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7 Biographies
Seven Men and Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness
Two beloved Metaxas classics in a single, compact edition.
In this new, one-volume edition that brings together two of his most popular works, #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas explores the question of what makes a great person great? Seven Men and Seven Women tells the captivating stories of fourteen heroic individuals who changed the course of history and shaped the world in astonishing ways. George Washington led his country to independence yet resisted the temptation to become America's king. William Wilberforce led the fight to end the slave trade, giving up his chance to be England's prime minister. Susanna Wesley, the mother of nineteen children, gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Jackie Robison endured the threats and abuse of racists with unimaginable dignity and strength. Corrie ten Boom risked her life to hide Dutch Jews from the Nazis in World War II and survived the horrors of a concentration camp--and forgave her tormentors years later. And Rosa Parks's God-given sense of justice and unshakable dignity helped launch the twentieth century’s greatest social movement. These and other lives profiled in Seven Men and Seven Women reveal how reveal the secret to a life of greatness--by responding to call to live for something greater than oneself.
In this new, one-volume edition that brings together two of his most popular works, #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas explores the question of what makes a great person great? Seven Men and Seven Women tells the captivating stories of fourteen heroic individuals who changed the course of history and shaped the world in astonishing ways. George Washington led his country to independence yet resisted the temptation to become America's king. William Wilberforce led the fight to end the slave trade, giving up his chance to be England's prime minister. Susanna Wesley, the mother of nineteen children, gave the world its most significant evangelist and its greatest hymn-writer, her sons John and Charles. Jackie Robison endured the threats and abuse of racists with unimaginable dignity and strength. Corrie ten Boom risked her life to hide Dutch Jews from the Nazis in World War II and survived the horrors of a concentration camp--and forgave her tormentors years later. And Rosa Parks's God-given sense of justice and unshakable dignity helped launch the twentieth century’s greatest social movement. These and other lives profiled in Seven Men and Seven Women reveal how reveal the secret to a life of greatness--by responding to call to live for something greater than oneself.
496 pages, Paperback
Published October 2, 2018
About the author
Eric Metaxas
138 books2,370 followersIn a decidedly eclectic career, Eric Metaxas has written for VeggieTales, Chuck Colson, Rabbit Ears Productions and the New York Times, four things not ordinarily in the same sentence. He is a best-selling author whose biographies, children’s books, and works of popular apologetics have been translated into more than 25 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 30, 2019
This book is well written and a concise sketch of 14 outstanding humans, examples for us today in displaying character, passion, knowledge and perseverance. Historical, informational, inspirational
October 29, 2025
This was such an amazing book. I loved the writing style of Eric Metaxas. He has a wonderful Christian perspective that makes his writing very personal even though this book is biography. Highly recommend.
March 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this - each chapter was uniquely engaging and challenged me as a reader. Every woman discussed has a beautiful story that more people should be reading about!
I liked the concept of each chapter being about a different woman - it was like each chapter was a short story, unique in itself. It helped the pace. Instead of dragging on, I got the most important information and then was able to read about someone new.
Well done!
I liked the concept of each chapter being about a different woman - it was like each chapter was a short story, unique in itself. It helped the pace. Instead of dragging on, I got the most important information and then was able to read about someone new.
Well done!
July 22, 2025
This book was super inspiring and impactful! I had never even heard of a lot of these people, so it was very interesting to hear their stories. Love how all these people made waves of positive change all while keeping God at the center of it all!
January 1, 2024
Loved reading about Christian men and women throughout history, some I’ve known others barely heard their names before reading this! Amazing lives!
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February 15, 202414 biographies of 14 incredible, historical figures who’s faith guided them in their endeavors
September 16, 2026
What is “greatness” and what qualifies a person to the claim of greatness?To his credit, Metaxas is able to answer those questions well in his Introduction without sounding pedantic or boring the reader. In fact, after reading his introduction, I couldn’t wait to dive into the first chapter.
