The 21

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.