Book of the week: The Thunder: A Novel on John Knox

 “Francis looked at Master Knox’s still form and bit his lower lip. ‘Either they’ll hang us all on the spot . . .’ He paused. ‘Or enslave us in the galleys of the French.’ . . .
“I at first felt grateful that they did not hang us. There were a number of times in the nineteen months that followed, however, when I wondered if hanging would have been far better.”


John Knox, the Thundering Scot, lives a life of adventure and danger in turbulent, corrupt sixteenth-century Scotland. Finding himself a wanted man, Knox is besieged in a castle by French soldiers, seized, and made a galley slave. Yet he is unflinching in his stand for the gospel, even in the face of assassins and death, and even when his fiery preaching makes him an enemy of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Told from the perspective of a young student resolved to protect Knox no matter the cost, Douglas Bond’s thrilling biographical novel provides a look at the harrowing life story of a giant of the faith. Discover the fascinating story of a timid man transformed by the grace and power of the gospel into one of the most influential figures in Scottish history.


“Rich, descriptive passages paint a vivid picture of Scotland and England during the Reformation. The spiritual aspect of the story is richer still, inviting the reader to wrestle with the gospel truths Knox so fearlessly preached.”
—Liz Curtis Higgs, author, the Lowland of Scotland series

“Historically informative and spiritually inspiring, as well as highly enjoyable and fast-paced. . . . A gripping novel sure to stir the faith of anyone who longs to see the triumph of God's Word in our own time.”
— Richard D. Phillips, senior minister, Second Presbyterian Church


Douglas Bond is the author of a number of books of historical fiction and biography. He and his wife have two daughters and four sons. Bond is an elder in the Presbyterian Church of America, a teacher, a conference speaker, and a leader of church history tours. Visit his website at www.bondbooks.net.

About Douglas Bond

Douglas Bond is author of more than twenty books of historical fiction, biography, devotion, and theology, including two adult novels translated and published by Dutch publishing houses. Bond and his wife Cheryl have been married for more than thirty years and have two daughters, four sons, and two granddaughters.

He is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA); has a Masters in Teaching (MIT) from St Martin's University, and a Preliminary Certificate in Theology from Moore Theological College, NSW Australia; teaches English and history at a classical Christian high school; and was awarded by the Pierce County Library Foundation and Arts Commission the "2005 Teacher Award" for teaching young adults how to write.

He is on the advisory board of Glorious Films (Montreal) with Derek Thomas, Michael Haykin, and others (2014). As a hymn writer and author of several books on hymn writers and hymnody, Bond was asked to be a consultant for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) special feature series on Christian hymns God's Greatest Hits (2012).

Additionally, Bond has led Church History tours in Europe since 1996 (www.bondvoyage.webs.com), and has also been consulted on church history documentary films. Frequently interviewed on Christian radio stations, Bond was featured in French newspaper Le Midi Libre (1/18/2015) on his book HAMMER OF THE HUGUENOTS, written on-location in France. Additionally, Bond's articles on church history and theology have appeared in Modern Reformation, Table Talk, byFaith (author interview), Western Reformed Seminary Journal, Light and Life magazines, and in the Aquila Report. In addition to leading church history tours, Bond often lectures at conferences on literature and Church history.

Bond first started writing books when his own children begged him not to read to them but to tell them original stories. He haltingly launched in. They wanted more. Some of those original stories came in installments and lasted for weeks. Then one night in 1999 he couldn't sleep. Ideas began pouring in for the Mr. Pipes books on hymnody. He sat up in the dark, so not to disturb his intensely patient wife, and scribbled out the opening episodes, mapping out the first book before morning. And then he began writing furiously.

And continues to do so. Forthcoming HAMMER OF THE HUGUENOTS (2015), THE BATTLE OF SEATTLE, PNW Indian War novel set in 1855 Puget Sound (2016), a children's picture book in verse JOB'S HARD JOB, and others. He is currently researching and beginning the writing on a historical fiction novel set in the Western Front of WW I (War in the Wasteland, working title) in which 19 year old CS Lewis, wounded in the Battle of Arras 1918, will feature.

Follow Bond at his web site bondbooks.net (read book excerpts and listen audio to sample chapters) and his blog douglasbondbooks.blogspot.com.

One critic has written that "Douglas Bond is a rising star in the historical fiction genre for older and younger readers." Christian Book Previews

Happy reading!

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y45x92lg 

Twitter: @bondbooks