Amazing Grace: The Life of John Newton and the Surprising Story Behind His Song

by Bruce Hindmarsh, Craig Borlase

Now available in trade paper! Amazing Grace is the surprising true story of John Newton, author of the song that has touched millions. A biography that reads like a novel, it reveals Newton's dramatic story of sin and salvation as a slave trader before his ultimate transformation to speaking out against the horror of slavery. His story speaks to the brokenness within us all and our need for God's amazing grace—and reveals the truth behind his song. Amazing Grace is based on years of research on the life and writings of John Newton. It tells of a prodigal who returns home, and a young love that defies the odds; of a young man whose life is torn by grief and wounded by the cruelty of others, following his descent into deeper suffering and finally into the brutal world of the slave trade. Newton rejects God repeatedly but is rescued by a divine mercy that reaches deeper than he could ever have imagined as he ultimately faces his past and repents. Newton's story is shocking, and Amazing Grace does not try to airbrush or excuse his faults. There are glaring contradictions in the life of a ship's Captain who retreats to his cabin to study his Bible and write tender love letters to his wife while hundreds of slaves lie in chains in the hold below. The profound lessons from his life are applicable to us today, helping us Since the first public singing of "Amazing Grace" almost 250 years ago, every generation has been profoundly moved by the song, and now readers can connect with John Newton's story like never before. In these days of extreme polarization when beliefs about race, church, and politics have all become deeply divisive in society, we need grace more than ever. We need stories like this one that talk honestly about the human condition but even more about the relentless love of God and his forgiveness of sins.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Christian, History, Audiobook, Religion, Faith

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has ever been moved by Amazing Grace or found the hymn's verses ensconced in your mind during times of trial, this book enhances our appreciation of this beautiful and timeless work. John Newton was not the best person he could have been as a young man but he fought valiantly to correct that course in his later years. Well researched and written and easy to highly recommend.

My thanks to the authors, Bruce Hindmarsh and Craig Borlase, and the publisher, W Publishing Group, for my copy of this stirring book. #Goodreads Giveaway

[Mike (HistoryBuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 +
This is a well told story about John Newton, his role in the slave trade, and his rebirth into a true Christ believer. I think the title of the book sums it up quite nicely: “The surprising story behind the Song.” What John Newton endured as a captive himself as well as his treacherous journey across the Atlantic was nothing short of miraculous.

This book has something for everyone, action, suspense, music and best of all, faith. Remember, as all believers already know, faith replaces fear.

[Connie Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Newton's life is explored in this new book but it reads more like a novel than a biography. Authors Bruce Hindmarsh and Craig Borlase write about Newton's personal life and his work as a minister but it never appears to be just fact after fact after fact! I've long known about his hymn Amazing Grace and Newton's strong stance against slavery, but this book shares so much more. Newton's life was filled with abuse, sorrow, and many wrong choices, including being a slave trader himself, until... the power of a loving God changed all of that. John Newton was the perfect example of someone who lived a wretched life, received amazing grace, and continued to enjoy it for the rest of his life!

I believe that this thought-provoking book would be a wonderful addition to a church library. I highly recommend Amazing Grace!

I received a complimentary copy from the authors and publisher via FrontGate Media. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.

[Susy C. *MotherLambReads* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sent this book from the Publisher but all reviews are my own.

Loved this story and look into Isaac Newton’s life. Wow! You can tell the authors did an amazingly amount of research. It was really really good! I will never think of the of this song the same way again. It read as a biographical fiction type.

[Melanie (lemonyreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best account and portrayal of John Newton and how he came to write Amazing Grace that I've ever read.

I promise you'll struggle not to cry each time you hear the song after learning his story.

[Kristen Rosener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never be able to sing Amazing Grace without thinking about the life of John Newton and the gracious work of God in his life.

It is clear that an impressive amount of research went into writing this book, and I found the structure easy to follow. Reading how God drew John to Himself time and time again, despite all the sin and misery John indulged in, was just another reminder of the amazing love of God through Christ.

