Why people recommend it
John Foxe documents the harrowing histories and suffering of Christian martyrs through the centuries in Fox's Book of Martyrs. The historical text serves as a profound meditation on faith, persecution, and spiritual endurance. On The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett, Greg brought up Fox's Book of Martyrs to illustrate how Christians enduring severe persecution maintain a strong sense of value, purpose, and security even in the face of terrible suffering. Additionally, on The Ezra Klein Show, Patti Smith recalled her early fascination with her grandfather's copy of Fox's Book of Martyrs, remembering its red silk binding and gold stamping, and noting how she hid the book under her pillow as a young child in the naive hope that sleeping on it would transfer its contents directly into her mind. These diverse recollections highlight the book's striking physical and emotional legacy, enduring both as a rigorous historical account of faith under fire and as a deeply cherished family artifact.
Who recommended it
- Patti Smith Discussed
Patti Smith — 1 mention
“It was had red silk binding and gold stamping and I was about three and I hid it under my pillow cuz I thought if I slept on it, it would come into my head what was in it. And my mother was distraught cuz she couldn't find it. It was my grandfather's book called Fox's Book of Martyrs.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 1
“Even people who are suffering terribly as Christians in persecution, read Fox's Book of Martyrs Book of Martyrs, still have this strong sense of value, of purpose, and security, even so.”