The Final Race: The Incredible World War II Story of the Olympian Who Inspired Chariots of Fire

Eric T. Eichinger; Eva Marie Everson

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9781538491034: The Final Race: The Incredible World War II Story of the Olympian Who Inspired Chariots of Fire

ISBN 10: 1538491036 ISBN 13: 9781538491034

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2018

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[Read by Lloyd James]

The first race you run isn't the your important one: it's the final race that matters most. You won't want to miss this story of an Olympian who chose the better way.

On July 19, 1924, Eric Liddell was on top of the world.

He was the most famous Briton at the time, having just won the gold in the Olympic 400-meter race. The story of that race -- and the one he didn't run -- was told in the popular movie classic Chariots of Fire. But what most of us don't know is what became of Eric Liddell in the years after the credits rolled.

As the storm clouds of World War II rolled in, Eric Liddell had already made decisions in his life that gave him the resilience to stand tall while others fell into despair. His strength of character led him to choose an uncertain future in China during World War II to continue helping the Chinese. He lived purposefully, even as his world crumbled and he experienced the horror and deprivations of a Japanese internment camp.

Eric's story is a story of hope in the face of uncertainty, resilience in the face of unspeakable odds, and an inspiring vision of what life means, even when the final hour comes.

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From the Back Cover:

Almost a full century has passed since Eric Liddell’s running career began and his renown caught fire. Once he made his decision to withdraw from the 1924 Olympics 100-meter event due to religious observance, his iconic legacy was seared in time.

A prized favorite to win gold for Britain, Eric was dragged through the homeland mud on the heels of his announcement. Yet Liddell navigated gold-medal glory via a different route, the 400 meters, a distance with which he had minimal experience.

Against all odds, he ran victoriously and in the process inspired millions. In so doing he preserved his routine commitment of honoring God by resting on the Sabbath and provided a rapturous reason for Britain to celebrate. The flame that had been lit beneath his celebrity exploded throughout the world.

Eric’s incredible display of faith during the Olympics was just the begin-ning.

Eric had another race in his life yet to run―a more important one, with a much greater prize.

This final race of faith was not marked out using the familiar lines of a track.

He did not know where it would end.

He could not have imagined how his world would be torn apart before it was all over.

About the Author:

Eric T. Eichinger is an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He holds degrees from Michigan State University, where he ran varsity track and field, and Concordia Seminary. Prior to his pastoral call, he served with World Mission for two years in China. He is currently senior pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Clearwater, Florida.

Eva Marie Everson was born and brought up near Savannah. A seminary graduate and former nurse turned Christian novelist, her previous books include The Potluck Club, Things Left Unspoken, and Chasing Sunsets.

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