Day of War (Lion of War Series)

by Cliff Graham

Book Overview

Day of War, author Cliff Graham's first novel, has earned him a film option for the entire book series--Lion of War--from director David L. Cunningham (Path to 9/11) and producer Grant Curtis... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310331838
• Release Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.2" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Day Of War—incredible journey into the Old Testament

This book is a raw and intense vision of how God’s Grace may have worked through the men He chose to achieve His goals. It touched my soul, and drew me into the story of King David and his Mighty Men in a personal way.

Must read novel! Really!

Review: Day of War is a special novel amid special novels. The only flaw with Day of War is that very few people may actually get what the author is trying to do, so compelling is the writing. If one--and the story is so fiercely driven and compelling that it would be very easy to do-- is distracted enough to be caught up merely in the characters swinging swords and bleeding bodies, they may miss the brilliantly composed dialectics bleeding through every carefully crafted page and chapter. They may miss, just as they might in the Bible itself, the real and true meaning of stories about war and painful descriptions of human suffering. The real story that speaks about paradigms, lifestyles, and above all the quest for ontology--literally what it means to be, who we are, and why we suffer along with triumphs. The point is that this novel, while as white-knuckled, and testosterone producing as any blockbuster war epic, is really about people, not war. This novel is about parents and sons, women, and honor and righteousness. It is about the religiously supernatural, and the human traps we all must experience, and Graham's writing is so detailed and compelling that one would have to have a dormant heart to not feel the pain as one reads the perils of Jonathon, Saul, David, and Benaiah. Finally, the story is really about conversion, and confusion of conversion. Graham doesn't paint a simplistic or unitary figure of who prophets and people are, but describes characters who are real--flawed, but heroic. You will respect what our ancestors have done in new and profound ways after reading DOW. As a slightly compulsive student of the Bible myself, I am constantly frustrated when novels that describe the Bible use populist and even pontificating promotions of the Bible that are often odd, unrealistic, hopelessly inaccurate, and frankly, a little Star Trek. Graham's knowledge and passion for the history and depth of the Bible is a wonderful breath of relieving oxygen. For instance, where most writers gloss over the importance of the Old Testament's temple attire, use of Urim and Thummum, and reliance of both males and females with metaphysical insight, and where most seem to be confused or adrift on the chapters of Isaiah and Ezekiel and the meaning and intent of the Abrahamic Covenant, Graham brilliantly strangles the reader into the realities and daily life of the ancient inhabitants of the modern Middle East, and makes it all believable and palpable, and he even accurately describes the atrocities and unbelievable vices of ancient temples and standards of those who would follow and serve Baal, all in a way that doesn't feel odd, preachy, weird-o-ish, and for lack of a better word, is mesmerizing. The point is that DOW is so expertly written, so absolutely tantalizing, that one is tempted to feel the rush of a story such as Braveheart and do nothing more. In fact, probably most of the book reviewers will talk just about that aspect of DOW, and it is wor

worth the read

This book is written exceptionally well. The author draws you in from the start and keeps you involved throughout. I personally found a hint of James Michener in that the historical research made it seem so believable. The author weaves the story in such a way that the reader feels like they enter into another era. You gain a feel for the culture, and a sense of the lives of its people. Sometimes after completing a book I feel like it was a waste of time. I absolutely did NOT feel that way upon completion of this book. I am anxious for the next one to hit the stores. Also, as a believer, if you are looking to grow in your personal faith journey-- this book blessed me. Certainly not a typical Christian book, perhaps not for the fainthearted.

Day of War

I am a great fan of historical fiction, especially Biblical history, and especially when as well written as Day of War. The book is exceptional in the way it makes you feel like you are in the heat of the battle right alongside David and his mighty men. Definitely not for the faint of heart, it takes your breath away as you feel the breeze as the lion's paw strikes at you, or the arrows are flying all around you. We can read in the Bible of the deeds of David and his men as they fought to get him to the throne that was promised, but this book makes the scenes and battles come to life. The thoughts and feelings of the men as some of them weren't so sure they should put their faith in Yahweh, yet they followed David, and he believed in Yahweh. The story lives and breathes the lessons learned by these mighty men and what gave them the strength to go on. I look forward to the next book in the series with great anticipation!Day of War (Lion of War)

Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer have Benaiah posters in their rooms...

