Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery

by Eric Metaxas

Book Overview

Amazing Grace tells the story of the remarkable life of the British abolitionist William Wilberforce (1759-1833). This accessible biography chronicles Wilberforce's extraordinary role as a human rights activist, cultural reformer, and member of Parliament.

At the center of this heroic life was a passionate twenty-year fight to abolish the British slave trade, a battle Wilberforce won in 1807, as well as efforts to abolish slavery itself...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061173886
• ISBN13: 9780061173882
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

My favorite nonfiction book right now

This an an inspiring biography. It's very well written (though occasionally the author's puns distract from the subject, and I would have liked to hear more about Wilberforce's wife). I have the hardcover version and recently ordered a paperback of it for my dad. I recommend the hardcover version with Wilberforce's portrait and the purple and red across the bottom of the cover - it's more aesthetically pleasing (larger text, better cover composition, nice weight).

The Story Behind the Movie

Eric Metaxas provides the story behind the movie "Amazing Grace." Whereas the movie somewhat down-plays Wilberforce's Christianity, Metaxes' book clearly hightlights Wilberforce's faith in Christ as the primary motivator for his campaign for the end of slavery. Metaxas vividly portrays the real and raw experiences that Wilberforce endured including intense opposition. Readers see in Wilberforce, as the subtitle suggests, a heroic and resilient Christian whose faith impacted not only his life, but the lives of millions. It was Wilberforce's freedom from the slavery of sin that led him to fight for freedom from the sin of slavery. Read "Amazing Grace" and learn the rest of the story. Rewiever: Bob Kellemen is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.

Wilberforce Tour de Force

Because of the movie, there are a couple other Wilberforce books that have come out in the past month, but this one is the best. Really well written, I wasn't expecting such good writing. Not sure what I was expecting, but this book was excellent.

Amazing Results

In this biography Eric Metaxas traces William Wilberforce's roots, schooling, friends and faith to gain an understanding of what propelled the man to take on and defeat the powerful and politically connected slave traders/merchants of the late 18th century. It is a wonderful look into a period of time where one man leads a groundswell movement that results in an about face in Great Britain's perception of the slave trade, and ultimately slavery itself - a tidal wave that crossed the Atlantic to the U.S. I would highly recommend "Amazing Grace" to anyone, not just for it's historical significance, but for those with a mind to effect change in their own community.