Customer Reviews

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While not everyone knows the name of John Newton, everyone knows his song and at least a bit of his story. Immortalized in the words of "Amazing Grace," the most-recorded song in history, everyone knows that John Newton was wretched and miserable until saved by a grace that forever transformed his life. Two centuries ago, fewer people knew his song, but far more knew his story. That story is told again and told afresh in Jonathan Aitken's new biography John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace.

John Newton lived a life that could only have been more dramatic if it were the product of fiction. Forced into naval service when he was young, Newton endeared himself to no one, living a life of utter disregard for authority. While attempting to desert he was captured and dropped to the lowest ranks of seamen. He eventually found a way to be released from the military and wormed his way onto a slave shape with which he sailed down the long coast of Africa. Being deserted for a time on that dark continent, he was made the slave of a slave-trader and suffered terrible abuse at the hands of his captor. After a time he was rescued and became the captain of his own slave ship. But then, during a long passage across the Atlantic Ocean, he began to read a Bible and underwent the remarkable transformation chronicled in the song he wrote years later.

Newton worked in secular employment for a time but soon felt the call to ministry and was ordained an Anglican priest, a position he retained until his death in 1807. In the intervening years he became widely-known through his biography and through his efforts to abolish the slave trade. He served as mentor to William Wilberforce who fought a long but ultimately successful campaign to ban the British slave trade. It was two hundred years ago that this battle was won and two hundred years ago that Newton died. As Eric Metaxas has written a new biography of Wilberforce to mark the occasion, Aitken has done the same with Newton.

And it is quite a good biography. Aitken, who has previously chronicled the lives of Richard Nixon and Chuck Colson is a recent convert who underwent quite a radical conversion. He does a fine job of bringing the life of his subject to a whole new generation. While it may lack the depth of some of the greatest biographies of the greatest Christians, it is eminently readable and enjoyable from the first page to the last. A unique contribution of this book is that it relies on diaries and correspondence that have previously been unpublished. Newton's own writing, and especially his letters, provide a good deal of the book's content and some of its most edifying. In fact, the content and depth of these letters persuaded me to seek out a volume published by Banner of Truth titled simply The Letters of John Newton.

The theme of this biography can be aptly summarized by the final words spoken by this hero of the faith. "I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior." This account takes us from Newton's days of joyous depravity to his dramatic conversion to his new life and ultimately to the moment he went to meet the great Savior he had come to know and love. It is a worthwhile addition to any library.

I have been involved with church music ministries for the last 15 years, and I don't think that six weeks have past without either performing, or being asked to perform the most popular hymn ever written: Amazing Grace. This song has been featured in almost every hymn collection published since its inception, and as of today, itunes has 150 different versions available for download. With such popularity you would think the hymn's enigmatic writer, John Newton, would be more celebrated today.

I hope that will change with a new biography written by Jonathan Aitken entitled, "John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace." Like most people, I knew Newton was a seafaring slave trader in his younger years and that he had a remarkable conversion experience at sea during a terrible storm, but I didn't realize that his life was the kind of epic adventure you would normally associate with a Cecil B. Demille movie.

Aitken's biography is one of the most compelling historical books I've had the pleasure to read. It is thorough, well researched without being dry, and written by a man who knows something about "being lost but found," since Jonathan Aitken became a believer while serving time in prison for perjury in an infamous London trial. Throughout the pages of Newton's life you are confronted with a man that knew the depth of his sin, but by God's grace, lived to preach, write and sing about God's forgiving grace found in Jesus Christ.

Jonathan Aitken has written an excellent biography, one of the best Christian biographies I have read. Newton is a great subject for a biography for he had a long and amazing life. Aitken is well qualified to write about "From Disgrace to Amazing Grace". He writes with style. His chapters are refeshingly short and to the point. The story is thrilling with "many dangers, toils and snare". One looses counts of the dangers from which the young Newton escapes. It is the story of a great sinner who was found by a great Saviour. Aitken tells the tale with real spiritual as well as historical undrstanding of his subject so that in concluion he can point the reader to spiritual lessons to be learned from Newton's life. For example. God's timing is not ours. Newton had to wait six years from applying, to be finally ordained as an Anglican minister. His marriage is an exemplary and touching story. Newtons spitiuality and prayer life are a real challenge. Aitken shows how faithful and inovatory Newton was as a pastor and how he helped many, especially his best friend William Cowper. Without Newton there would have neem no great poet only a forgotten suicide. Similarly, without Newton we would probably not have has Wilberforce, politician and reformer. Aitken also tells the story of Newton's famous hymn, its composition and rise to fame. Aitken faithfully relates Newton's faults too. His support of the American rebels had to be withdrawn but one is led to understand why many in England, especailly non-conformists, were suppporters of the rebels. Newton was an eirenic man who eschewed party labels and associated with Christian irrespective of denominational labels. This is a great biography and I hope we will have more from this fine Christian author.

