Biographies

"Did they tell you stories about the saints of old,
stories about their faith?
Stories like that make a boy grow bold,
stories like that make a man walk straight..."

Rich Mullins, Boy Like Me, Man Like You

Stories about people have a way of affecting us in ways other stories can't. The Bible is primarily stories about people, and it is through these multiple biographies that we understand human nature, the history of redemption, and even to a great extent God Himself. The purpose behind any other biography is largely the same—to help us understand what it means to be human from the examples (sometimes even the bad examples) of those who have preceded us.

The biographies we have chosen for this section represent those of great leaders in history, social and military heroes, and Christian saints past and present who struggled to conform their lives to Christ's perfect example. We have avoided for the most part biographies of history's villains and chronic immoralists, not because they aren't interesting but because they don't represent lives worthy of imitation. We've also decided not to focus on athletes, actors, and celebrities, unless they've made important contributions outside their fields. That's not to say everyone found here was above reproach or even a Christian, but they all demonstrated real human virtues for which they are remembered.

Biographies are also useful for better understanding of a given historical period. While history books can provide good overviews of a period or events, the intimate detail of a good biography can better illustrate a time period and what it was like to be alive then. This also serves to demonstrate the universality of human nature, that people will behave basically the same during any given period and in any given place. Sometimes we get the impression that people of the past, especially people like missionaries and ministers, were somehow more pious than we are—the personal view offered by a good biography dispels this myth and offers encouragement that not even the best men and women are any closer to perfection than we are.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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391 Items found Print
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'But Now I See': The Life of John Newton
by Josiah Bull
from Banner of Truth Trust
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$16.99
101 Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
40th Anniversary from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$18.99
101 More Hymn Stories
by Kenneth Osbeck
from Kregel Publications
for 6th-12th grade
in History of Hymns (Location: XCH-HYMN)
$18.99
50 Women Every Christian Should Know
by Michelle DeRusha
from Baker Books
for Adult
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
84, Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff
from Penguin Random House
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$16.00
Abraham Lincoln: The Man & His Faith
by G. Frederick Owen
from Tyndale House
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Account of Mary Rowlandson and Other Indian Captivity Narratives
by Mary Rowlandson
from Dover Publications
for 9th-Adult
in 17th Century Literature (Location: LIT4-17)
$6.95
Adventures of Theodore Roosevelt
by Theodore Roosevelt
from National Geographic
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.00
Agatha Christie: An Autobiography
by Agatha Christie
2012 Reissue from William Morrow & Company
for 11th-Adult
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Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
from Penguin Random House
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$10.00 (2 in stock)
Alfred the Great
by Asser
from Penguin Classics
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$18.00
Alpine Path
by Lucy M. Montgomery
1st edition from Fitzhenry & Whiteside
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Amazing Grace
by Eric Metaxas
from HarperOne
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$15.99
American Childhood
by Annie Dillard
from Harper & Row
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Americanization of Benjamin Franklin
by Gordon S. Wood
from Penguin Books
for Adult
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Amy Carmichael: Beauty for Ashes
by Iain H. Murray
from Banner of Truth Trust
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$12.00
Andrew Jackson: Symbol for an Age
by John William Ward
reprint from Oxford University
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Anne Bradstreet
by Heidi L. Nichols
from P&R Publishing
Biography for 10th-Adult
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Anne Bradstreet
Christian Encounters
by D. B. Kellogg
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
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Anne Bradstreet
Christian Renegades Series
by Doug Wilson
3rd edition from Canon Press
Biography for
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.95
Anne Bradstreet
by Faith Cook
from Evangelical Press
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Arrow Pointing to Heaven
by James Bryan Smith
Revised from B&H Books
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$14.99
At the Edge of the Village
by Lisa Leidenfrost
from Canon Press
Biographies for Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$17.00
Athanasius
by Peter Leithart
from Baker Academics
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$27.99
Augustine on the Christian Life
Theologians on the Christian Life
by Gerald Bray
from Crossway Books
for 9th-Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge
by Calvin Coolidge, Edited with an Introduction by Amity Shlaes and Matthew Denhart
from ISI Books
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Autobiography of Charles G. Finney
by Charles G. Finney
from Bethany House
Autobiography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$19.00
Autobiography of G. K. Chesterton
by G. K. Chesterton
from Ignatius Press
Autobiography for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$18.95
Autobiography of George Muller
by George Muller
from Whitaker House
Biography for 11th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.99
Autobiography of Josiah Henson
by Josiah Henson
from Dover Publications
for 9th-Adult
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Band of Brothers
by Stephen Ambrose, Foreword by Tom Hanks
25th anniversary from Simon and Schuster
for 10th-Adult
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$18.99
Bavinck on the Christian Life
Theologians on the Christian Life
by John Bolt
1st edition from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
Benjamin Franklin
by Carl Van Doren
from Penguin Putnam
for 10th-Adult
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Between Worlds
by Marilyn R. Gardner
from Doorlight Publications
for Adult
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Beyond the Sacred Page
Book of Books #2
by Jack Cavanaugh
from Zondervan
for 7th-Adult
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Black Boy (American Hunger)
by Richard Wright, Foreword by John Edgar Wideman, Afterworld by Malcolm Wright
Modern Classics 75th Anniversary from Harper Perennial
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Black Like Me
by John Howard Griffin & Robert Bonazzi
35th anniversary from Signet Classics
for 8th-Adult
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$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Blue Like Jazz
by Donald Miller
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
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$3.00 (3 in stock)
Bonhoeffer
by Eric Metaxas
1st edition from Thomas Nelson Publishers
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Bonhoeffer
by Eric Metaxas, foreword by Timothy J. Keller
Revised and Updated from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 11th-Adult
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$24.99
Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life
