Standing up for what one believes has many consequences—including, at times, death. This book looks at the 21 Coptic Christians who were executed in February of 2015 and examines various aspects of martyrdom. I found this book interesting but disturbing. There comes a time when a person must make decisions or will have decisions made for them that will test the depths of their beliefs. The question is whether a person will face the consequences, whatever they may be, in a valiant way.

I voluntarily provided my own opinion on an Advanced Readers Copy that was supplied by the publisher and NetGalley.

These 21 Christian's did not wake up that day and plan to be martyred, and be with Jesus within a hairsbreadth afterwards.
They died with humility and grace.
All in all Jesus was glorified, which is the ultimate goal.

Firstly, read this book to gain insight from a man seeking Truth about 21 men who showed such devotion to Jesus that they died speaking to Him at the hands of their murderers. Secondly, read this book because you'll learn more about the Coptic religious men and women in Egypt and the potential for terror that their faith steeps in on a daily basis. Thirdly, read this because it will change you from within and make you see that we, too, need to embrace the courage that God calls us to live.

I cannot believe this book was translated from German in to English. That fact, merged with the gorgeous prose of a nonfiction text, earned the five stars.

However, beyond the technical beauty of the book, there is the journey of a man in awe of the faith of other men. The book teaches while also preaching. It is a testament to what we were called to be: firstly: disciples, secondly: prophets, and thirdly: teachers. The author manages to show, not tell, that order of our faith. He does so through his journey researching the example of these men who <i>lived,</i> that.

Highly recommended.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Informative, contemplative, timely, and incredibly relevant in the modern global struggle of coexistence among ideologies. Mosebach combines rich personal elements with historical detail and contemporary research to give a spotlight look at an episode and country that has already been forgotten by far too many.

Coptic Christians are constantly under threat for their faith. There are dangers on a daily basis but these brave souls have put their faith in God, and trust him through everything. For the 21 brave men who were executed, simply for being Christian, their faith supported them through the end of their lives. They took a stand, and they were killed for their faith. Martin Mosebach is helping their story and courage to live on - and to be shared with many others.

Martin Mosebach does a fabulous job of bringing this story, and the story of the Coptic Christians to light. While reading this book, I went through the gambit of emotions. The stories are heartbreaking, and the photos allow you to see these men as who they were before the video was released.
If you are interested in history, then this book is a MUST read. The struggles, the triumphs, and more are lined out. I gained a better understanding of the Coptic Christians through this book.

WARNING, if you call yourself a Christian in a country called America, this is NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU. The 21 is about a faith not found in winning ballgames or on the tailgates of hot rod cars. Okay then why read it and why is the book so good? Firstly, read this book to find the truth behind the Coptic Martyrs who were beheaded by Isis, back in February 0f 2015. The second reason to read this great book is you will learn who are the Coptic religious community in Egypt and the potential for terror that their faith they suffer from the so called "religion of peace". The last reason to read this great book is so we can change into who we were called to be and not what all the over priced, over paid Church leaders of the day are telling us. Fantastic book about the truth Christian faith.

German author Martin Mosebach has provided a worthy and dignified written legacy of the 20 Coptic Christians and their fellow martyr, Matthew of Ghana who were martyred on a Libyan beach in February 2015.

The book, already a national bestseller in Mosebach’s native Germany and released last year in March 2018, has now been translated into English, published by Plough Publishing House on this the 4 year anniversary of their martyrdom.

Symbolic in its presentation, (there are 21 Chapters that form the book) the reader is taken on a journey by the author into another world. This is a world of deeply held traditions, values, and convictions and yet contradictions; a world that many of us in the West are unfamiliar with – in fact a Christianity that many Christians in the West would find unfamiliar, especially those from within an ‘Evangelical’ tradition!

In this sense, Mosebach a western professional is both actual traveller and also representative of westerners into this strange, foreign, and unknown world. However, Mosebach’s skill as an author results in a book that is thoroughly gripping and chilling, as well as respectful and reverential to the lives of the martyrs and their families. Mosebach has delivered a work that certainly will leave the reader satisfied that they have understood something of the faith and culture that under-girded the lives of the 21 Christian men, something of an insight into the Coptic tradition, and also an insight into the plight of other Christian communities the globe over who do not live in the extremely privileged West.

The book with Mosebach’s warm and engaging style will draw the reader sympathetically into the lives of the martyrs families. Readers will be amazed by the very ordinariness of the faith of the martyrs – they weren’t men who were important by the world’s standards, not academics, not trying to be the next-best-thing, but simple men; men who needed to work abroad to help support their families and who in the simple duties and tasks of life were guided by their faith and understanding of Christianity. Mosebach is certainly not leaving posterity with a mere hagiography and sensationalist bestseller. It is a retelling of the martyrdom of 21 Christian men, their families who live on (albeit with the subsequent veneration of martyrs), and an invitation to explore the world, traditions, and cultures that these Christians find themselves a part of.

