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Christian Encounters Series
Sergeant York
Growing up in the Tennessee hills, Alvin York was equallyrenowned as a marksman and as a hard-drinking brawler. A dramatic New Year’s conversionconvinced him that killing was against God’s will, and yet this shy, big-bonedmountaineer singlehandedly dispatched two dozen Germans and captured 132 in theclosing days of World War I. He earned the Medal of Honor and a ticker tapeparade but refused to cash in on his fame, insisting “Uncle Sam’s uniform ain’tfor sale.” This succinct and gripping new account of Sgt. York’s remarkablelife includes details from exclusive interviews with the sergeant’s threesurviving children and information drawn from battlefield eyewitness reports andoriginal film studio fresh reminders of the legacy of one of America’sgreat Christian patriots. We learn about life through the lives of others. Their experiences,their trials, their adventures become our schools, our chapels, our playgrounds.Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers,highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church through proseas accessible and concise as it is personal and engaging. Some are familiar faces.Others are unexpected guests. Whether the person is D.L. Moody, Sergeant York, SaintNicholas, John Bunyan, or William F. Buckley, we are now living in the worldthat they created and understand both it and ourselves better in the light oftheir lives. Their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires uniquelyilluminate our shared experience.
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 2010
35 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
John Perry
20 books21 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Perry has coauthored books with John MacArthur, Richard Land, Mike Huckabee, among others and written historical books about Charles Colson, the Scopes Monkey Trials, and more. He is a two-time Gold Medallion Award finalist and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
John Perry has coauthored books with John MacArthur, Richard Land, Mike Huckabee, among others and written historical books about Charles Colson, the Scopes Monkey Trials, and more. He is a two-time Gold Medallion Award finalist and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 10, 2024
This is a good biography of York. I do still prefer the edition published by My Father’s World titled Sergeant York and the Great War because that edition is told through York’s own words and diary entries. That edition does focus most on York’s conversion, his struggles with fighting in a war, and then the incredible feats that he accomplished in WW1. This biography by Perry covers all of that as well, but also the second half of the book discusses all that happened in York’s life after returning from WW1.
Whatever edition a person reads, every American needs to know the story of Alvin York.
Whatever edition a person reads, every American needs to know the story of Alvin York.
September 21, 2020
The kids and I agreed that the first half was interesting enough, but the second half drug on longer than necessary and ended up feeling like a chore to read.
October 31, 2019
One of my personal heroes is Sergeant Alvin York. He fought bravely in World War I, and was the most highly decorated Soldier of that war. He also hated war and fighting, and was very much a pacifist who only took up the cause of war and fighting to protect his country and other countries from tyranny. His whole viewpoint on such matters came from his deep, yet very simple, faith in Jesus Christ.
There is much that I find myself admiring about Sergeant York, yet his story is much more detailed and complex than the happy Hollywood ending shown in the Warner Brothers film named after him. The greater knowledge of his mistakes and his strengths somehow both lessens and deepens my admiration for the man. My sense of him is no longer as a near-mythic hero, but of a man I admire even more than before. I gained this deeper understand of the man by reading the book Sergeant York, part of Thomas Nelson's Christian Reflections series on various notable people of faith in history.
In the book, John Perry, who has written books about General Lee and other figures, tells the story about York's coming to faith in Christ, and – after the US entered the Great War – his subsequent internal struggles to reconcile the killing his country called him to do with the Biblical injunction “thou shalt not kill.” Perry goes on to relate the famous scenes that many know of from the film, about York's heroics, and his refusal to become wealthy off of his exploits. But he goes beyond that, to the rest of York's life, where Alvin displayed a deep and abiding faith and charitable spirit.
Perry relates many of the details of York's post-war life, including his refusal to profit from his service, his problems starting up charitable ventures to help poor children in Tennessee, his efforts to spread the word of God, his constant battles with government bureaucracy, and his support for World War II and stance against Soviet Communism. All of these and more were facets to the character of the man that was Sergeant York, and all of them were connected by two unifying threads. Those threads were the love of the Bible, and the belief in the greatness of America as she submits to and follows God's Word.
