Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War

by Andrew Carroll

Words of wisdom, hope, humor, and strength from those who have been tested by fire and maintained their faith.

The first book of its kind, Grace Under Fire is an inspiring and spiritual collection of letters and e-mails by U.S. troops and their families from the American Revolution through the War on Terrorism.

Andrew Carroll, editor of the bestselling War Letters , went through his massive archive of seventy-five-thousand previously unpublished wartime correspondence to pick out the most intimate, dramatic, historic, and insightful letters and e-mails ever written about God, religion, and spirituality. The fifty best of these are featured in this incredible book, and they emphasize how extremely important faith has been, and continues to be, in the lives of U.S. troops and their families.

What is especially remarkable about Grace Under Fire is the sheer diversity of the collection, which includes several extraordinary letters by two brothers who fought on opposing sides of the Civil War; a prophetic letter by Rabbi David Goode, one of the famed Immortal Chaplains who gave his life for his fellow soldiers; a lighthearted letter by a World War II nurse who met the Pope; and a profound and impassioned reply to the timeless question, “Where is God in wartime?” by a doctor serving in Iraq.

Warfare can reveal the worst in human nature, but it can also bring out the best, and these correspondences are a testament to the heroism, compassion, grace, intelligence, and inherent goodness of American troops and their families. And although the letters and e-mails featured in this book were written in times of armed conflict, they transcend the subject of war. They are about determination, hope, patriotism, fighting for something greater than one’s self, and, of course, the enduring value of faith. Regardless of whether we have served in the military or not, we can all find inspiration and courage in these powerful and insightful words.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Christian, World War II, Military Fiction, Religion

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reading experience for this book was over like Foxe's Book of Martyrs. If I had discovered one of the letters described in this book, or come upon one of the individuals tortured in that one, the experience would have been moving. Poignancy suffers from repetition, however. The letters start to sound the same.

Grace Under Fire does allow the reader to appreciate continuity. Not every World War II soldier's every word was brave and patriotic. Not every soldier's every word from Vietnam forward was cynical. The stress of war shows the mixture of every human motivation.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Under Fire is a rather unique book that presents a collection of letters and emails by US troops and their families ranging from the Revolutionary War through the War On Terrorism. The author combed through his huge archive of previously unpublished wartime correspondences and selected ones he felt best represented inspiration and insight covering topics about God, religion, and spirituality. Fifty of the best were chosen for inclusion in this book. You can read in them the importance of faith in the lives of our troops and their families. There are letters by two brothers on opposite sides in the Civil War, one by a nurse during WWII, and a doctor serving in Iraq. It was interesting to note the change from a more formal writing style in the earlier letters to a more casual approach later on. They show many characteristics of our troops determination, hope, patriotism, fighting for a cause bigger than one's self, and the value of faith. This was an interesting as well as inspiring read whose contents were written as our nation was engaged in some of the most dangerous times in our history, and shows the courage of out troops under fire.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collects letters across history showing how the writers were influenced by their faith. Some of the choices of people to exemplify for their faith could have been better. I don't think we need to emulate people like Mary Lee, a slaveholder and traitor's wife. I would also have liked to have seen more letters from modern wars from more than 1 or 2 people. It was interesting to see that faith matter to people but at times, it felt preachy. Not enough doubting of faith to make the people really seem human.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting real letters from numerous wars. A short and enlightening audio book.

[Tim Wester · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting

[Susie Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great perspective. Respect for those who fought, and encouragement to honor them by living well now.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Twenty-seven-year-old Lieutenant James R. Penton, who served in France... enjoyed drawing sketches of interesting people and places as he and his fellow soldiers pushed their way toward Germany. Handwritten correspondences have their own unique value. The offer a tangible connection to their loved ones, who can hold the actual paper that their sweetheart or child or parent also touched. " What I loved about this book is the truth of experience coming from the heart and hand of those in extreme life threatening situations. The letters show how War is most tragic and inspiring. "I truly believe, "writes a soldier in the book, "that it is when people face death, when they face the loss of all the trivia of modern day society and are face to face with the bare essentials of what is human, that they are the happiest, with less to gripe over and less to worry about. I think people are people only when they suffer." The truth of these soldiers, setting aside their differences, to survive together; makes these letters readable even in the midst of the harsh realities of much pain and loss. I never thought I would enjoy reading about War. I didn't realize how little I had been taught about our history and the Wars we've been a part of. This book opened my eyes and heart to the sad realization of how poorly we remember those who have taken the stance of giving up their life and loved ones for our freedom. I highly recommend this book for History Teachers to teach the generations of the truth about War.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this book but it wasn't as good as his other books that I had listen too. Mainly because there was only one narrator, who read all the letters, instead of the multiple readers for the other books. I also noticed that there were a couple of letters that were published in the other books. That being said, this was a solid book and I found myself crying at the pain, faith and strength depicted.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional assortment of letters to and from soldiers serving in various wars over our Nation's history. The theme linking these letters together is the faith shared by the writers. Grace Under Fire is an encouraging read for anyone. Life may seem tough at times, but I am not facing a battle knowing I might very well be the next corpse, and these soldiers still exhibited grace knowing the day they were writing the letter might very well be their last. Definitely a good read!

[Nicole Marble · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are letters to and from war fronts beginning with WWII, then Korea, then Vietnam, and then our invasion of Iraq, w/ brief references to God.
Sometimes soldiers feeling fear need the hope of protection from the supernatural. This book is a random sampling.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

This gets a second star for being well-intentioned, but this slim nightstand book was just too repetitive and boring. Yes, soldiers loved their families and kept their faith - but after reading seemingly endless variations on the same theme, I just had to skim the second half to get through it.

[christina white]

Read this one first! It is his latest and is the one I saw him discussing on KPBS full Focus.

[Lisa Graf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but the writer (or collector of letters) does too much explaining in between letters. Letters are super interesting, though. Kind of puts a face on what war is really like.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read to juxtapose the darkness of The Things They Carried (which I'd read right before this one). I loved that faith and family and God were such strong themes throughout.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

My favorite story was from the Gulf War chapter.