Of course, not everyone would choose for inclusion the same individuals as Metaxas, but by the time I got to the end of each chapter, I could certainly understand his choice and agree that the person was worthy of the attribution. I was familiar with some of the subjects of this book, but not all of them. As in the case of Eric Liddell, I knew him for his athletic ability and his refusal to compete on the Sabbath, but there is a second part to his story that is just as important to know about.
This book is actually a combination of two books originally published separately, one on men and one on women. Each one of those is a compilation of short biographies. The seven men are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson. The seven women are Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. As you can see, there is a variety in those chosen in regard to their profession, their religious background, and the area of life they impacted. A large part of their greatness, however, is that they were people of faith, and they lived out their faith without wavering.
Of course, not everyone would choose for inclusion the same individuals as Metaxas, but by the time I got to the end of each chapter, I could certainly understand his choice and agree that the person was worthy of the attribution. I was familiar with some of the subjects of this book, but not all of them. As in the case of Eric Liddell, I knew him for his athletic ability and his refusal to compete on the Sabbath, but there is a second part to his story that is just as important to know about.
This book is actually a combination of two books originally published separately, one on men and one on women. Each one of those is a compilation of short biographies. The seven men are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson. The seven women are Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. As you can see, there is a variety in those chosen in regard to their profession, their religious background, and the area of life they impacted. A large part of their greatness, however, is that they were people of faith, and they lived out their faith without wavering.
September 28, 2025
This book is a combination of his two books. It's compiled of short biographies of the author's perception of the seven most influential Christian men and women who have influenced the world. Some of the individuals I had heard about and others were new.
The only individual whom I didn't really think belonged in the book was Susanna Wesley. While she does have an interesting story, and certainly her influence on her sons was important, compared to the other women in the book, she herself did not have a significant worldly influence. I do not mean to belittle a mother's influence in the home. I think that is most important. However, compared to the other women in the book (and the men) whose individual actions influenced a world of people, she doesn't really fit. She is known mostly for her son's achievements. And while her faith and upbringing certainly influenced them, it is their behavior and actions that influenced the world. I was simply left feeling as though there had to be a better choice.
The only individual whom I didn't really think belonged in the book was Susanna Wesley. While she does have an interesting story, and certainly her influence on her sons was important, compared to the other women in the book, she herself did not have a significant worldly influence. I do not mean to belittle a mother's influence in the home. I think that is most important. However, compared to the other women in the book (and the men) whose individual actions influenced a world of people, she doesn't really fit. She is known mostly for her son's achievements. And while her faith and upbringing certainly influenced them, it is their behavior and actions that influenced the world. I was simply left feeling as though there had to be a better choice.
September 12, 2024
Although I thought this book is very good, it comes across as a very good high school assignment. The bio's are about 30 pages each and not much on details. You will not be familiar with all 14 bio's , I wasn't, but all are interesting and all are connected by the faith in God that all 14 bio's have in common.
There are a few of the bio's that will hold your interest from beginning to end, while others plod along through the early years of the persons life before the meat of the story makes it's appearance. The average story will take about an hour to an hour and a half to read. Get a copy for your high schooler. Introduce them to some very serious and major people of history. 4 stars for 7 Men and 7 Women.
There are a few of the bio's that will hold your interest from beginning to end, while others plod along through the early years of the persons life before the meat of the story makes it's appearance. The average story will take about an hour to an hour and a half to read. Get a copy for your high schooler. Introduce them to some very serious and major people of history. 4 stars for 7 Men and 7 Women.
January 10, 2021
A book I will reread which is saying a lot for me because I hardly ever reread books. The author writes in a way that makes it easy to understand but also interesting so you want to keep reading to see how things go. Some of the men and women in this book I had never heard of before but after learning about their stories i found myself wanting to dig in deeper to learn even more about them. I will be reading more books by this author because his research and the way he writes is 10/10 in my option. A truly inspiring book that I think everyone should read.
January 8, 2021
I enjoy biographies because I often gain new heroes to emulate. Some of these 14 bios were better than others--better meaning that the author rambled less, and allowed the subject of the bio to sparkle more. My favorites were the ones on Eric Liddell--it's no coincidence that Chariots of Fire is one of my top three favorite movies--and Mother Teresa, one of the first faces in the news I remember recognizing as a child; both of their stories were simple breathtaking.
