Written by Sam Childers
Book published by Thomas Nelson Reviewed by Heath Henwood. Sam Childers is the Machine Gun Preacher. A man who makes a difference in the lives of children and villages in Africa. The story follows Sam Childers, as he transforms from a life of violence and crime as a drug running biker to a reformed construction worker, to the machine gun preacher, protecting children in the Sudan from bands of raiding soldiers. While it highlights the cruel treatment of children in the Sudan and other African nations, it also reveals how Sam Childers life was shaped by the horrors occurring and his determination to make a difference. The book was published under the title Another Man’s War, while the Hollywood movie based on the book was released under the title Machine Gun Preacher, which stars Gerald Butler in the lead role of Sam Childers. This book is not for the faint hearted. It will redefine the way that you think about world events, and the impact one person can have upon a nation. It highlights the needs of children in the Sudan who are often ripped from their families by the LRA to serve either as sex slaves or soldiers. Sam Childers tackles this evil by rescuing children, providing them shelter, and working on reuniting them with their families. While the movie is not extremely violent as some modern movies, it does not hide the fact that villages are being decimated, children stolen and forced into an army or sold into slavery. It highlights the hope that the Machine Gun Preacher provides, while revealing the struggles Sam and his family go through on a daily basis. I saw the movie before reading the book, and found that the movie gave me a broad overview, while the book filled in many details and gave a more personal insight to the horrors and ongoing struggles. Both the book and the movie are well worth watching and will challenge your thinking, and maybe even prompt you to consider some action.
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