Western readers will certainly be challenged. Certainly by the account of the martyrdom – something that seems remote to our comfortable lives, especially for Western Christians. Martyrdom is something one reads of in the annals of Church History, usually in the comfort of abstract discussion groups and comfortable surroundings of coffee bars in Church or the lecture theatre at Seminary. Yet, the dawn of global technology brought the horrors of Diocletian persecution into our living rooms, in fact our very palms as social media delivers the images to our hand held devices.

Whilst many may be crying out for retribution, the book addresses the matter calmly, reflecting the attitude and demeanour of both the hierarchy of the Coptic Church and that of the laity: that of acceptance of martyrdom when it comes; the reality of confessing the name of Christ in a hostile world.

Mosebach is careful to tell readers that the families of the martyrs and the leaders of the Coptic Church in Egypt insist that their loved-ones were martyrs for Jesus Christ, just others in a long line of martyrs down through the ages rather than victims of terrorism. Insights like this help realigns our thoughts, challenges our myopic disposition, and removes the cataracts from our eyes. A number of chapters in the book help readers understand and appreciate that for Coptic Christians – who have been a minority since the Arab invasion in the 7th Century A.D – they have known what it is like to be a Church of Martyrs and who have not really had the same privilege of state support that the Western Church and Eastern Byzantine Churches knew.

The background information into the history and unfolding of the Coptic tradition is extremely helpful, especially to many Western Christians who will read this book. For those Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox (Greek, Romanian, Russian, etc) who read the book, there will at least be a familiarity with elements of the rituals discussed and general rites for example. It is Evangelicals who will perhaps struggle the most, especially in the discussion surrounding devotion to Mary, pilgrimages, and icons etc that form a significant element of the devotional life of Copts. However, the culture is foreign along with the customs and rites, yet Mosebach is skilled at unpacking this and grounding the reader so that they will be prepared to at least to some comprehension understand the demeanour of the martyrs that day they were became martyrs for Christ on a Libyan beach by the cruel hands of those who ended their earthly life.


I obtained a review copy of this book from the Publisher in return for an honest review. I was not obliged to give a positive review. My thanks to the Publisher.

This book offers more insight into the struggles that Coptic Christians face and more so in Egypt. I'd heard about the 21 who were beheaded for their faith, but never thought more about their lives prior to that fate and it's sad that we live in a world where kindness and tolerance is strained in the name of religion. Reading this book was more of an emotional read than I'd expected, but nonetheless, the author did his research and what he presents here is a story that gives you the bigger picture.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Perhaps you remember the 2015 news stories about the Coptic martyrs. Recently, I finished reading The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach. This book details the author's journey to learn more about the martyred men. He desired to find out what their background story was that made them willing to be martyrs. In doing so, he learned about the men but more specifically learned about the Coptic Christians of Egypt.

Many readers are familiar with Protestant Christians, Catholic Christians, perhaps Orthodox Christians, but many haven't heard of Coptic Christians. Due to this gap in knowledge, Mosebach spends a great deal of time explaining the history and background of Coptic Christianity. This includes not only their beliefs and history, but also how their geographic location influences their spirituality and interaction with the Bible. As such, this book serves as part theological history, part travelogue, and part memoir to the martyred men. What stands out while reading the book is while growing up in their small Egyptian villages, they were no different than any other person in their village. Their bedrock was the church and they lived out their Coptic faith daily. While these men are now considered saints in the Coptic church, their allegiance to Christ is also lived out in their families and villages as a matter of course. This is a great resource to expand your view of world Christianity and highly recommended.

The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach is a book that tells the story of the 21 men who were killed for their faith. This book tells the story of these 21 men and the faith they shared, the village they lived in, and the persecution they faced. They paid the ultimate price for their faith-- their lives. Here, this book shows pictures of the men and tells their stories. It is an interesting book. It is a story to remember. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

February 15, 2015, the date 21 Egyptian laborers were killed by ISIS in Libya, seems like yesterday when compared to the ancient history of the Coptic church. Mosebach digs deep into the lives and faith of these martyrs and ties them into the long history of Egyptian Copts. Fascinating, sad and encouraging. Review based on an ARC received through NetGalley.

