into some detail of the ugly side of war. Overall it was a good book.

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be an exceptional work in regards to the those the author interviewed and their perspectives on how World War Two shaped their lives and either strengthened their faith in God and Jesus Christ or found themselves seeking him out after the war.
When I finished this I was left a profound sense of the patriotism and love of their country . I look at America today and wonder where she has gone.
However, with many of the books that are being republished it is packed with grammatical errors. Lost count many words were connected and how many missing spaces there were after periods. For a work of non-fiction or for that matter any book, this is unacceptable. How do these publishers keep getting away with sloppy, unchecked manuscripts? There are also some issues with chronology with some of the interviews. One of the most glaring issues is when “Operation Husky” is said to have been the largest amphibious invasion of World Wart Two. Did someone forget about “Overlord?” It’s hard to say if this occurred with the original draft or the revised one.
Because of the poor proofing, that’s an automatic two star drop.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories from the WWII era of people of faith who served during difficult and challenging times. Well crafted summaries of the specific tests of faith and the accomplishments of human experiences.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old saying states, "There are no atheists in foxholes" and in this text they are not in other places of war as well. Worth the read.

[A P Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great introduction into the many lives of brave Christians who fought during WW2, whether that be on or off the battlefield and an unintentional glimpse into a newly post 9/11 world.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thiis a decent read. Per the title, this is a series on stories on WWIIi heroes of different shapes and sizes. What ties them together is their Christian faith.

Overall found their stories ok.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked what I read, but I didn't get through the whole thing. It just didn't make me want to ignore chores and read!

[Andy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book if you like inspirational military history