Cliff Graham vividly brings an Old Testament story to life with his first book of the "Lion of War" series. "Day of War" is a fantastic historical fiction revolving around some of the most incredible characters in ancient history. Graham directly attacks today's seemingly ubiquitous misconceptions about Bible stories. Many people would be surprised to find graphic, epic battles, murderous and corrupt villains, passionate love, and tragically flawed protagonists--all elements of great stories--in Biblical text. However, Graham reminds us of the adventure to be found in the Scripture, perhaps never more evident than in the stories of David and his warriors. Drawing from the characters described in passages such as 2 Samuel 23, we are shown the world of a broken Israel at constant war through the eyes of Benaiah, a troubled soldier in search of purpose. After hearing of an army of mercenaries led by the warlord David, Benaiah finds himself joining in their exploits. David is a mystery to all of his men in the band of misfits, but seeing as he never loses a battle, they follow him for the sake of the plunder of a raid. But Benaiah sees something more in David--a purpose, a supernatural destiny--that brings him to follow the man ever more loyally, and in turn, to reset his priorities in his personal life. Heart-pounding battles with lions, raids on villages, a fight-to-the-death with a gigantic Egyptian, climactic clashes with much larger enemy armies, and the most skilled warriors of the ancient world--all contribute to an adrenaline rush like never before. With the author's own military experience and expertise, we are given a look into the mind of brilliant military strategist, David, from the pen of someone who is familiar with war, as well as with the bonds of brotherhood formed in war. Finally, a book that stays true to the historical David and his "mighty men"! I'm already counting down the days until the second book! I'm ready for another dose of hair on my chest.

This Book Will Kick Your Teeth In! (In a good way)

I'll admit it. Before I started reading Cliff Graham's debut fiction novel, `Day of War', I was a bit of a sissy. I had thin candle wax legs. My tunic was raggedy. And even the sheep would laugh when I told them to move. But now I'm as big as an ox, and when the sheep bah in protest I pick them up and hurl them with my teeth. Such is the testosterone induced frenzy that Graham's fiery novel about King David's Mighty Men is capable of. Although written with a Christian audience in mind, and deriving its exploits from the biblical scripture of the Book of Samuel, Graham's novel is one of a rare breed that manages to leap out with a ferocity that will ensnare non-Christian readers as well. `Day of War' achieves this remarkable feat by regarding the Bible on its literary merits rather than using it as podium. And in doing so, is able to weave a remarkable story that inhabits the larger tale of David's ascension to the throne. This first book in the larger "Lion of War" series follows the story of Benaiah, one of the outlaws that David has recruited to help him take the throne. Benaiah has a wavering faith in David's god, Yahweh, and has joined purely for the thrill of killing Amalekites. The details of Benaiah's past are revealed throughout the novel, mainly during the intervals between war scenes where Graham cultivates a brotherhood among the many different nationalities of men that David has recruited. A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom himself, Graham seems to be no stranger to this type of soldier camaraderie. The heart of the novel lies in those intervals of rest between battles where the warriors huddle around campfires to discuss politics, women, and to harass one another. Each of these scenes is finely hewn into the larger plot without seeming extraneous and the men are presented in raw detail, both flawed and expertly skilled. Although there is a great deal of misogyny in `Day of War', it seems to come with the territory of dealing with ancient warriors. Graham does a remarkable job of presenting both sides of men, including David himself, who constantly ridicule their wives around one another, while exalting them in private and begging forgiveness for their bloody deeds. In doing so, Graham creates a seamless pattern of fiction and history that feels as real as if he were reporting live from the battlefields of Saul circa 1000 B.C. From Benaiah's opening encounter with a pair of ferocious lions to its final bombastic and bloody battle with the Amalekites, `Day of War' moves with the same swiftness and adrenaline of the warriors who inhabit it. Every sentence is taut and the dialogue kept to a stoic minimum, reflecting the hero's countenance. Somewhere between Frank Miller's immortal `300' and Stephen Ambrose's sorrowful `Band of Brothers' is where you'll find the blunt traumatic force behind `Day of War'. Grit your teeth and bear down. You've never felt hurt this good.