For such a small biography (all of the entries in the Christian Reflections series of books are very short, as they are very much focused on the history of the faith of the subject), Perry does an excellent job in relating the actual essence of just who this amazing man was. He also deals with the issue of some of the jealousy over York's notoriety (on the part of other World War I vets, including in his unit at the time) with sensitivity. I appreciate this. I can understand, how the folks may feel, and (even though they were very much wrong to lie about York) I do have sympathy for them. I hope they all found peace in Christ.
There are two main themes that I took from this book. The first was the need for our country to turn back to God, as York prayed it would do. For all of the better circumstances and strides forward that we rightfully can claim to have made in certain areas, we have taken significant steps backwards in many others, most of all in our lack of faith and slow descent into aimless existence with no real purpose. We have lost the principles, ideals, and faith that gave us a shared sense of purpose. Without these elements we are adrift and slipping as a nation. York warned us that we would “fall from within” if we ever fell, and we are seeing that now. Let us reverse this, if we can.
The second theme is that we must try to show humanity towards our veterans. Yes, York was foolish when he didn't take advantage of early offers of financial assistance. Yes, he should have kept better financial records. I KNOW all of this. What I also know is that he was a very sick man in the last decade of his life, one who had given so much for others. He gave away most any money he ever received to help start schools and help friends, family, even complete strangers. Yet, the government constantly hounded him for taxes and refused aid to him and his family. Or else, they took aid away the first chance they got. I'm not saying the government should not have been frugal and wise in it's spending, or should not have had rules and standards for how things are done. I am simply saying that sometimes the government seems to rely too much (as it still does today) on formulas and less on the “on the ground” facts. We seem to act like computers and not people. Let us all, government and private, endeavor to show mercy and love towards our vets.
One of the last things York ever said before he fell into a coma and died, showed his deep sense of pacifism. Despite his support for a strong US militarily, he was NOT some “warmonger”. He believed that all lives were sacred, and that in our fallen world, sometimes you have to take a life to preserve your own life and freedom, or the lives and freedoms of others. This is a solemn responsibility, he believed, and not to be taken lightly, or to be celebrated or enjoyed. This was reflected in his whole life after World War I, leading up to some of his last words ever. He asked his son, a Nazarene minister, if he thought that “God has forgiven me for killing all those Germans?” He knew he was saved and going to Heaven, but was still guilt-ridden over the lives he had had to take in defense of others. He took no joy in it, and thought it was “what he had to do”, not some special act. He refused to profit from it, except for when he was convinced it would help the nation, his charitable works, or (to a smaller degree) his poor family.
Alvin York has become a deeper hero to me. He is a hero in life and faith, and this biography has left me very much reflective of how I live my life, and of whether I sacrifice enough for others. As John Perry closes the book in tribute to York:
This lack of remembrance is one to which I can attest. When I served as an Army Medic in the 82nd Airborne Division (the successor to the division that York was in), there was much mention of Audie Murphy and other heroes, but little of Alvin York. It is a tragedy that so few folks remember him today. Yet it was really what he wanted. He did all that he did to serve Christ. Not for public acclaim, but for the God Who said the words I believe York no doubt heard on the morning of November 2, 1964, as His Savior and Lord Jesus embraced him and said to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.... Enter into the joy of Your Lord.”
May all who claim the name of Christ follow that selfless example until we, too, hear those words.
I can not say enough praise for this book. Pick it up and read it.
Highly Recommended.
There is much that I find myself admiring about Sergeant York, yet his story is much more detailed and complex than the happy Hollywood ending shown in the Warner Brothers film named after him. The greater knowledge of his mistakes and his strengths somehow both lessens and deepens my admiration for the man. My sense of him is no longer as a near-mythic hero, but of a man I admire even more than before. I gained this deeper understand of the man by reading the book Sergeant York, part of Thomas Nelson's Christian Reflections series on various notable people of faith in history.
In the book, John Perry, who has written books about General Lee and other figures, tells the story about York's coming to faith in Christ, and – after the US entered the Great War – his subsequent internal struggles to reconcile the killing his country called him to do with the Biblical injunction “thou shalt not kill.” Perry goes on to relate the famous scenes that many know of from the film, about York's heroics, and his refusal to become wealthy off of his exploits. But he goes beyond that, to the rest of York's life, where Alvin displayed a deep and abiding faith and charitable spirit.