Theologians on the Christian Life
by Stephen J. Nichols
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
Born Again
by Charles Colson
from Chosen Books
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$19.99
Born Free
by Joy Adamson
Anniversary from Pantheon Books
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall
from Vintage Books
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by Bryan Mealer, William Kamkwamba
from Harper Perennial
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$15.99
Boys in the Boat
by Daniel James Brown
Reprint from Penguin Putnam
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
Brave Companions
by David McCullough
Reprint from Simon and Schuster
for 10th-Adult
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Breakfast with Bonhoeffer
by Jon Walker
from Leafwood Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Brendan Voyage
Modern Library Exploration
by Tim Severin
from Modern Library
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Bridge to the Sun
by Gwen Terasaki
from Rock Creek Books
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$15.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Bring Your Eyes and See
International Adventures
by Steve Goode, Mary Goode
from YWAM Publishing
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$12.00
Bruchko
by Bruce Olson
from Charisma House
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.99
Bruchko
by Bruce Olson
Updated from Charisma House
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$4.00 (1 in stock)
Bruchko
by Bruce Olson
Revised from YWAM Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in International Adventures (Location: BIO-INTADV)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Bruchko and the Motilone Miracle
by Bruce Olson
from Charisma House
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$14.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Buffalo Bill and the Wild West
by Henry Blackman Sell and Victor Weybright
Reprint from International Cody Family Assoc.
for Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Bulletproof George Washington
by David Barton
2nd edition from WallBuilder Press
Biography for 9th-adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Bulletproof George Washington
by David Barton
3rd edition from WallBuilder Press
Biography for 9th-adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Butch Cassidy and "The Wild Bunch"
by Erin Delfoe and E.W. Allred
from Apricot Press
for 6th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
C. S. Lewis
by Roger Green & Walter Hooper
from Harcourt
Biography for 10th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
C. S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table
New edition from Harvest Books
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
C. S. Lewis: The Man Behind Narnia
by Beatrice Gormley
from Eerdmans
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$16.00
C.S. Lewis: Through the Shadowlands
by Brian Sibley
from Revell Publishing
for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Calvin on the Christian Life
Theologians on the Christian Life
by Michael Horton
1st edition from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
Carved in Ebony
by Jasmine L. Holmes
from Bethany House
for 10th-Adult
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$17.99
Chance to Die
by Elisabeth Elliot
from Revell Publishing
Biography for 8th-12th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$22.99
Chesterton's Tavern
by Kevin Belmonte
from Canon Press
for Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$17.95
Christianity and the Constitution
by John Eidsmoe
from Baker Academics
for Adult
in Christianity and the State (Location: XWV-STA)
$25.00 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Churchill
by Paul Johnson
Reprint from Penguin Putnam
for 9th-Adult
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$17.00
Churchill: Walking with Destiny
by Andrew Roberts
from Penguin Books
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Co. Aytch
by Sam Watkins
from Touchstone
Historical Non-fiction for 8th-Adult
in American Civil War (1860-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$17.00
Collector, The
by Jack Nisbet
from Sasquatch Books
for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Columbus and Cortez, Conquerors for Christ
by John Eidsmoe
from New Leaf Press
Biography for Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Common Sense 101
by Dale Ahlquist
from Ignatius Press
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$18.95
Compleat Angler
from Oxford University
for 10th-Adult
in 17th Century Literature (Location: LIT4-17)
Confessions
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
from Penguin Classics
for 10th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
$13.00
Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
from Heritage Press
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Confessions of St. Augustine
by Saint Augustine (translation by Henry Chadwick)
from Oxford University
for 10th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$7.95
Confessions of St. Augustine
by St. Augustine (translation by Frank J. Sheed)
2nd Revised Edition from Hackett Publishing Company
for 10th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
Conversations With C.S. Lewis
by Robert Velarde
from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI)
Coolidge
by Amity Shlaes
from Harper Perennial
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
Cornelius Van Til
by John Frame
from P&R Publishing
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in Reformed Theology (Location: XTH-REF)
$16.00 (1 in stock)
Cost of Discipleship
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Foreword by Eric Metaxas
1st edition from Touchstone
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$15.19
Crime Encyclopedia
by Marie J. MacNee
1st edition
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
D. L. Moody
by Kevin Belmonte
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
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in Christian Encounters (Location: BIO-CE)
$12.00
Daughter of Auschwitz
by Tova Friedman and Malcolm Brabant
from Hanover Square Press
for 10th-Adult
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Dayuma
by Ethel Emily Wallis
from YWAM Publishing
for 7th-Adult
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$14.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Diary of a Napoleanic Foot Soldier
by Jakob Walter
from Penguin Putnam
for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Diary of a Young Girl
by Anne Frank
from Anchor Books
for 7th-Adult
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$6.50 (1 in stock)
Discoverers
by Daniel J. Boorstin
from Vintage Classics
for 10th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$22.00
Don't Let the Goats Eat the Loquat Trees
by Thomas Hale
from Zondervan
for 9th-Adult
in History of Missions (Location: XCH-MIS)
$15.99
Down and Out in Paris and London
by George Orwell
from Mariner Books
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$15.99
Dream West
by David Nevin
from Forge
for Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Education of Henry Adams
by Henry Adams
from Houghton Mifflin
for Adult
1919 Biography Pulitzer Prize
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
Edwards on the Christian Life
Theologians on the Christian Life
by Dane C. Ortlund
from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
Egg and I
by Betty MacDonald
from HarperCollins
Biography for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$15.99
Einstein's Cosmos
by Michio Kaku
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Endurance
by Alfred Lansing
from Tyndale House
for 9th-Adult
in 20th Century Exploration (Location: HISW-20EXP)
$16.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Everlasting is the Past
by Walter Wangerin
from Rabbit Room Press
for 10th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$14.95
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