The Holy War, John Bunyan
The Holy War, John Bunyan
2 Rating(s)
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The Holy War
The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul

Author: John Bunyan

Narrator: Derek Perkins

Unabridged: 9 hr 48 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/06/2015


Synopsis

First published in 1682, John Bunyan's allegorical novel The Holy War is a classic of Christian literature whose spiritual insight rivals that of even his most famous work, The Pilgrim's Progress. It tells the story of Mansoul, a utopia built to exalt the greatness and honor of its creator and leader, King Shaddai. However, when the wicked Diabolus, a former high servant of Shaddai's and the king of the blacks, assaults Mansoul, the town forgets its benevolent king and falls under his iniquitous rule. With the citizens of his beloved city lost to sin and vice, Shaddai sends his son, Prince Emmanuel, to deliver them from Diabolus' tyranny.An epic tale of good versus evil, The Holy War is not only a masterpiece of religious literature, but also an entertaining and engaging story for all listeners.

About John Bunyan

John Bunyan (1628–1688) started out as an itinerant worker and a soldier. When he began to have religious experiences, he joined a Christian fellowship and soon began preaching. His discussions with the followers of George Fox inspired his first book, Some Gospel Truths Opened, published in 1656. In 1660, he was arrested while preaching. During twelve years of imprisonment in the county jail, he wrote several works, including Profitable Meditations, Praying in the Spirit, The Holy City, and Grace Abounding. He was released after the Declaration of Indulgence of 1672, under which he became a licensed preacher and pastor of the church to which he belonged; but in 1673 the Declaration was canceled, and Bunyan was sent back to prison for six months. During this time he wrote his most famous work, the epic Christian allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress. His defined religious outlook is balanced in his writing by an almost modern realism and psychological insight.

About Derek Perkins

Derek Perkins is a professional narrator and voice actor. He has earned numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, as well as numerous Society of Voice Arts nominations. AudioFile magazine named him a Best Voice consecutively in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Augmented by a knowledge of three foreign languages and a facility with accents, he has narrated numerous titles in a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Matt on May 25, 2019

Bunyan is best known for his allegory of the Christian life called the Pilgrim's Progress. No doubt that is where any reader of Bunyan should start. But those who enjoy his Bible-saturated allegory and its unique and powerful manner of communicating truth would do well to follow it up with the Holy......more

Goodreads review by Diamond on April 11, 2022

I will give a full review at a later date.......more

Goodreads review by Seth on October 17, 2023

Perhaps the greatest book ever written outside the Bible. For its glorious and compelling presentation of Christ as well as intensity that comes straight from Scripture, this book deserves more honor than Pilgrim's Progress. Plot: 1. Diabolos conquers the town. 2. Emmanuel takes it back. 3. The town......more

Goodreads review by Whitney on January 27, 2021

I have said this twice before, but I’ll say it again to make thrice. This book is prescient --eerily prescient. If I had read it a decade ago, I would probably have thought the allegory quaint and more than a little over-the-top. In these stormy times, however, this book is like a dart thrown toward......more

Goodreads review by Dee on November 17, 2021

Audible.com 9 7 hours 48 min. Narrated by Derek Perkins (A) An allegory similar to The Pilgrim's Progress. Written in 1678, this is the story of a city callled Mansoul and the war between Prince Emmanuel and Diabolis who battle for its control. The last chapter is my favorite. After the final battle,......more


Quotes

“In the centuries that have elapsed since [John Bunyan’s] death he has ‘lit a candle’ that gives light and leading to millions of English men and women who still seek to follow his humble teaching.” Daily Telegraph (London), praise for the author

“The name of John Bunyan will stand in the annals of literature as long as time remains and men are literate.” Harold Lindsell, Evangelical scholar, author, and editor of Christianity Today, praise for the author

“If the Pilgrim’s Progress did not exist [The Holy War] would be the best allegory that ever was written.” Thomas Babington Macaulay, British historian