Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God

by Shirley Raye Redmond

Men of Fearless Faith

Meet men who have used their God-given talents to live out their faith to the fullest. They come from a variety of backgrounds, eras, and ethnicities, but each one has answered the Lord’s call on their life in bold and innovative ways.

Children of all ages will be inspired by the stories of These and the 45 other defenders of the faith featured in this book have made a profound impact on the world around them, and in many cases changed the course of history. Strong, smart, and sometimes outspoken, these men are tremendous examples of God’s love in action.

These inspiring profiles will captivate kids’ imaginations and encourage them to discover their own gifts and how they can use them to glorify God.     
 

Genres: Childrens, Biography, Christian, Nonfiction, History, Middle Grade, Christianity

112 pages, Hardcover

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Shirley Raye Redmond is the author of several "sweet" romance novels and dozens of children's books. Many of her titles have won both national and regional awards. She is a member of numerous writing organizations, including Women Writing the West, Southwest Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives with her family in New Mexico.

Reviews

[Mariah Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this aloud to my boys. These are one page mini biographies of men of God. A nice mix of old, new, unknown, and popular.

[Jolee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a very good children’s book in which I learned so much myself. Each 1-page vignette style biographical story of a ‘man of God’ provides a punch of information (although sometimes leaving you to crave learning more, in the best possible way) and includes a lovely, warm illustration. I often was quite moved by the stories of powerful faith to the point of a few tears welling up. I often found myself saying “Oh honey, let me tell you about this person’s story,” and by golly if I didn’t get some rapt interest and smiles in return. A lovely experience.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of stories! This book belongs on the shelf of every home where a little boy resides, but quite honestly, moms and dads and sisters will have a hard time putting it down.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read with kiddos. Specifically elementary age. So great to show them people from all different ethnicities, backgrounds, and eras in history doing amazing things for God and making an impact in the world!

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up.

This biographical anthology is a sequel to Shirley Raye Redmond’s previous book about Christian women. In this collection, she shows how Christian men of different nationalities, races, and walks of life have honored God and made the world a better place for others. She covers a wide range of subjects, including both highly familiar figures like Billy Graham, C.S. Lewis, and Martin Luther, along with more obscure names. This anthology ranges in time from 1181 to the present, from the birth of Saint Francis of Assisi to the lives of current figures such as Jeremy Lin, Tim Tebow, and Jeremy Camp. These biographical sketches all include an illustration on the opposing page, and I appreciate how well the illustrator captured familiar likenesses.

Different Types of Heroes

Throughout this collection, Redmond honors contributions from a wide variety of figures, showing that there is more than one way to be a good man. The book includes pastors, missionaries, sports stars, political figures, doctors, writers, artists, businessmen, and others, and even though each biographical sketch is only a page long, Redmond packs in a lot of information, explaining each man’s background and covering their significant accomplishments. I wish that the bios were in chronological order, because it is hard to get a sense of which men are contemporaries of each other, but I am glad that Redmond did not categorize them by their spheres of influence, because even though that is a common organizational approach, it can put people in boxes. This book shows how individual men honored God in different ways throughout their lives, based on their gifts and changing life situations.

However, this book isn’t perfect, and does not fully acknowledge problematic elements of some of these men’s lives. For example, the book only mentions George Washington’s slave ownership in the context of his will, in which he emancipated his slaves after his death and funded ongoing care for the sick and elderly. Although this was far above what many of his peers did, the book does not address the difficulty of honoring someone who enslaved people during his lifetime, no matter how truly pious, otherwise honorable, and world-changing he was. If a family reads this book together, this can start important conversations about how people sometimes do wrong things because they are conformed to their culture and the norms around them, but because this is the last sketch in the book, it ends on a somewhat indifferent note.

Conclusion

This is an inspiring collection of short biographies about Christian men of different backgrounds and talents. I would recommend this to both children and adults, and even though it works well as an independent read, it could also be part of family devotions or a bedtime routine. Parents who love history or want to provide additional perspective about some of these men may want to read this book with their children, discussing different topics that arise. Because each section is so brief, this book would work well as a family read-aloud, and it could also be a great resource for homeschooling and Christian schools.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders showcases 50 men throughout history (some still alive today) who have done amazing things in their lives, careers, missions, and the world for Christ. I liked that this list included historical figures that are quite well-known--a few of these people we studied about over this past school year. But I also liked that modern-day people still alive were featured as well because it reminds us all that you don't have to be dead to have been great. Or you might have the misconception that these things don't happen today. These stories remind us that anyone can be a hero.

Each person has a bio description of their past and their deeds for Christ and an illustrated portrait. I do wish for a photograph versus illustrations because I think that would have added to the idea that these were/are real people. But I suppose photographs would have been more difficult to achieve a unified look for the overall book aesthetic. Also, some of these people may never have been photographed.

I don't remember needing to edit any theology, but I really can't remember. We did finish this book months before writing this review. I only thought to review it after picking up the female version, Courageous World Changers.

Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders is a great book to provide a summary of the lives of men who throughout history have made big differences for Christ all over the world. This book will help inspire many that it's possible to make a difference for Christ today. Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders gets 5 Stars. Have you read Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders? What did you think? Let me know!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish the prologue had discussed the criteria. I get that they wanted Christians (all kinds, so there are Catholics and various Protestants, lots of missionaries and Evangelicals), but why men? Especially since there were obviously good women who could have been better fits; for example, two of the men were guys who failed at converting a tribe in Ecuador (they were murdered by them instead) so the wife of one and the sister of the other went back and were successful. The men could have been a side note in the story of the people who did the work. So I guess the audience is kids looking for Christian heroes who don't like reading about women?

It's definitely aimed at Christians, since some of the heroes are converts. And some of them are rather problematic as well. But it's a fast quick read with mostly engaging illustrations opposite each quick one page biography.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for bedtime conversations! My kids and I have been waiting for this book ever since we fell in love with the companion book, Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God, last year. My youngest two kids (boy, 8 and girl, 10) literally fought over who got to keep this one in their room when it arrived. We are only halfway through so far and have already had so many amazing conversations sparked from the beautifully told short biographies of so many wonderful men of God. And, like always, the pages are rich in new vocabulary words that my kiddos absorb like sponges. I love ending our day with this book!

[Debs Hennig · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids LOVE this book we received as a gift. The biographies are just the right length to capture their attention but also to teach all of us something new about the men represented in the book. It's nice to see some familiar faces (C.S. Lewis, William Wilberforce etc.) But I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of men selected for the book. Many of them are new to my children but also to me! With it's beautiful illustrations and well-written biographies, Brave Heroes and Bold defenders is a worthy and inspirational read for any child.

[C.G.Koens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due to information that has come out since this book was originally published, I felt the need to skip the page on Ravi Zacharias (which saddened me, for many reasons, but opened the door to a good conversation with the kids). Otherwise, historically interesting (like little snack-sized historical biographies), and occasionally a bit of a stretch as far as them all being "Daring Men of God" (much like the women's version of this book). Still, it was a good addition to our nightly reading, and everyone enjoyed it.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide range of Christian men are covered in this book, coming from different times and countries. Being a book aimed at younger readers, it does not go into great detail about any of the men, but I feel it could serve as a springboard for further exploration and research for older readers. As a teacher in a Christian school, my intention is to use this book to make children aware of the different ways we can serve and follow Christ, of what it means to use your gifts and interests to bring glory to Jesus.

[Ember · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kidsreference book for inspiring Christian men. Unfortunately, there is one reference to someone being outspoken about "pornography" (I personally think that detail should've been left out of kids book) & Ravi Zachariahs is a highlight - book must've been printed before all news about him was released in mass. Other than those things, it's 👍. Short 1 page blurbs about each man. There is a corresponding women's book - I haven't read through it though.

[Joy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I am not quite done with it yet, but the hero's that the author writes about are close to my heart. This is a children's book but I don't care. I love relearning about the brave men of God that my mother told me about when I was a child. This book is a keeper. Hopefully some day I can read it to my grandchildren. Go out and get this book!! You won't be sorry.

[Michael & Photini Holverson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written worse then a text book. Purely facts and with no story it can barely be classified as a children’s book as it cannot hold their attention. While the author has done a decent job of being diverse in the types of men included there was much lacking on their life stories. The character sketches lacked the personal touch that makes them stay in one’s memory. -B

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say every one of these featured men were Christian defenders, but every story was inspiring and uplifting. I want my kids to know stories of people who championed or stood up for what’s good and right. We rotated reading a story from this book with Courageous World Changers, the book about women by the same author.

[Laura Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this one down either! Loved learning about all the brave heroes now and in the past. Each story took me on an adventure and I felt like I was there and seeing Jesus work in their lives. Such an educational book that would make a great gift! Worth the read for sure! Thank you!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One of the greatest injustices we do to our young people is to ask them to be conservative. Christianity is not conservative, but revolutionary!” ~Francis Schaeffer

Highlighting the stories of 50 men who dedicated their lives to serving the Lord. You cannot help but feel inspired!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book of collective biographies. I read a few a day. Some people are widely known to Western readers (like Frederick Douglass) while others are lesser known (like Sugihara Chiun).

Such a fantastic book for all ages with beautiful illustrations. Highly recommend!

[Annie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about different men who lived out their faith in courageous ways.
It's clearly written from a Baptist perspective as it repeatedly states "they accepted Christ into their hearts," but the stories are inspiring!

[Emilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept of this book, but I didn’t love the execution of it. The biographies read like short Wikipedia articles.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains 1 page biographies of 50 men of faith. My 6 year liked some stories, but many of the biographies didn’t interest him.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but I feel the vocabulary was a little advanced for the intended age group.

[Barb Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summary of great men in God

[Amber Diemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's book, but highly recommend!

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book as read along or read alone for children ages 5-11!

[Christine Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading these short bios as a family. On several, I did want more details but good for the 8-12 set. Variety of nations, denominations, eras represented.

[Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short biographies could have been written better. Despite the setback, the children enjoyed me reading this to them.

[Kayley Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this one… would make a great baptism gift.

[Shelly Patularu · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this book of mini biographies of brave & bold Christian men throughout history!

[Kelsey Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

we loved learning about these men of God! i loved that it includes history and present as well as so many different backgrounds and vocations. fantastic for building lillian’s fire for the Lord!