Amazing Grace
William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign To End Slavery

Inspired by the motion picture "Amazing Grace."

Amazing Grace is a remarkable and unforgettable book – it should have a place in every school and home library.  Enhanced by photos from the recent film of the same name, it will have interest to thinking people of many ages from all walks of life.

Although it is mainly the biography of the great William Wilberforce it also contains details of many famous people of the time and their attitudes towards slavery.  Considered commonplace and accepted for many, many years, it took great courage, faith and dedication to stand up and declare it wrong that one person had the right to own another and treat them as they wished.  Yet there were such people who tried over and over again to help the unfortunate slaves and this is the story of some who persevered.

Although not written to emphasise the horror of many practices it will shock those who do not know or have shut their minds to the reality of that way of life.  Wilberforce was an extremely intelligent man who spent most of his life fighting to create equal justice for all people, regardless of race or poverty. At the age of 21 this devout Christian entered the British parliament, and began to learn of the pitfalls and problems that would beset him from then on!

Britain was still in the throes of brutality and callous acts abounded.  From bear baiting, bull and dog fights and other unspeakable cruelty to animals, public executions for petty crimes, child labour, child prostitution, public dissections and gin fuelled alcoholism were everyday occurrences. The hopelessness and misery of the poor were unrelieved by government or charitable agencies. Wilberforce was convinced that he could and should attempt to help with such problems as well as the fate of slaves. And he did, in practical selfless ways as well as pushing Parliament to take action too.

His fight, his failures (big business and profit, plus the tendency of the politicians to put off making decisions in case it affected their popularity) and the eventual achievement of his cause make for exciting and sometimes overwhelming reading, and in spite of the above paragraph about the dark side of life there is much love and inspiration too.  It is not all depressing and is actually an awesome account of some incredibly remarkable people who cared so much for the lives of others that they gave their wholehearted support to those in great need. I was unaware of just how much this man did – and I think some of you will be too!

By their words and example, Wilberforce and others like him were to change the social conscience of the world. Maybe this book will inspire us all to keep on striving for those who need help in this world of ours today.  It can be done!

WIN 1/10 Copies of this book PLUS Double Movie Passes

[Competition ends 9 August 2007]