11 h 8 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 11 h 8 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if your soul were a walled town, and the enemy knew how to talk his way inside?
In John Bunyan’s Christian allegory The Holy War, Mansoul is both a splendid town and an image of a human being. Its maker, King Shaddai, represents God within the story. Diabolus wants to rule it, but his first weapons are flattery and argument, not force.
At the gates, Lord Willbewill stands for a will that can turn either way. Mr. Recorder, also called Conscience, speaks unwelcome truths. As Shaddai sends captains to reclaim Mansoul and his Son Emmanuel approaches, councils, petitions and sieges turn an inward struggle into a battle for the town.
What you’ll discover
- A mind made visible Explore a town whose streets, gates and officers give the inner life a concrete shape.
- An enemy with arguments Watch Diabolus seek control of Mansoul through flattery and argument rather than force.
- The will at the gates Meet Lord Willbewill, the powerful officer whose changing loyalties embody the struggle to choose.
- Conscience speaks unwelcome truths Hear Mr. Recorder tell Mansoul what it needs to hear, even when truth is unwelcome.
- Faith given dramatic form Follow Bunyan’s vision of spiritual conflict through captains, councils, trials and appeals to the king.
Who will love it
Readers who love allegory, siege stories and courtroom scenes, and anyone curious how Bunyan turns faith, temptation and forgiveness into a war.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A town holds a human soul
- Strong walls still depend on consent
- Temptation makes surrender sound reasonable
- False freedom serves a new master
- Emmanuel refuses a divided town
- The struggle concerns the will's loyalty
- Grace calls for continuing watchfulness
- Names make hidden motives visible
- Peace does not remove inward danger
Who’s who
- ShaddaiThe King who builds Mansoul for his own delight and sends captains to win it back after it rebels.
- EmmanuelShaddai's Son, who promises to recover Mansoul by justice and by war and then makes his home in its castle.
- DiabolusA fallen servant of Shaddai who takes Mansoul by flattery and lies and wants to hold it, or ruin it.
- Lord WillbewillA proud, strong lord of Mansoul who first serves the tyrant as keeper of the gates and later hunts his hidden friends.
- Mr. ConscienceThe old Recorder, who knows the King's law and thunders against sin but is silenced and mocked.
- Lord UnderstandingThe Mayor of Mansoul, darkened and shut away by Diabolus, who later returns to office under the Prince.
- Captain CredenceEmmanuel's chief captain, who carries the town's petitions to court and later leads its forces.
- IncredulityThe doubting Mayor under Diabolus who argues against surrender and later leads the tyrant's armies.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Holy War in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Holy War
by John Bunyan · 1682
A giant in disguise talks a walled town into opening its own gates, and then a Prince comes to win it back.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read in full
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
“the second-greatest allegory ever written, surpassed only by The Pilgrim's Progress.”
In short
What if the strongest walls in the world fall only when the people inside agree to open them? That is where The Holy War begins.
The Holy War at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 5 min4 h 50 min fast, 7 h 10 min slow
- Length
- 86,300 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1682by John Bunyan
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A town built for delight with walls that need consent
Shaddai builds Mansoul to give himself pleasure. In the middle stands a great palace kept for the King alone. The walls are so tightly joined that no enemy can shake them, unless the townspeople agree. The five gates are Ear-gate, Eye-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate and Feel-gate, and they open only by the will of those inside.
Diabolus was once a servant of Shaddai. He wanted the rank the King had given to his Son, so he plotted treason and was cast down into pits and chains. Furious, the rebels find Mansoul and decide that ruining the King's delight will be their revenge.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer. Your place follows you, and you can make the type as big as you like.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1682
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 7 h 15 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Bunyan, John. The Holy War. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-holy-war.
Bunyan, J. (2026). The holy war. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-holy-war (Original work published 1682)
Bunyan, John. The Holy War. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-holy-war.
@book{bunyan2026holy,
author = {Bunyan, John},
title = {The Holy War},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-holy-war},
note = {First published 1682}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Holy War
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Holy War about?
It tells of a town called Mansoul, built by King Shaddai, which falls to the tyrant Diabolus by trickery. The King's Son, Emmanuel, besieges it, wins it back and forgives it. Then comes a test of the town's watchfulness.
What does Mansoul stand for in The Holy War?
Mansoul stands for the human person. Its five gates are the senses, and its leaders such as Understanding, Conscience and Willbewill stand for parts of the mind and will. The war describes the struggle over what rules a life.
Who are Shaddai, Emmanuel and Diabolus?
Shaddai is the King and builder of the town, and Emmanuel is his Son, who comes to recover it. Diabolus is a rebel servant who takes the town and rules it by deceit. They stand for God, Christ and the devil.
The author
John Bunyan
1628–1688 · English writer and preacher
John Bunyan (1628–1688) was an English writer and preacher. He was born in Elstow, near Bedford, and lived in Bedford. He wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678 and 1684), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), and The Holy War (1682). He died in London.
“no one can enter it without its own consent”
More by John Bunyan
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
