Trustpilot
There's something uniquely powerful about reading the true story of a life given over to God. Missionary biographies have a way of doing what few other books can — they take us to the ends of the earth, show us the reality of faith under pressure, and remind us that God really is at work in the world today.
Whether you're a long-time believer looking to be stirred afresh, someone exploring Christian faith for the first time, or you simply love a gripping true story, this list is for you. These are some of our all-time favourite missionary biographies — books that have been recommended by Christians to other Christians for decades, and for very good reason.
1. God's Smuggler — Brother Andrew
If you've never read God's Smuggler, make this your first stop. Brother Andrew's remarkable account of smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War is one of the most beloved Christian books ever written. At its heart, this is a story about a simple prayer — "Lord, make seeing eyes blind" — prayed at border crossings with a car full of Scriptures. It reads almost like an adventure novel, except every word of it is true. A must-read for anyone who wants their faith challenged and enlarged.
2. Chasing the Dragon — Jackie Pullinger
Few stories capture the raw, transforming power of the Holy Spirit quite like Jackie Pullinger's. In the 1960s, a young English woman felt called by God to board a ship heading East — with no concrete plan, no mission organisation backing her, and barely any money. She ended up in Hong Kong's infamous Walled City, working among heroin addicts, gang members, and the desperately poor. Chasing the Dragon is her account of what happened next. It's visceral, beautiful, and utterly faith-building.
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3. The Cross and the Switchblade — David Wilkerson
This classic from the 1960s tells the story of a rural Pennsylvanian pastor who felt an inexplicable nudge from God to go to New York City and work with street gangs. What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. David Wilkerson's account of young men and women finding freedom from violence, drugs, and despair through the love of Jesus is both gripping and deeply moving. It later inspired the founding of Teen Challenge, which continues to change lives around the world today.
Find The Cross and the Switchblade on Eden →
4. The Heavenly Man — Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway
Prepare to be humbled. Brother Yun is a Chinese house church leader whose story of persecution, miraculous escape, and unshakeable faith has encouraged Christians across the globe. This account of the underground church in China — told through Yun's own eyes — includes stories of healing, answered prayer, and a kind of costly devotion to Jesus that most Western Christians rarely encounter. It may well be the most challenging book on this list, in the very best sense.
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5. The Biography of James Hudson Taylor — F. & M. Howard Taylor
Hudson Taylor founded the China Inland Mission in 1865 and gave his life to bringing the Gospel to inland China at a time when doing so meant genuine sacrifice. Written by his son and daughter-in-law, this biography is a rich and detailed portrait of a man who trusted God radically — including for finances, health, and protection in incredibly difficult circumstances. Taylor's famous declaration that "God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supply" was not just a motto; it was a testimony.
Find The Biography of James Hudson Taylor on Eden →
6. Count It All Joy — Helen Roseveare
Helen Roseveare was a British doctor who served as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) during one of its most turbulent periods. Her story includes suffering, loss, and extraordinary courage — and yet the overwhelming theme of her writing is joy. Count It All Joy carries the kind of hard-won wisdom that only comes through deep suffering and deep trust in God. Roseveare's perspective on what it means to give "the utmost for His highest" is genuinely life-changing.
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7. Daring to Hope — Katie Davis Majors
At 18 years old, Katie Davis travelled to Uganda on a short-term mission trip — and never really left. She eventually adopted thirteen Ugandan girls and founded a charity that serves thousands. Daring to Hope is her second book, and it's even more raw and searching than her first. It's a book about holding on to God when circumstances feel unbearable, and about the kind of faith that doesn't offer easy answers but clings to the goodness of God anyway. Beautifully written and deeply honest.
8. Amazing Love — Corrie Ten Boom
Corrie Ten Boom is best known for The Hiding Place, her account of hiding Jewish people during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Amazing Love is a wonderful companion book — a collection of stories from her years of travelling the world as an evangelist after the war. Warm, accessible, and full of Corrie's trademark mixture of practicality and profound faith, this is a book you can dip in and out of, or read cover to cover. Her message that there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still never loses its power.
9. God's Hostage — Andrew Brunson
This is one of the most recent books on the list, and it tells a story very much of our times. Andrew Brunson was an American pastor who had served in Turkey for over two decades when he was arrested in 2016 and held for two years on false terrorism charges. Rather than a triumphant story of unshakeable faith, Brunson is remarkably honest about the darkness, doubt, and spiritual struggle he experienced in prison. That honesty is precisely what makes this book so valuable — and so encouraging.
10. In the Land of Blue Burqas — Kate McCord
This quietly extraordinary book recounts the years "Kate McCord" (a pseudonym used for her protection) spent living in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Rather than dramatic rescues or miracles, it's a thoughtful, nuanced account of conversation after conversation with Afghan men and women about Jesus, faith, and what it means to follow God. It's one of the most insightful books on cross-cultural mission you'll ever read — and a timely reminder that faithful witness often looks like patient, respectful, Spirit-led relationship.
Find In the Land of Blue Burqas on Eden →
Where to Start?
If you're new to missionary biographies, God's Smuggler or Chasing the Dragon are wonderful places to begin — both are incredibly readable and likely to leave you wanting more. If you're looking for something that will particularly challenge your faith, The Heavenly Man or Count It All Joy might be the books to reach for.
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Whatever you choose, we hope these stories stir your heart, strengthen your faith, and remind you — as they have reminded so many before you — that the God who moved in these extraordinary lives is the very same God who is at work in yours today.
Browse our full range of missionary biographies at Eden →