[Janelle Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love the song Amazing Grace, you will be amazed by the story of the man who wrote it. I thought I knew, but I realized I was wrong. I had no idea of the story of John Newton from his harsh upbringing to the trials and tragedies he overcame throughout his life.

Author Bruce Hindmarsh and Craig Borlase dive deep into who John Newton was to how God redeemed him over and over again.

I actually enjoyed the chance to read the story of a man deeply enmeshed in the slave trade as a young man, only to come out of it and fight along side Wilber Willberforce to abolish slavery. To read his story and see how time and again he committed his life to God, to only be pulled away over and over. There are so many sweet reminders for any reader to realize the abundant grace we are all offered if we will receive it.
I received a complimentary copy of Amazing Grace, by Frontage Media.

[Emily Vreken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this biography about John Newton, the author of the hymn Amazing Grace. I did not realize that Newton was involved in the slave trade or that he and his wife were unable to have children. The sinfulness of his life and the hardships he experienced lend new life to the words of the hymn. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Lauralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I somewhat knew the story of John Newton’s life and how Amazing Grace came to be, but this went way more in depth and gives a much larger account of his life.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

[Brittany Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘My memory is nearly gone. But I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.’”


This is the year (2023) that we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the first singing of the hymn, Amazing Grace, by John Newton.

“The hymn has endured through two-and-a-half centuries and become today a powerful symbol for many people of hope in the midst of tragedy.”

This may be one of the most well-known songs in the country, but the story behind it— not so much. I grew up in the church and I had heard of John Newton, of course, but it was the post-repentant John Newton. The song’s message is even more powerful when you read of everything that came before it.

You’ll find Hindmarsh and Borlase’s book, Amazing Grace, to be enlightening, angering, and encouraging. It will challenge and convict but bring you to a place of hope and freedom.

Be warned: this is not an easy book to read. John Newton was an active participant in the slave trade from an early age. Not only was my knowledge of Newton expanded, but my knowledge of the slave trade was as well. It’s very hard to read about the dehumanization of the African people and the things that were done to them, the conditions and the abuse they endured.

“I was blind, but now, I see” is a poignant phrase. Utter blindness is the only explanation because there is no excuse for the near universal acceptance of the slave trade. And to God’s glory that even the deepest of sins can be forgiven. There is no wretch out of reach of God’s grace.

That is the story of John Newton.


“Where do we find hope today in the midst of deep divisions in society and violent disagreements? Where do we find hope for the human condition? Where do we find hope for all the griefs and sorrows that threaten to undo our own lives? Perhaps we need to look again at the perennial message of ‘Amazing Grace.’ Perhaps here we might find a renewed hope that however difficult the troubles in our lives, however deep our personal shame and regret, however dark the evil that stalks the earth, there is a mercy that is deeper yet, a forgiveness that makes all the difference, and a power for reconciliation greater than ourselves.”


The book is written from multiple sources including Newton’s autobiography, his diaries, logbooks, letters, and other published writings. There have been some creative liberties taken to fill in other facts and framework and thus this book would be considered a “dramatized biography.”


It didn’t read like a textbook. The writing was very well-done as they unraveled the story. Some of the language used was indicative of the times and not used in a condoning way (i.e. whore).

Even as the people in the story engage in sin in all matter of ways, including their words, the message of the book is not in accordance with that. The dignity of humanity, made in the image of God, is very much the conclusion. We are brought through the sin and failures of John’s life into his salvation and the continual process of being refined by the grace of God to the truth of humanity, sin, and reconciliation.


The Beginning

John’s father was an intimidating ship captain that instilled fear in John from an early age. Within the first chapter we see a six-year-old John sneaking out at night to see the dead body that was hung near the docks earlier that night. Shortly thereafter his mother dies of consumption. His father remarries and John is sent to boarding school where he endured beatings from his headmasters.

Considering this early trauma and the crude environment of growing up among sailors, it’s no surprise that John became a risk-taking, selfish, and rebellious teen. Many of his choices are driven by his forbidden love for Polly (Mary) who, after many tumultuous years, eventually becomes his wife.

