Book Review: Heroes

Title:  Heroes

Author:  Iain Murray

Publisher:  The Banner of Truth Trust

First Copyright:  2009

Hardback

Price:  $20.44

ISBN 978-1-84871-024-5

General Subject Matter:  Biography

Theme:  Eight short biographies of Christian greatness

Thesis:  The study of history is vital to the health of the church

The purpose of this book in the words of the author, “…these pages may give young Christians a relish for old authors, and encourage younger ministers of the gospel in the assurance that the Savior of yesterday is the same today and tomorrow.” (p. xiii)

Murray develops his thesis with a very informative and spell bounding narration of four well known and 3 unsung heroes of the faith. Murray is a very talented writer and his talent always shines when he tells the life story and experiences of God’s servants.

Murray’s Heroes is an extremely interesting book that will hold your attention from the first word to the very last word. Murray pain-stakingly researches the people and events that he writes about. This book is extremely important and valuable due to the information that Murray preserves for his readers about little know individuals and their stories. The reader benefits significantly by being privileged to take an insight look into the lives of these unique men and women.

Murray is more than qualified to pen this collection of biographies. He was educated at the Isle of Man and the University of Durham. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel (1956-59) and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London (1961-69) and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia, (1981-84). In 1957 he and Jack Cullum founded the Reformed publishing house, the Banner of Truth Trust, where he has periodically worked full-time and remains the Editorial Director. He has written numerous books, including a number of excellent biographies. He is amply and ably qualified to not only write on the lives of Christian men and women, but he also is faithful “to help younger Christians understand the great heritage of the English-speaking churches on both sides of the Atlantic and in Australia.”

This book is laid out very well. The type and layout makes reading very easy. Murray includes black and white photos of the subjects.

Footnotes are included in each chapter for further referencing. This book contains a subject index in the rear.

In summary, the biographical information provided in Murray’s Heroes is outstanding. Murray intended on providing background information and the ministries of these seven (7) individuals and he was successful at that task. Murray included Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, John Newton, Thomas Charles, William Hepburn Hewitson and Robert Reid Kalley, Charles and Mary Colcock, and Charles Spurgeon. Murray has made it very clear that the study of (Christian) history is vital to the health of the church.