A remarkable story! This shocking! Heartbreaking story has been with me ever since I stared at the cover. Then, as I read the title, THE 21, by Martin Mosebach, over and over again, I wondered what those numbers could mean. Then I started reading the book and could not believe what was happening. The first sentence drew me in, and I read further into the book and found out the horror of what went on.
These men willingly laid down their lives. At first there were 20, then the twenty-first man, as he was being killed, did not try to save himself. If he had spoken up, would they not have killed him? But, would that mean that he would have denied the same faith if he had? Each one of the 21 led a remarkable life as a farmer. Then went on to become martyrs for Christ. As each story of each man was told, and how each one died, or was killed, the picture of each man was shown throughout the book. Amazing story!

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

As a piece of investigative journalism this book has its faults, but as a human interest story it’s a fascinating and enlightening exploration of religious persecution and the inhumanity of ISIS. In February 2015 ISIS militants beheaded 21 Coptic Christian migrant workers on a beach in Libya. The execution was professionally and expertly filmed as a piece of propaganda. In the eyes of their church these men are now martyrs. The author was inspired by their cruel deaths to find out more about who these men were, where they came from, and how they ended up on that fateful beach. I found the book deeply disturbing and deeply moving, putting as it does such a human face on to just some of ISIS’s victims. But I would have preferred a more impartial account. The author is obviously impressed by their apparently stoic acceptance of their terrible end thanks to their deep faith, and thus shies away on occasion of investigating more deeply into their backgrounds. He admits to sometimes simply not asking questions when he meets the families, in order not to upset them. Nevertheless, the book is an important one, not least in its explanations about the Coptic Church and its continued persecution, and I learnt a lot from it. The murder of these innocent men is such a wicked and cruel waste of life and my heart goes out to them and their families.

I liked reading this book. It gave a lot of background on the Coptic faith as well as the 21 who were martyred. It is very accessible to readers who know a lot or a little about both of these things.

I will say that Mosebach attempted to leave bias on the side, but failed. His prejudices show throughout the book, but that is to be expected when you wrote about something so emotionally charged. I just would have preferred he not address putting away his views, since he didn't actually do that.

Twenty-one men in orange jumpsuits walking in a single file with their captors to their death. Why? What happened? Who are they? The book cover provoked all these questions. I had to find out; so I read The 21 written by Martin Mosebach.

On February 15, 2015 twenty-one Copts were martyred because of their faith. Martin Mosebach takes you on a journey as he investigates the background of these 21 men and the Coptic Church. Each chapter has its interesting facts and a story that gives the reader insight into the world of Coptic Christians.

The 21, gives the reader a glimpse into what it means to live committed to your faith. It resurrects the no-compromise attitude the apostles and believers of the New Testament had. It never crossed their minds to give up Jesus for their physical life. An attitude that challenges many believers today. It raises the question, “What would you have done?”

Mr. Mosebach described their family lives, their church, and beliefs with such clarity that the reader experienced the journey alongside the author. You are there when he talks to the family members of these men, noticing the world they live in, understanding the reason why these men worked so far from home. You look at the photographs and see these twenty-men as individuals in unity in their faith.

He talks about them, their beliefs and outlook on martyrdom with the deepest respect, but with a warmth and humaneness that draws you closer. At the same time, he teaches and instructs as he uncovers facts and information about the Coptic martyrs that are astounding. He brings history into the present day without it being a history lesson.

I would recommend the book, The 21, to all readers, but specifically to Christians, irrespective if you’re from the West or the East; Orthodox or non-Orthodox. It will encourage you and motivate you to stand for your faith. The book reminded me of how thankful I am to be saved by Jesus Christ who died for me on the cross. It pushed the daily issues into perspective as insignificant and futile compared to what it means to be a Christian.

This book brought one inside of the Coptic religion and the lives of those who worship in the Coptic Church. The author traveled to Egypt to meet the families of the 21 men who were video taped being murdered by the Isis terrorists. These people live there faith, as it should be. There is no separation between belief and action.

The men who were killed were instant martyrs and their families and communities treat them as such. The evil men who killed them did not know that their video would do more for Christians than any other action. The blood of martyrs are the seeds of the Church. Just as Christ died, so all Christians are to follow Him and these men went to their death refusing to deny Christ.

In such evil, much good can come and that is the way of the Lord. If anything, this book will show people how deep faith can be. There is such a great disparity between those who murder others in the pretense of following God and those who die truly following God.

The 21 A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs is an ARC from Plough Publishing. The book for me was difficult to begin to read. The thought of reading on the beheading of 21 religious individuals sickened me. I pushed through and found information on an Eastern Religious community that has been ostracized for centuries.
The author travels to the homes of the families of the victims to find a humble community that are grieving but still remain strong in their faith. These 21 men are the Coptic Martys and this is the story of how there faith kept them strong and their families strong.#ploughpublishing #21