Perry relates many of the details of York's post-war life, including his refusal to profit from his service, his problems starting up charitable ventures to help poor children in Tennessee, his efforts to spread the word of God, his constant battles with government bureaucracy, and his support for World War II and stance against Soviet Communism. All of these and more were facets to the character of the man that was Sergeant York, and all of them were connected by two unifying threads. Those threads were the love of the Bible, and the belief in the greatness of America as she submits to and follows God's Word.
For such a small biography (all of the entries in the Christian Reflections series of books are very short, as they are very much focused on the history of the faith of the subject), Perry does an excellent job in relating the actual essence of just who this amazing man was. He also deals with the issue of some of the jealousy over York's notoriety (on the part of other World War I vets, including in his unit at the time) with sensitivity. I appreciate this. I can understand, how the folks may feel, and (even though they were very much wrong to lie about York) I do have sympathy for them. I hope they all found peace in Christ.
There are two main themes that I took from this book. The first was the need for our country to turn back to God, as York prayed it would do. For all of the better circumstances and strides forward that we rightfully can claim to have made in certain areas, we have taken significant steps backwards in many others, most of all in our lack of faith and slow descent into aimless existence with no real purpose. We have lost the principles, ideals, and faith that gave us a shared sense of purpose. Without these elements we are adrift and slipping as a nation. York warned us that we would “fall from within” if we ever fell, and we are seeing that now. Let us reverse this, if we can.
The second theme is that we must try to show humanity towards our veterans. Yes, York was foolish when he didn't take advantage of early offers of financial assistance. Yes, he should have kept better financial records. I KNOW all of this. What I also know is that he was a very sick man in the last decade of his life, one who had given so much for others. He gave away most any money he ever received to help start schools and help friends, family, even complete strangers. Yet, the government constantly hounded him for taxes and refused aid to him and his family. Or else, they took aid away the first chance they got. I'm not saying the government should not have been frugal and wise in it's spending, or should not have had rules and standards for how things are done. I am simply saying that sometimes the government seems to rely too much (as it still does today) on formulas and less on the “on the ground” facts. We seem to act like computers and not people. Let us all, government and private, endeavor to show mercy and love towards our vets.
One of the last things York ever said before he fell into a coma and died, showed his deep sense of pacifism. Despite his support for a strong US militarily, he was NOT some “warmonger”. He believed that all lives were sacred, and that in our fallen world, sometimes you have to take a life to preserve your own life and freedom, or the lives and freedoms of others. This is a solemn responsibility, he believed, and not to be taken lightly, or to be celebrated or enjoyed. This was reflected in his whole life after World War I, leading up to some of his last words ever. He asked his son, a Nazarene minister, if he thought that “God has forgiven me for killing all those Germans?” He knew he was saved and going to Heaven, but was still guilt-ridden over the lives he had had to take in defense of others. He took no joy in it, and thought it was “what he had to do”, not some special act. He refused to profit from it, except for when he was convinced it would help the nation, his charitable works, or (to a smaller degree) his poor family.
Alvin York has become a deeper hero to me. He is a hero in life and faith, and this biography has left me very much reflective of how I live my life, and of whether I sacrifice enough for others. As John Perry closes the book in tribute to York:
That (York's) legacy has dimmed over time. When Sergeant Alvin York came home to a hero's welcome in 1919, his was the biggest ticker-tape parade in New York history up to that time. Day after day his name appeared in the New York Times. He was an international celebrity. Today most Americans younger than fifty have never heard of him. Yet the example he set is a powerful and compelling one. York's faith transformed his life, and that transformation in turn had a ripple effect that eventually touched millions.
York often talked about how poorly educated he was. Certainly he was no intellectual or theologian. His Christian faith was uncomplicated, almost childlike, and yet it was complete and all-sufficient. The spiritual journey of this humble backwoods farmer took him into the presence of prime ministers and presidents. It made him a household name for two generations. And his life is still a reminder that the power of faith can equip even the meekest and most modest of us for a great work that we scarcely can dare to dream of.
This lack of remembrance is one to which I can attest. When I served as an Army Medic in the 82nd Airborne Division (the successor to the division that York was in), there was much mention of Audie Murphy and other heroes, but little of Alvin York. It is a tragedy that so few folks remember him today. Yet it was really what he wanted. He did all that he did to serve Christ. Not for public acclaim, but for the God Who said the words I believe York no doubt heard on the morning of November 2, 1964, as His Savior and Lord Jesus embraced him and said to him, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.... Enter into the joy of Your Lord.”
May all who claim the name of Christ follow that selfless example until we, too, hear those words.
I can not say enough praise for this book. Pick it up and read it.
Highly Recommended.
February 20, 2019
Sergeant York, set during WW1 and WW2, is filled with so much hope and faith. The book excellently portrays the life story of a humble Tennessean who placed his life into the hands of the Father after 27 years of recklessness. I cannot tell you how much I would love to sit and talk with him as he did with thousands of others. His hospitality and kindness will always be remembered. Not only was he a phenomenal soldier and sweet man, he also promoted education by creating a school and agricultural institution.
I encourage you to open up this book and read about the incredible man who spoke life and truth over young Americans.
I encourage you to open up this book and read about the incredible man who spoke life and truth over young Americans.
November 17, 2023
We read a book about the Wright brothers recently that was written so well it completely changed my daughter’s opinion of them. She was dreading reading about them because she found the book she had read about them previously to be boring.
Unfortunately, we had the opposite experience with this book. She already knew the story of Sergeant York and was looking forward to this book. We were both incredibly disappointed with how dull it is.
CC: drinking and fighting, war, infant death, a couple swear words (which surprised and annoyed me in a book for kids)
Unfortunately, we had the opposite experience with this book. She already knew the story of Sergeant York and was looking forward to this book. We were both incredibly disappointed with how dull it is.
CC: drinking and fighting, war, infant death, a couple swear words (which surprised and annoyed me in a book for kids)
February 4, 2023
Alvin York’s story was very interesting, and I am embarrassed that I didn’t really remember it before reading this book. Now, I need to watch the movie where Gary Cooper plays York in the retelling of his heroic service during WWI. I think his selfless, generous life is equally heroic, and I pray I can leave a legacy half as Christ-like as he.
October 3, 2020
A never to be forgotten history of a man who put his hand in
God's and trusted him through war and returned to his home a hero that
wanted to glorify the almighty by helping the folks in his locality to get an education
God's and trusted him through war and returned to his home a hero that
wanted to glorify the almighty by helping the folks in his locality to get an education
October 30, 2020
Almost made me want to cry near the end(almost). The story was o my a bit dull at a couple points, but I overall really enjoyed it. I loved his story and what he did for America and how he trusted God so much. Great book!!!
August 27, 2017
Inspirational story
Inspirational story of a great,and courageous man. Hope future generations take the time to learn his contribution to our country.
Inspirational story of a great,and courageous man. Hope future generations take the time to learn his contribution to our country.
August 1, 2018
An amazingly heroic soldier who was filled with faith and patriotism but completely lacking in any sense of how to manage his finances/business.
March 19, 2019
An amazing man with an amazing story of amazing trust in an amazing God.
November 5, 2020
Was a read aloud book to my kids. We appreciated learning more about a ww1 hero we hadn’t heard of before. We look forward to watching the movie as well as Yankee Doodle
Dandy next.
Dandy next.
August 16, 2022
Interesting biographical read on Sergeant Alvin York from Childhood to Death with a focus on his christianity and how he viewed his war experiences.
January 7, 2025
I didn’t even he was a guy and I live in Tennessee! He is amazing!
December 22, 2015
I had a lot of problems reading this book. For one, I discovered that I was reading it upside-down halfway through. And then when I turned it around, I received an instant migraine.
While that might have been half-true, I really didn't enjoy reading this biography. I got it as a gift from my aunt a few years back for Christmas, and after seeing that this series covered important figures like Saint Nicholas, Winston Churchill, and Jane Austen and thought to myself, "She chose Sergeant York over these people? Why!?" I also thought to myself, "You know what? Maybe he has an interesting story. I may be an atheist, but I'm also open-minded."
That didn't stop this book from sucking, though.
For one, I really didn't like Alvin York. I can see a lot of Christians getting behind his character, but I thought he was too innocent, too righteous, and sometimes too stupid. He handles certain situations with a lot of blind faith, and I'd think to myself, "Well, that was dumb of you to do." I get it. He's human. But it doesn't stop me from scoffing him for turning down a big money-maker like a movie because he saw films as immoral and worldly, but then do it years later because he was low on his Bible School funds.