January 30, 2026
Es geht um verschiedene Kurzbiografien von Christ:innen, die in in ihrem Leben Großes bewegt haben: Rosa Parks, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mother Theresa etc.
Das fande ich sehr inspirierend und nett geschrieben. Aber die Einleitung war wirklich schrecklich sexistisch, die man kann guten Gewissens überspringen.
Das fande ich sehr inspirierend und nett geschrieben. Aber die Einleitung war wirklich schrecklich sexistisch, die man kann guten Gewissens überspringen.
December 28, 2019
Happy I read it. Learned about people I had never heard of before. Relatively quick read. Not boring. The author’s style is not the best but this is a biography book so doesn’t matter as much as other types of books.
May 31, 2020
I enjoyed this book(s). They helped me know more about a few people that I didn’t really know. I enjoy the style of the writer. A few other biographies I’ve read were not as straight forward and moved around. He stays on target and helps you get to know a person from birth to death.
March 26, 2021
I think I might have just fallen in love with biographies. This is an excellent book and a fantastic way to get to know 14 incredible people and their inspiring life stories while also not having to commit to 14 full length books. Cannot recommend this read enough!
June 25, 2022
I knew something about 11 of the 14, and many or most things about 6 of those. This is well-written. This is one that my children will learn from, in order to get their history straight, as well as the biographies.
December 3, 2022
Interesting read. The chapters are quite short but I found them detailed enough to get an overview of the person. It inspired me to want to research them further to learn more about their remarkable lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2019
This is a wonderful set of short biographies. An excellent read for someone who doesn’t feel confident reading lengthy biographies.
April 22, 2020
Great book
I very much enjoyed learning new things about the men and women I had heard of and I enjoyed reading about the others I had not heard of
I very much enjoyed learning new things about the men and women I had heard of and I enjoyed reading about the others I had not heard of
November 19, 2020
Very good
Many good facts
Inspirational men and women
Good chapter lengths -
Many good facts
Inspirational men and women
Good chapter lengths -
February 1, 2021
Easy to read. Interesting application for leaders. Mostly hagiography.
June 9, 2021
Varied and interesting, very detailed.
November 7, 2022
Stopped reading this book after I lost respect for an author who has sold out to Trump and supported, theories that promote election fraud. I didn't much care for his writing style anyway.
January 18, 2023
Worthwhile read, would definitely recommend it.
January 25, 2026
Eric is able to give good descriptions of each man and woman involving their life and death. I only set it back because I wouldn't personally pick this up again to read in my free time.
February 2, 2026
Aye one of my favorite books so far! If it counts - just some cool no super popular biographies of people that helped make the world a better place.
March 4, 2021
This is a wonderful glimpse into the lives of fourteen extraordinary people who changed the world for the better. Quick and easy to read, it wets the appetite for a deeper plunge into more of Metaxas' writings. This was, ironically, the seventh book I completed in 2021.
April 8, 2021
Short, summarized, yet inspiring biographies on Christians who made big impact through radical obedience. Was worth a read! I loved seeing how genuine Christian faith was behind some really remarkable historical events and cultural shifts.
The stories were each inspiring in their own way, but the ones that got my mind/emotions going were William Wilberforce, Jackie Robinson, Joan of Arc, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, and Mother Teresa. I had already read longer biographies on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie Ten Boom, but still really enjoyed these summary versions of their lives as well.
The stories were each inspiring in their own way, but the ones that got my mind/emotions going were William Wilberforce, Jackie Robinson, Joan of Arc, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, and Mother Teresa. I had already read longer biographies on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie Ten Boom, but still really enjoyed these summary versions of their lives as well.
March 23, 2022
I first read "Seven More Men," since it was on sale on Kindle. Having enjoyed it, I moved on to the prequel. Both books have well-written short biographies of world-changing men (and women), with a focus on their faith, and both are worth reading for a quick dose of historical biographical inspiration.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews