Seven Men and Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness

7 Biographies

by Eric Metaxas

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.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Christian, Christian Non Fiction

496 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2018

About the author

In 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.

Reviews

[Jim Keating · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kate Mixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Kayla Luebbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about Christian men and women throughout history, some I’ve known others barely heard their names before reading this! Amazing lives!

[Ellie]

14 biographies of 14 incredible, historical figures who’s faith guided them in their endeavors

[Destiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Paul Olkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. I read 7 Women after I was given it as a graduation gift, then this year was given this edition for my birthday.

The stories are amazing, inspiring, and make me want to learn more about many of these people. William Wilberforce, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hannah More, and Corrie ten Boom are my favorite ones.

The introductions to both books are straight up amazing! So pointed and timely!!!

[Philip Clapham · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jeff Rader · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Brookelynn G · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kalee Scicluna · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful set of short biographies. An excellent read for someone who doesn’t feel confident reading lengthy biographies.

[Esther McCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good
Many good facts
Inspirational men and women
Good chapter lengths -

[Landon Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to read. Interesting application for leaders. Mostly hagiography.

[Annie Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Varied and interesting, very detailed.

[Malin Friess · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Sylvia Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthwhile read, would definitely recommend it.

[Kelley Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Aussch · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Aaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.