The writing is also way too fast-paced for a biography. It jumps through tons of detail in the span of paragraphs, and there are hardly any beats or slower moments to really take in what's going on. The scenes where he converts to Christianity, or when he gets married, or when his two infant children die are incredibly emotional scenes that would normally carry a lot of weight, but have such little build-up and payoff that they just seem like normal instances that come and go in the novel.
I also didn't like all the unnecessary details. This book would have fared so much better if the novel stuck to one specific portion of York's life and owned it in that front. It really felt like I was reading six different stories, "York Becomes a Christian", "York Goes to War", "York Becomes a Celebrity", "York Becomes an A-Hole," "York Makes a Movie," and "York Dies", but these portions were bogged down by tons of details. In his story of becoming a Christian, we learn all about Pall Mall, and ancestry of York, but it added nothing to the story at all. In fact, my least favorite part of the story was when York decided to raise money for his school, and became a massive a-hole. I mean, the guy sued tons of people, left behind his Bible School, and even resigned from the Agricultural Institution, because the principal fired his brother. While I was reading that, I was wondering, "Well, why did he get fired?" The book never said so, leaving me a little confused and angry towards York and his rash decision in that situation.
All-in-all, I'd consider this a very informative book, but I also prefer to read non-fiction biographies that can capture my attention (The Holocaust accounts of "If This is a Man" and "Night" immediately come to mind). But if you're a Christian, who wants to see York do everything in the name of God, and take little else into consideration, through and unbalanced, poorly-paced short book, here you go. Just be sure to buckle up. It's a very bumpy ride.
While that might have been half-true, I really didn't enjoy reading this biography. I got it as a gift from my aunt a few years back for Christmas, and after seeing that this series covered important figures like Saint Nicholas, Winston Churchill, and Jane Austen and thought to myself, "She chose Sergeant York over these people? Why!?" I also thought to myself, "You know what? Maybe he has an interesting story. I may be an atheist, but I'm also open-minded."
That didn't stop this book from sucking, though.
For one, I really didn't like Alvin York. I can see a lot of Christians getting behind his character, but I thought he was too innocent, too righteous, and sometimes too stupid. He handles certain situations with a lot of blind faith, and I'd think to myself, "Well, that was dumb of you to do." I get it. He's human. But it doesn't stop me from scoffing him for turning down a big money-maker like a movie because he saw films as immoral and worldly, but then do it years later because he was low on his Bible School funds.
The writing is also way too fast-paced for a biography. It jumps through tons of detail in the span of paragraphs, and there are hardly any beats or slower moments to really take in what's going on. The scenes where he converts to Christianity, or when he gets married, or when his two infant children die are incredibly emotional scenes that would normally carry a lot of weight, but have such little build-up and payoff that they just seem like normal instances that come and go in the novel.
I also didn't like all the unnecessary details. This book would have fared so much better if the novel stuck to one specific portion of York's life and owned it in that front. It really felt like I was reading six different stories, "York Becomes a Christian", "York Goes to War", "York Becomes a Celebrity", "York Becomes an A-Hole," "York Makes a Movie," and "York Dies", but these portions were bogged down by tons of details. In his story of becoming a Christian, we learn all about Pall Mall, and ancestry of York, but it added nothing to the story at all. In fact, my least favorite part of the story was when York decided to raise money for his school, and became a massive a-hole. I mean, the guy sued tons of people, left behind his Bible School, and even resigned from the Agricultural Institution, because the principal fired his brother. While I was reading that, I was wondering, "Well, why did he get fired?" The book never said so, leaving me a little confused and angry towards York and his rash decision in that situation.
All-in-all, I'd consider this a very informative book, but I also prefer to read non-fiction biographies that can capture my attention (The Holocaust accounts of "If This is a Man" and "Night" immediately come to mind). But if you're a Christian, who wants to see York do everything in the name of God, and take little else into consideration, through and unbalanced, poorly-paced short book, here you go. Just be sure to buckle up. It's a very bumpy ride.
February 27, 2017
Amazing story of heroism and faith, but not a wonderful book. We stopped after ch. 5.
April 20, 2015
A well written biography on World War I Medal of Honor awardee Sgt. Alvin York who earned his MOH for single-handedly capturing 132 Germans. This work focus on his life after WWI with its ups and downs. A good read for teens and those who cherish moral standards as well as duty and obligation.
September 16, 2016
I really like Sergeant York as a person. Great guy and I love his story. The book seemed to be just a basic overview of his life.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews