Monday, September 29, 2014

The Daring Heart of David Livingstone, by Jay Milbrandt



This is a biography about is historical figure who "wore many hats." David Livingstone was a missionary, an abolitionist of East African slavery, a scientific explorer, and an exile. Told in chronological order, each chapter contains maps charting where Livingstone was at the given time. Each chapter also starts out with a David Livingstone quote, a brief summary of that chapter plus statistics of slaves sold annually during the time period and the total victims of that trade. The biography ends with study guide questions based on the chapters and contains research footnotes.

Since this book is set in a different culture and time from my own, this affected my ability to follow its narrative. I reread parts of it to comprehend its content. Clearly, the author wanted to make sure that Livingstone is not unrealistically as a "super-holy" saint and missionary whose feet never touched the ground. In so many biographies, authors caricaturize their subjects, making us wonder if their subject was really that "perfect" in life, without any dark side or struggles that show their humanity. The author shows us Livingstone's passion for his mission of abolishing the East African slave trade and his deep love of God. He also reveals Livingstone's struggles with discouragement and depression. This book is realistic. The author's practice of using charts, timelines and maps made it easier for me to read it in its historical context. I won't give any details away but clearly Livingstone did not have an easy life.

I recommend this book for adults 18 and over. The content will probably be too hard to comprehend or appreciate by youth. When I had to do required reading of any historical material in school, it made little sense to me. Any history buff will enjoy this book, as will people who have a heart for missions, especially those in Africa. I recommend it for anyone who is considering becoming a missionary. Christian universities offering courses in church history may consider making this book required reading for their students.

I received a complimentary copy of this book by Booklook Bloggers. I was not required to give this book a positive review.

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