A major biography of abolitionist William Wilberforce, the man who fought for twenty years to abolish the Atlantic slave trade.

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 in the British colonies, a victory achieved just three days before his death in 1833. Metaxas discovers in this unsung hero a man of whom it can truly be said: he changed the world. Before Wilberforce, few thought slavery was wrong. After Wilberforce, most societies in the world came to see it as a great moral wrong. To mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade, HarperSanFrancisco and Bristol Bay Productions have joined together to commemorate the life of William Wilberforce with the feature-length film Amazing Grace and this companion biography, which provides a fuller account of the amazing life of this great man than can be captured on film. This account of Wilberforce's life will help many become acquainted with an exceptional man who was a hero to Abraham Lincoln and an inspiration to the anti-slavery movement in America.

The 29th Pure Gold Classic, William Wilberforce presents the very best of this great man's life and work. It includes his Practical View of Christianity, historic papers, and a wonderful biography of the man who became the conscience of the world and helped bring an end to the practice of slavery in the civilized world. William Wilberforce, the son of a wealthy merchant, was born in Hull in 1759. William's father died when he was young, and for a time William was brought up by an uncle and aunt. William came under the influence of his aunt, who was a strong supporter of John Wesley and the Methodist movement. Disturbed by these developments, Mrs. Wilberforce brought her son back to the family home. In 1784 Wilberforce converted to Evangelical Christianity. He joined the Clapham Set, a group of evangelical members of the Anglican Church, centered around John Venn, rector of Clapham Church in London. As a result of this conversion, Wilberforce became interested in social reform and was eventually approached by Lady Middleton and was asked to use his power as an MP to bring an end to the slave trade. As a member of the evangelical movement, Wilberforce was sympathetic to Mrs. Middleton's request. In his letter of reply, Wilberforce wrote: "I feel the great importance of the subject and I think myself unequal to the task allotted to me." Despite these doubts, Wilberforce agreed to Mrs. Middleton's request, but soon afterwards, he became very ill and it was not until 12th May, 1789, that he made his first speech against the slave trade.

Journey through the life and times of William Wilberforce, a leader whose influence on modern culture is unparalleled. You'll discover how he devoted his life to abolishing slavery in Britain amidst the turmoil of war and impacted the lives of millions across the globe.

A biography based on William Wilberforce writings and published by two of his sons in 1838.