When John finally gets to work on a ship as he had dreamed, the power goes to his head.

“He wore arrogance like a shield and used mockery as a whip.”

“Newton could barely utter a single sentence without resorting to profanities, and he had a particular disdain for anyone who declared himself a serious Christian.”

Until a series of events result in him being treated as a slave… or rather “servant of slaves.”

“Not an hour a day went by in which John was not humiliated in some way. He tried to ignore it, to block out the taunts and the abuse… He was trapped. There was no escape. All he knew— and he was ever going to know from this point on— was pain.”

These events were just the beginnings of the wild life of John Newton. The book continues and tells of more deaths and harrowing circumstances John finds himself in, some by surprise and some by consequence of his own behavior and choices.

In fact, the majority of the horror happens before John is even 28 years old.

We see many different forms of ‘faith’ in Newton’s life: from obedience and going to church because it was important to his mom; to complete rejection; to a near-death experience averted because of a church service inciting him to think he must be a saint in response; to finding obedience too hard and giving in to his fleshly desires and pleasures; to complete despair; and eventually to a right understanding of grace, mercy, and obedience out of love and gratitude.


The Slave Trade

The slaver ships would take goods from Europe down along the Guinea Coast to buy slaves. Once they got 100-200+ slaves they would make the trek across the Middle Passage to the West Indies to sell the slaves for sugar and rum and then head back to England. The voyages would typically take a year or more.

At one point, John lives in Africa with another slaver (Evans) and his royal, African wife (P.I.)— who was actually running the slave factory there. She had all the power and she didn’t like John so she turned Evans against him. He became their slave.

We know it is sin that corrupts. Slavery has been a historical staple in all cultures for many many years, though in different ways and practices. We can’t deny the major role white people played in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade business, but we also must be careful not to think that any one sin is bound to one race. Sin is nondiscriminatory.

- - - -
A few terms:

Royal African Company: held a monopoly on trade and shipped more slaves in trade than any other company
press-gang: the forced enlistment of men into the British Navy
bilgewater: water that collects at the bottom of the ship
thumbscrews: torture device often used on slaves
roundrobin: a petition, often against authority, which is printed in the middle of a paper and signed all around the outside of it to prevent the order of names or a ringleader to be identified; in this book, mutiny against the captain
- - - -

By the end of the book we are into the early 1800s and the public opinion about the slave trade is shifting. Hindmarsh introduces us to William Wilberforce and his dealings with Parliament to get the slave trade banned.

We hear the shocking tale of the Zong slave ship. After sickness struck their ship and they knew they’d suffer financial loss, the captain, knowing insurance didn’t cover profit loss due to sickness but did cover slaves thrown overboard as from storms, etc. he threw 130 slaves overboard alive in order to collect the insurance.

However, the insurance company refused to pay and the case went to court.

“Initially the jury sided with the crew, but the subsequent appeal— which created widespread publicity— ruled against the ship’s owners. It was a landmark decision, and one that brought the horrors of the Middle Passage to the public’s attention like never before.”



John Newton gave transparent and honest legal testimony against the slave trade.

He shared that “The people are gentle when they have no communication with the Europeans” and dispelled myths: “Most Africans did not endorse the trade. They were not naturally lazy. Their contact with Europeans did not civilize them but instead dragged them to the lowest levels of corruption.”

He also wrote against it, “‘There was nothing quite so iniquitous, so cruel, so oppressive, so destructive, as the African Slave Trade… [it] will always be a subject of a humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.’”


We are also introduced to the relationship between John Newton and William Cowper, famous poet. Cowper (pronounced Cooper) experienced a lot of spiritual warfare and depression in his life, but he penned some very profound poems. Here are a few lines from his poem ‘Charity’

“But ah! what wish can prosper, or what pray’r,
For merchants rich in cargoes of despair,
Who drive a loathsome traffic, gauge, and span,
And buy the muscles and the bones of man!

Canst thou, and honour’d with a Christian name,
Buy what is woman-born, and feel no shame?
Trade in the blood of innocence, and plead
Expedience as a warrant for the deed?”


