Customer Reviews

Foxe: Voices of the Martyrs

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Voice of the Martyrs has done a great job in compiling all the info for this book. This is great to purchase as an addition to the original classic "Foxe's Book of Martyrs", the main focus of "Voices..." appears to be Christians who were martyred in the past 100 years or so, however they do include info on earlier martyrs as well. The presentation of the book is excellent, the book is a nice hardcover with a leathery cover. I highly recommend for all Christians to pick up a copy, we should never forget all the lives that have been lost, and are continuing to be lost for the cause of Christ.

A most disappointing edition of a truly remarkable classic. I wish I could offer this book 5 stars for demonstrating the life and experiences of past martyrs, and would for most previous editions of this book.
This new edition (voices of the martyrs) held great promise as it included with the original masterpiece an added 200 pages of Christian martyrs from the 20th century. Unfortunately, the true value of these martyrs has been deliberately obscured and I would say cheapened by this book's marketing elements.

Note that I am a great fan of Foxe's (original) Book of Martyrs and would recommend this as an important reading for all Christians - as it offers vivid examples of what living-out Faith can entail, and what standing with Christ against the world will often have for its end (persecution and death).

That being said, while the original book gave each character numerous pages describing their daily life, activities and doctrines which made them targets for persecution. The original book offered a fluid and moving prose, meant to expose without compromise the largest history and smallest details of these martyr's life and ultimate demise. Here you could immerse yourself in their world, feel a neighbor to their daily life and with great empathy have your spirit crushed in anguish as deliberate details were given regarding the methods of violence, torture and death.

As for this new version, the overall effect has been to cheapen the life of these martyrs. This has been accomplished through marketing effects, which I would argue backfired. The cover is an imitation of old book leather (embossed) and smacks of being fake. The pages have a water-stain or ash discoloration - which really only makes the pages look dirty, not ancient. The pictures interspersed throughout are reminiscent of Norman Rockwell drawings and seem both meant for a child's story book and completely at odds with human suffering. The font used, once again is overdone and only looks as a poor imitation of old Gothic letters. The font along with ink fading in and out on the pages simply has the effect of falsity and is far from convincing. Finally, whereas the original copy gave many pages of the martyr's life and final days/hours - this new version gives such short snippets on our 2oth century martyrs as to almost provide you with a newspaper headline and following sentence. Gone are the details and depth, and gone is any opportunity to empathize, to feel any sort of kinship. This, is a disgrace to their lives and the worst possible epitaph. What is offered here is a 1 or 2 paragraph summary, devoid of valuable details, lacking the historical and cultural backdrops and clinically sterile.

I feel a great shame placed upon the 20th century martyrs in this book's format, and instead of giving them their due place of honor, each is trimmed down to fit our limited attention-span, and in the process, deeply cheated of their true value!

This edition of Foxe's Book of Martyrs is a good update of the classic. The book has an attractive (if a bit excessive) binding and contains several good illustrations. The typeface is easy to read. The book is a bit bulky and has a very odd tall and narrow shape.

In terms of content, this edition is particularly helpful for its emphasis on the persecution of recent years. The well-known martyrs of history are included as well but what I found most interesting about the book were the accounts from the last few years. The accounts from 2000 forward cover a full 200 pages in the 475 page book. This book brings home the fact that religious persecution is very much alive in our world and that martyrtdom has been and continues to be a real possibility for Christians in many parts of the world.

This book is an incredible example of the faith and courage of those who stood death in the face rather than deny Christ. The writting style is fresh and it is great to finally see a true "updated" Foxe's book of martyrs. I highly recommend.

First of all, I should comment that this is not really another addition of Foxe's original "Book of Martyrs" though several of those included were in Foxe's writings. That said, the book is a wonderful reading experience that has the potential to truely challenge readers with stories of Christian sacrifice. The stories go from the ancient world to the present. In particular, I found the accounts of the Boxer Rebellion martyrs interesting. I should mention that the details of Rowald Taylor's death in this book are a little different than I have read in versions of Foxe though they seem to match closer with Jasper Ridley's account in "Bloody Mary's Martyrs". Surprisingly, not much is said about those who suffered and died in the Soviet Union and Eastern Block. However, I find this acceptable as other works by the Voice of the Martyr's have focused heavily on European Communist persecution. The book focuses on sufferers who gave their lives and thus leaves out many people who went through terrible torture or other abuses for their faith and survived (once again though, other books tell the stories of many of those people). I personally liked the fact that this voulme dosen't just focus on one denomination but covers a vast spectrum of Christian beliefs.
One of the best features of the book are the more recent accounts as another reviewer mentioned. There are also descriptions of persecution in various countries around the world up to a couple of years ago. Overall, a sad but uplifting book that I recommend.

This is an essential text to keep alongside the Bible. It gives you courage and strength to keep on...and to prepare for what may lay ahead.

It is beautifully made by a wonderful organization for a righteous cause.

I saw this book at my church bookstore this morning. It is a beautiful book, with a parchment type of paper and decorative print. Buyers might want to know, however, that the publisher lists the book as bound in imitation leather, not genuine leather as Amazon has listed it. Not a problem as far as I'm concerned. I plan to buy it because of the stories it contains. My background in church history is sketchy and I'm interested in knowing more about Christians who have given their lives for their beliefs. This looks like a very accessible account of these extraordinary people.

Great book for history of the martyr. It highlight some of the most commonly heard of. There are many more that poeple don't know about though.

This updated version of John Foxe's original work is a wonderful modern day record of the sacrifices God's people have made since Jesus Himself was crucified nearly 2,000 years ago. It is so important for Christians to learn and understand that our faith was founded on Christ's spilled blood, and His people are and have always been persecuted and killed for following his victorious example. This book was prepared by Voice of the Martyrs, an exemplary Christian ministry who offers support to persecuted Christians in 53 countries in the world today. This book includes one page (approximately) records of Christian martyrs, which serve to inspire and encourage Christians to remember the words of Scripture in Matthew 10, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles... and you will be hated by all for my name's sake." The histories are a great addition to any daily devotional. I recommend this book to anyone who desires a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. This tool offers perspective and understanding which help to strengthen the spirits of its readers and deminish the seemingly popular disregard and disrespect of the sacred Truth which 85% of Americans claim to adhere to.

I had no idea so much persecution had been done to Christians. I know that the persecution began in times of the Bible. But, it's continued use, and the extreme persecuton that was used was beyond my comprehension until I opened this book and read. This is a book every person who even calls themselves a Christian should read.