This list does not pretend to be an exhaustive index to good biographies. But they are books worth finding, reading, and recommending. The Bible tells us, “He that walks with wise men shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed.” The closest we may ever get to many wise men is to hold in our hands the printed records of their lives. We admit that is far inferior to actually knowing, listening to, and working beside men and women of God. While realizing the faults and shortcomings of biographies, we also know that past generations enjoyed the ministries of great men of God, who are really worth knowing. These are well-written, edifying books, as well as standard works. There are many great men about whom there is no adequate biography, and there are doubtless many excellent biographies not listed because we are unaware of them or have not been able to obtain or read them. But there are enough here to keep a serious reader busy for a long time. Most of these books are out of print, but may be gotten secondhand or from libraries.
Alexander, Charles M. 1876-1920
Charles M. Alexander, by Helen C. Alexander & J. Kennedy MacLean
Baxter, Richard 1615-1691
Autobiography (several editions)
Life and Times of Richard Baxter, by William Orme
Bliss, Philip P. 1838-1876
Memoirs of Philip P. Bliss, by D. W. Whittle
Bray, Billy 1794-1868
The King’s Son, or a Memoir of Billy Bray, by F.W. Bourne
Brealey, George 1823-1888
Always Abounding: George Brealey, Evangelist of the Blackdown Hills, by W. J. H. Brealey
Bunyan, John 1828-1688
John Bunyan, by John Brown
John Bunyan, by Stephen B. Wickens
Chapman, Robert Cleaver 1803-1902
Brother Indeed, by Frank Holmes
Robert Cleaver Chapman of Barnstaple, by W. H. Bennet
Crosby, Fanny 1820-1915
Fanny Crosby’s Story of 94 Years, by S. Trevena Jackson
Darby, John Nelson 1800-1882
John Nelson Darby, by W. G. Turner
Edwards, Jonathan 1703-1758
Life of President Edwards, by Sereno Edwards Dwight (Vol. I of Edwards’ Works in ten volumes)
Finney, Charles G. 1792-1875
Memoirs of Charles G. Finney, by himself
Grimshaw, William 1709-1763
William Grimshaw, by Frank Baker
Hadley, Samuel H. 1842-1906
Down in Water Street, by himself
S. H. Hadley of Water Street, by J. Wilbur Chapman
Harris, Howell 1714-1773
The Early Life of Howell Harris, by Richard Bennett, translated by Gomer M. Roberts
Life of Howell Harris, by Hugh J. Hughes
Havergal, Francis Ridley 1836-1879
Frances Ridley Havergal: a Saint of God, by T. H. Darlow
Ironside, Harry 1876-1951
Ordained of the Lord, by E. Schuyler English
Luther, Martin 1483-1546
The Life of Luther, written by himself, collected and arranged by M. Michelet, translated by William Hazlitt
Marks, David 1805-1845
Memoirs of the Life of David Marks, by Mrs. Marilla Marks
Marshall, Alexander 1846-1928
Alexander Marshall (Pioneer series), by John Hawthorn
McAuley, Jerry 1839-1884
Jerry McAuley, edited by R. M. Offord
Jerry McAuley and His Mission, by Arthur Bonner
McKendrick, James 1859-?
Seen and Heard, by himself (The Pioneer Series)
Moody, D. L. 1837-1899
The Life of Dwight L. Moody, by William R. Moody
D. L. Moody and His Work, by W. H. Daniels
Moorhouse, Henry 1840-1880
Henry Moorhouse, the English Evangelist, by John MacPherson
Muller, George 1805-1898
Autobiography of George Muller, compiled by G. Fred. Bergin
George Muller of Bristol, by A. T. Pierson
Newton, John 1725-1807
Authentic Narrative of Remarkable and Interesting Particulars in the Life of John Newton, by himself
North, Brownlow 1810-1875
Brownlow North, by K. Moody-Stuart
Rea, David 1845-1916
David Rea, His Life and Labours, by Tom Rea
Riley, W. B. 1861-1947
The Dynamic of a Dream, by Marie Acomb Riley
Sankey, Ira D. 1840-1908
My Life and Sacred Songs, by himself
Savonarola, Girolamo 1452-1498
Life and Times of Girolamo Savonarola, by Pasquale Villari, translated by Linda Villari
Smith, Gipsy 1860-1947
Gipsy Smith: His Life and Work, by himself
Sixty Years an Evangelist, by Harold Murray
Spurgeon, C. H. 1834-1892
C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, compiled by his wife and his private secretary (2 volumes)
Sunday, Billy 1862-1935
The Real Billy Sunday, by Elijah P. Brown
Billy Sunday, by William T. Ellis
Torrey, R. A. 1856-1928
Torrey and Alexander, by George T. B. Davis
Torrey and Alexander, by J. Kennedy MacLean
Reuben Archer Torrey, by Robert Harkness
R. A. Torrey, by Rogert Martin
Tyndale, William 1490?-1536
William Tyndale, by R. Demaus
Vassar, John 1813-1878
Uncle John Vassar, by T. E. Vassar
Weaver, Richard
Richard Weaver
Wesley, John 1703-1791
The Life of John Wesley, by John Whitehead (2 volumes)
The Life of John Wesley, by John Telford
The Life and Times of John Wesley, by Luke Tyerman (3 volumes)
Wesley, Charles 1714-1788
Journal of Charles Wesley, edited by T. Jackson
Memoirs of Charles Wesley, by Thomas Jackson
Whitefield, George 1714-1770
George Whitefield’s Journals (Banner of Truth edition is best)
The Life of George Whitefield, by Luke Tyerman (2 volumes)
Wycliffe, John 1320?-1384
John Wycliffe and His English Precursers, by Gotthard Lechler, translated by Peter Lorimer