Newton’s Conversion and Hymn

Throughout his life Newton had several ‘come-to-Jesus’ moments in which he recognized God intervening in his life. However, it was indeed a journey to his salvation and his full realization of his sin.

The most major spiritual surrender happened when he found himself at sea in a vicious storm that left their ship in shambles. The crew even called him Jonah for bringing such devastation to their ship. The crew spent 27 days on board bailing water and trying to survive until somehow the ship found land again.

John finally had confessed in what he felt were his final moments, ‘I am a wretched sinner… Do with me as you please.’

“It was the moment where John finally placed his trust in the cross of Christ. It was the point when he finally realized that he needed God to do for him what he could not do for himself. He was a wretch, and he needed grace.”

However, there was more repentance to come because it was after this storm that John eventually becomes captain of his own slave ship.

“According to his logbook, he bought and imprisoned 468 African men, women, and children on board his ships. Sixty-eight of those people died on his watch, while the rest he delivered into the deadly slave system that powered the plantations of the West Indies.”

It is a lesson in cognitive dissonance that we can see Newton despairing of his (certain) sins and desiring to be obedient to God and do what is right and good, yet climbing aboard a ship and selling chained people like product.

“When John took his place on deck while the slaves were eating, surveying the men, women, and children that he had bought and held captive on his ship, he could only rest content and thank God. To his eyes, as he looked at men in leg chains, women fearful of rape, and children taken from their families, it looked like a peaceful, happy scene. he was so certain of this he made a point to write that they were ‘more like children in one family, than slaves in iron and chains.’”

“With few distractions and plenty of time alone in his cabin [to read, write, and pray], John was convinced that his time as a captain in the slave trade was a God-given gift that would allow him to mature as a Christian.”

It does not make sense. The blindness is blinding.

But thankfully, his story doesn’t end there, and after a few journeys at sea he is convicted more and more by what he is taking part in. Though illness was the catalyst to his leaving the trade, he eventually recognizes the horrors that he was part of.

He becomes ordained in the Church of England and writes many hymns to accompany his sermons.

“From his earliest childhood memories, John knew the power of hymns, and as a preacher he knew the limits of his sermons. He wanted people to be able to experience the grace and mercy of God for themselves up to a knowledge that went beyond the head and straight to the heart.”


On January 1, 1773, Amazing Grace was sung for the first time. At this point it was titled ‘Faith’s Review and Expectation.’ I think the eventual name change was a good choice.

But the lyrics of this song hit a different way when you realize the spiritual turmoil Newton had knowing his own wretchedness and accepting forgiveness for things too shocking to read.

“Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see”


Modern Blindness?

One thing struck me as I contemplated the “appalling and near universal blindness” surrounding the slave trade. People in Europe put sugar in their tea, ignorant of the true price of that sugar. Or perhaps they had vague knowledge, but they were blinded to its sinfulness because they would rather have sugar than have to face the reality of how the sugar got to them.

I couldn’t help but think of a different form of human trafficking that is still prevalent today. I don’t think there is a universal blindness to the wrongs of human trafficking, but I do think there is a blindness to the market that fuels that human trafficking.

Porn.

This is not talked about in the book at all, this is a connection I’m making on my own that I felt compelled to share here. We are rightly horrified by the people who were willing to turn their back on the slave trade so that they could have sugar in their tea.

Yet people sit behind computers and phone screens consuming porn as if there is no harm in how that porn came to be. People are blind to the destruction that comes before and after porn.

People may not be sold because of the color of their skin, and we can be thankful for that, but the war on slavery is not over. People— namely children and women— are being sold as sex slaves and there seems to be a widespread belief that porn has no connection to it.

We are ignorant if we believe porn is an industry of righteousness, honesty, consensus, and freedom.

We may think we could never be like those Europeans. But sin. And our deceitful hearts. We are not immune to the lures of sin.

John confesses, “Custom, example, and interest, had blinded my eyes.”

“If something is accepted by everyone (custom), and everyone else is doing it (example), and it is to my benefit (interest), then we, too, are in danger of self-deception.”