Mr. Aitken has done his homework, and if you want to know about John Newton you will not come away disappointed. However, Mr. Aitken is a rambling author who could have used a better editor to point out his common repetitions and occassionally tortured formulations.

I won't knock him too hard for not being on par as a story-teller, but that sure would have made this book a lot better.

Mr. Aitken's book takes us through John Newton's amazing life, and I found myself very pleased to read the story of Newton's role in the abolition of the slave trade through his influence on his friend Wilberforce (who served in Parliament devoting his life to abolition) as well as his own testimonies to the British authorities. Further, his Christian devotion to William Cowper helped that troubled man get through many dark periods -- even suicide attempts -- and he, Cowper, became one of the leading lights of 18th century English literature.
Also, his devotion to and love for his wife, Polly, is also heavily accented in this work. It was a 43 year love affair, despite the fact that many found her to be unattractice and somewhat deficient between the ears. Also, they never had children. Nonetheless from the day he first set eyes upon her until the day of her death, she was his one and only.
Rev. Newton also demonstrated singular devotion to hymnody in worship services which was suspect in high Church of England circles at that time. He showed a sympathy for and interest in some of the religious enthusiasts of the day that rankled some of his Church of England contemporaries, but his charitable attitudes seemed to win over those who needed to be won over, and the cause of Christ was served mightily by the man until he was in his eighties (he was exceedingly long-lived for a person in that century).
The author is thorough in his treatment of the above themes, but the work is a little too cooly detached for my taste which is why I have given it a four rather than a five. It's filled with facts, yet the texture of the man doesn't really come across. I would have liked a chapter on Newton's theology, a chapter discussing the themes and lyrics of his hymns, his role as a preacher other than his impact on the famous individuals Wilberforce and Cowper, and some more personal touches that one usually finds in good biographies, whether one learns his favorite food, his reaction to issues of the day (other than slavery), and some critique of his writings. He was a pastor for so many years, but one comes away with scant sense of the man.
Despite these shortcomings, I highly recommend this volume. It's worth every cent. As one reviewer notes, it shows that there is definitely room for Christian involvement in politics that one sees clearly after reading this volume. Christian statesmen are still needed.
Likewise, I was pleased at his caring and patience for his desperate and suicidal friend Wm. Cowper. He did not assume that because Mr. Cowper was not walking around cheery and seemingly joyful all the time that he was not saved. Too often today Christians are ashamed to say they are sad,and many are disconsolate, yet are made to feel guilty about this. Christ told his disciples to "be of good cheer," but we are not rejected by Him if we are not.
Read this book and learn from it, but don't expect literary flair or an analytic treatment.

This is one of the best books I have read in the past 12 months. It is tightly written, full of insightful anecdotes, and paints the life of an ordinary man that God used to make an extraordinary impact on the world in which Newton lived...and beyond. Even if you are not a regular reader of christian biographies (like me) this one is worth picking up.

I have read 3 biographies of John Newton and this is by far the best that has ever been written. Historical references and evidence were referred to and where they can be found in England. This book has effected my life and I continue to order it from Amazon.com to send as gifts.
I also find Amazon.com as the best source of used books. They are not only economical but in great condition and make wonderful gifts.
Loretta Waterbury

Being one who has read many books on the life of John Newton, I found it very exciting to discover information that I had not known. Jonathan Aitken has done a wonderful job in bringing this information to the public. This is a first class book that was well researched and written. I recommend it highly.

Wow... what a wonderful surprise this bio turned out to be. I wasn't too sure at first if I wanted to commit to reading a biography on a 18th century preacher but I'm glad I decided to do so. Yes, Newton was a man of God and clearly lived out his faith in a powerful way that helped change society for the better. But what I found more revealing about this bio is how much I could relate to the life of John Newton, apart from his faith, as recorded in his daily living. Well worth the read even if you do not believe the same things that Mr. Newton did.

While the previous reviews have covered much of the material, I must add a few more comments. I found the book incredibly hard to put down yet a book I did not want to breeze though but to absorb its contents. The man's like swung as a pendulum from perhaps one of the most wretched young man to a mature man of God. If you have any interest in early church history or just enjoy a great biography of one of history's most dedicated men, then you will want to put this book on your must read list.