God in the Foxhole: Inspiring True Stories of Miracles on the Battlefield

By Charles W. Sasser

Book Overview

From the battlefields of the American Civil War through World Wars I and II, from Korea and Vietnam to the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers of all faiths have struggled for understanding and called on a higher power when faced with the realities of combat.God in the Foxholeis a stunning collection of true personal accounts from generations of American soldiers whose faith, in the words of author Charles W. Sasser, "has been born, reborn, tested, sustained, verified, or transformed under fire."A renowned master of combat journalism and a former Green Beret, Sasser has gathered an immensely moving collection of war stories like no other -- stories of spirituality, conversion, and miracles from the battlefield. Be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or atheist, churched since childhood or touched by the divine for the first time, here are the riveting experiences of army privates, bomber pilots, navy lieutenants, marines, prisoners of war, medics, nurses, chaplains, and others who, under desperate circumstances and with every reason to fear for their lives, found unknown strength, courage, and heroism through their remarkable faith.These inspiring accounts transcend the explainable to become stunning portraits of survival and belief: the angelic vision that brought inner peace to an exhausted helicopter door gunner in Vietnam...the makeshift full-immersion baptisms of eleven soldiers on Palm Sunday in Iraq, 2004...two enemies -- a Nazi priest and an American G.I. -- who served Communion Mass in a Belgian sanctuary in 1944...the prescient letter from a Civil War army major to his beloved wife, one week before his death at Bull Run...the 21st-century toddler with a jaw-dropping spiritual connection to a war hero of Iwo Jima...and dozens more.A war chronicle like no other,God in the Foxholeaffirms, for military buffs and readers from all walks of life, the power of faith in the face of adversity.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416541373
• ISBN13: 9781416541370
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Threshold Editions
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.2" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

God on the Battlefield or No Atheists in Foxholes?

I was intrigued by this book so finally bought it after passing it by several times. I served two years in Vietnam as a Marine Sniper and was indeed an atheist in a foxhole. I would be years later that I connected the dots of my near misses and found Christ and realized he was there all the time. So this book is quite interesting. I can only imagine the hours that went into researching such a work and then writing the stories that were told. The Author takes you through all wars and through the eyes of those who lived it, some people in history you know of, others people you've not heard of who had very spiritual experiences that are quite moving. Some stories drag a bit and don't for me connect to the spiritual realm but overall it is an outstanding read. It isn't about a specific religion in any way, it is about individual experience that men at war had with what they know of God. What is interesting is that many of the men weren't particularly religious going in to it but were when they came out. I think it is an important book and I applaud the Author for the work that went into this and delivering it to us. We need it!

Very Inspiring

All believers in God will enjoy this book. This book is very inspiring. The stories are very uplifting. I think anyone who has deployed and received fire believes in a God. As the phrase goes "there are no atheists in foxholes". There is nothing like the threat of death to make a person really see the eternal questions in very clear detail. This books captures that clarity in text for all believers to relish. The book is a collection of stories from fighting soldiers from the Nation's past wars. The author has included a fair share of stories from recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each of these stories are very short. Some of the stories are very famous ones like the story of the four chaplains in WWII who gave up their life vests to other soldiers and went to their deaths signing hymns. Their story later became a stamp. Other stories are no less inspiring but are new to most readers. These stories of faith really help transmit and communicate the role and importance of faith better than any theology book. Any reader after reading the whole book sees how God can work in our world; at times through circumstances, at times through divine intervention. All will enjoy this book no matter what your historical or military background.

Spiritual Combat Stories that Inspire!

Prolific author Charles W. Sasser has given readers something very special in the way of military genre books with his newest (and best) book of his career. "God In The Foxhole: Inspiring True Stories Of Miracles On The Battlefield" is a very moving, entertaining, mysterious, spiritual and action filled volume of personal accounts of combat. It is unlike any other book already out there. This is book doesn't judge the supernatural happenings that surround the warriors who have waged our nation's battles and wars - it just presents them for the reader to digest and savor. There are dozens of tales of supernatural events that have happened to combat veterans from all of our wars. Sasser has captured stories from most of our nation's wars, some from people he personally knows such as myself. He gives each experience a respectful place in this anthology of war stories. What happens is so varied and no two stories are alike. We are shown the power of faith, prayer and love. We are also shown true miracles where there are no possible logical explanations. This book written in a style that reads like a great novel. The author's obvious skills as a story teller are much in evident. He takes the reader on a "spiritual journey" across battlefields and up into the flak filled skies of times past - to deliver an explosive page turning book. One cannot help but be moved by the many accounts of encounters with events and things that leave us in wonder and awe. This book will make you feel good; it may also make you question reality and what you might believe. I believe in the power of this book. So much so, that when I was contacted by the author to use my own stories in his book, I not only gave him those but I also introduced him to another dozen or so veterans who had "spiritual experiences". Then, I volunteered to write the Foreword for this volume. When this book finally came out it was even better than I had envisioned. This book needed to be written; these stories needed to be told! Charles Sasser has gifted the world with something very special. This book is more than just individual stories. When presented together, as in this book - it becomes a divine messenger! However, there are no deliberate attempts to send any particular slanted or religious message - readers will come away with their own insights and beliefs. The stories speak for themselves - there is no need to sell or exploit religion or any spiritual ideology. I strongly urge all those who have a friend or relative in the military, to buy them a copy of this book. Your gift of this book will lift their hearts and spirits. However, this book is not intended just for combat veterans but for all family members. It will strengthen your faith, or in some cases, give you faith where there wasn't any before. This book will inspire readers. This book has been nominated for book awards from both "The Military Writer's Society of America" and "The American Authors Association". This