No Surrender: A Father, a Son, and an Extraordinary Act of Heroism That Continues to Live on Today

by Chris Edmonds, Douglas Century

Overview

In the tradition of #1 New York Times bestsellers like Unbroken, Boys on the Boat, and Band of Brothers, No Surrender is an unforgettable story of a father's extraordinary acts of valor in World War II and a son's thrilling journey to discover them?an epic narrative of bravery, compassion, and faith.

Like most members of the Greatest Generation, Roddie Edmonds, a humble American soldier from East Tennessee, rarely spoke about his experiences during World War II. Not even his son Chris knew the full details of Roddie's capture at the Battle of the Bulge or his captivity at Stalag IXA, a Nazi POW camp. But when Chris's daughter was assigned a family history project, Chris reread Roddie's wartime diaries, which set in motion a series of life-changing events.

Called to learn his father's story with a renewed sense of passion and purpose, Chris embarked on a years-long journey, interviewing surviving POWs under Roddie's command, and retracing his father's footsteps, from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where a boyish Roddie transformed into a seasoned leader of men, to the patch of grass near Ziegenhain, Germany, where he stared evil in the eye and dared a Nazi to shoot.

Along with New York Times bestselling author Douglas Century, Chris Edmonds takes us to the front lines of this inspiring multigenerational story, revealing in gripping, novelistic detail Roddie's previously untold heroism--and the lasting effects his bravery had on the lives of thousands, then and now. "What's most remarkable about my journey to discover what my father did in the Second World War," Chris writes, was "the realization that any one of us has the untapped potential to do something incredibly courageous. . . . We all have the potential to change the world simply by standing up for what's right."

A shining example of the transformative and redemptive power of moral courage, No Surrender is a celebration of faith, family, and service--the very characteristics that define us today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062905024
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/20/2020
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	484,183
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chris Edmonds is senior pastor of Piney Grove Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, and chief executive officer of Roddie’s Code, LLC, and The Roddie Edmonds Foundation, organizations committed to extending the legacy and leadership of Master Sergeant Edmonds to future generations. He also teaches Leadership Development to military leaders at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He earned his bachelor's degree in business at the University of Tennessee and, later, a master's degree in religion at Liberty Theological Seminary. He lives in Maryville, Tennessee, with his wife, Regina.

Douglas Century is the author and coauthor of numerous bestselling books including Hunting El Chapo, Under and Alone, Brotherhood of Warriors, Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter, and Takedown: The Fall of the Last Mafia Empire, a finalist for the 2003 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. His most recent book, No Surrender, coauthored with Chris Edmonds, was published by Harper One and was the recipient of a 2020 Christopher Award. A veteran investigative journalist, Century’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Tablet and the Guardian.

Editorial Reviews

Roddie Edmonds is a hero for our age—or any age. His story of principled defiance in the face of evil is an inspiration and a challenge. In No Surrender, Chris Edmonds and Douglas Century have given us the one righteous man whose goodness spares us all.

 New York Times bestselling author of Fall an Mitchell Zuckoff

There’s perhaps no greater untold story to come out of World War II. It’s a heck of a father-son story, but it’s also a tale of the power of one man to do something selfless that forever changes a life.

Newsweek

There’s perhaps no greater untold story to come out of World War II. It’s a heck of a father-son story, but it’s also a tale of the power of one man to do something selfless that forever changes a life.” — Newsweek

“After his father’s death, Chris Edmonds journeyed across the US and to Germany to discover his father’s heroic past. No Surrender is a quintessential American story of bravery, compassion, and righteousness told by an admiring son.” — James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers

“Roddie Edmonds is a hero for our age—or any age. His story of principled defiance in the face of evil is an inspiration and a challenge. In No Surrender, Chris Edmonds and Douglas Century have given us the one righteous man whose goodness spares us all.” — Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11

“A fascinating war story... a you-are-there portrait of the horrors of war and the incredible effect one selfless person can have on hundreds.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“In this page-turning memoir, Edmonds and Century chronicle the WWII experiences of Edmond’s late father, Army Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds…[and] have skillfully transformed war records, interviews, and archival data into a dramatic account…More than a story of brothers in arms, this work is a son’s labor of love.” — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

From the Publisher

There’s perhaps no greater untold story to come out of World War II. It’s a heck of a father-son story, but it’s also a tale of the power of one man to do something selfless that forever changes a life.

Newsweek

After his father’s death, Chris Edmonds journeyed across the US and to Germany to discover his father’s heroic past. No Surrender is a quintessential American story of bravery, compassion, and righteousness told by an admiring son.

James Bradley

Roddie Edmonds is a hero for our age—or any age. His story of principled defiance in the face of evil is an inspiration and a challenge. In No Surrender, Chris Edmonds and Douglas Century have given us the one righteous man whose goodness spares us all.

MITCHELL ZUCKOFF

Only after my father died did I learn what he and his buddies had done on Iwo Jima. After his fathers’ death, Chris Edmonds journeyed across the US and to Germany to discover his father’s heroic past. No Surrender is a quintessential American story of bravery, compassion, and righteousness told by an admiring son.

JAMES BRADLEY