A US Marine fighter pilot explores life’s important questions as he prepares for combat, searches for truth, and wages spiritual warfare during his mission to become a better husband and father. “I highly recommend it.”— John Njoroge, speaker and radio host at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
Jason B. Ladd grows up in a military family with loving parents but spends his young life filled with spiritual apathy. Ladd enters the US Marine Corps, becomes a fighter pilot, and sees combat in Iraq before life events align to nudge him into profound spiritual inquiry. Digging deep into his quest for truth, he realizes the art and science of fighter pilot fundamentals can help him on his journey.
Filled with stories that contrast his spiritual apathy with his post-Christian worldview passion, One of the Few is the compelling life story of a spiritual seeker engaged in a thrilling profession combined with a strong, reasonable defense of Christianity.
For fans of Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, and Frank Turek, Ladd’s remarkable journey shares the transformative power of faith during a time when belief in God is dismissed and religious liberty in the military is attacked.
My Take:
This is a non-fiction memoir and apologetic, so to speak, of a Marine fighter pilot and his journey to faith. Jason begins this account as a cocky, self-assured agnostic with a fiery ambition to be the best of the best, a Top Gun fighter pilot in the Marines, who DON'T just take 'anybody.' He ends the account in a settled faith in the Lord of Creation, and his journey from A to B is laid out for all to see, with a well-thought-out, erudite apologetic for the faith, for purity, for moving on with God.
Content:
Drug Content:
PG - Alcoholism is quite common in the military, and it is unveiled in a frank and clear exposition as to its dangers and effects. Jason is clear that while drinking is not prohibited in scripture, drunkenness is described therein as unwise. Smoking and other drug use are also discussed briefly.
Violence:
PG - In wartime, there is bound to be death on both sides, whether dealing or receiving it. The struggle in military conflict is exposed without giving sensitive information. Jason struggled with the death of insurgents he was ordered to take out. A death by dragging is described.
Language:
G - I do not recall any language in the book at all.
Adult Content:
PG - There is a brief description of the soldiers' life and forays on leave with the ladies in town calling for attention. Nothing is described, but one soldier who left early as the group went to a strip club, later mentioned offhand that he left early because he took two girls home with him. There is some mention of the struggles of loneliness and infidelity when deployed, and the high divorce rate in the military. Pornography, its additive perils and collateral damage are clearly explained and decried.
Christian content:
This is a solidly Christian conversion story. It is rife with apologetics at every step as Jason takes us along on each step from unbelief through reasoning and analysis of the Christian faith, to solid belief. He doesn';t just cover the basics, but also delves into God's requirements for purity and holiness, and several of the common threats to it. Each chapter begins with two opposing quotes - one from the worldly, atheistic point of view, and one from either a biblical apologist or straight from scripture, exposing the opposing worldview for what it is. Quotes from Chuck Colson, Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, Walter Martin, and C. S. Lewis share pages with Deepak Chopra, The Satanic Bible, and Manuals on Military Codes of Conduct. Strange bedfellows, but every page is directed to the cross.
Final analysis:
Jason has done a masterful job of presenting the truth couched in terms a person in the military (or anyone else) can identify with, as well as clear guidance for a seeker beginning from where he was, an agnostic or atheist with an open mind. It is well-written, erudite, well-informed, solidly Christian, informative, hard-hitting, challenging, even convicting. Five Stars!
About the Author:
Author website: http://www.jasonbladd.com
---Jason B. Ladd is an award-winning author, US Marine, and Iraq War veteran. Ladd served on active duty with the Marines for fourteen years and has flown as an instructor pilot in both the F/A-18 and the F-16 fighter jets. He is the founder of Boone Shepherd, LLC and creator of IndieListers.com, the largest live online database of book promotions results built by authors. He and his wife, Karry, are the parents of seven children.
His book One of the Few was awarded as Finalist in the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and has been optioned for film adaptation. He is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.
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