Don’t be blinded by your desire for sugar. Let’s not wait for another Zong massacre before we finally open our eyes to the destruction porn’s market cultivates.

We learn many things from John Newton’s story, and the top of that list is God’s grace and forgiveness, but let’s not miss the conviction to treat humanity with dignity because porn and the industry it fills stands in direct opposition to that in every way.



Four Profound Truths

If you’re not sure what we should take away from this book, Hindmarsh and Borlase summarize the four profound truths we can learn from John Newton’s story:

- I can be forgiven. “Whatever shame or guilt you carry, however deep the regrets in your life, no matter what you have done, there is a mercy that is deeper yet.”

- I can be deceived. “If something is accepted by everyone (custom), and everyone else is doing it (example), and it is to my benefit (interest), then we, too, are in danger of self-deception.” “Majorities routinely oppress minorities and tell themselves convincing lies to justify this. Dehumanization is always a first step toward violence.”

- I can make amends. “even if it happens slowly and in stages… we must face up to the truth, repudiate what we once believed, and do what we can, however costly, to make amends.”

- I can be more like Jesus. “God’s grace changes us over our lifespan to make us more like Christ.”


Conclusion

I honestly thought I might be a bit bored by this book and had taken awhile to get to it on my list. Because I thought I knew what I was getting myself into.

I did not.

This is not a book that you say was ‘fun’ to read. But it was a powerful book, to be sure.

It enlightens you, educates you, and encourages you. It will make you feel sad and angry, but it’s a book of hope and forgiveness. It’s a book that reminds us that God is a God of both forgiveness and justice. In a world full of violence and oppression, we know that he sees and we know he will have final vindication.

It reminds us to reflect on our own sin. To confess where we’ve been blind. And to accept his forgiveness when we have repented. We are not disqualified from his grace. If God can save someone like John Newton, he can save us too.

We don’t have to have it altogether when we come to him. Newton didn’t. But God will continually refine us to look more like himself. His grace abounds!

“It is perhaps one of the most amazing things about God’s grace in the cross of Christ— that though the message of grace comes to us with impure hands, stained with violence, it yet offers hope and redemption to the wretched, and it plants the seeds of justice, reconciliation, and healing for all peoples in its universality and affirmation of the common humanity and dignity of every person.”




**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

[Content Advisory: descriptions of the slave trade and all the atrocities done in its name]

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[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Alley W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Grace is a well written account of John Newton’s life from 1725-1807. Much of the book is true to life the writers gained a lot of Newton’s thoughts, words and life events from Newton’s actual writings, other parts of his life were filled in with the help of historical research of the times. John Newton’s song Amazing Grace is sung in churches across the world. His life is marked by tragedy at an early age with the death of his mother. With a sea captain raising him, John is determined to make a living as a captain one day. He unfortunately falls into being forced to serve in the navy and finds himself eventually in the slave trade as a captain to a ship that buys, transports and sells slaves. Newton’s life shows how someone can do such horrible things and be forgiven and used to help stop the cruelty of slavery giving those around him an inside look into the atrocities of the actual trade. Newton’s walk with the Lord highlights how merciful and forgiving God is to save a wretch like him and use him to bring others to the realization that salvation is not earned but given feeling by a loving God. Loved all the highlights of Newton’s life from him falling in love with his wife at first sight, to the vision that he had on a boat late one night, to his own life as a captive forced to be in chains. Every aspect of this book highlights Newton as not a perfect person but as a person given amazing grace.

[Colin Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It had a beautiful story of salvation by grace interwoven with the struggle for abolishing the slave trade in England at the time. The authors did a very good job of combining the two storylines into one magnificent book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book!! I love the format that it was written in. It is a biography, yet it is written like a novel. I read another book like that once, and it was really neat!

I will say that it was a little dry for a while. That was why I didn't give it five stars. If you like reading all the details about ships and boats in the 1700s, you will love this 😆

But, it is a story I got into. And his life story was really quite remarkable! He truly was a person who God's grace transformed. And that is always encouraging to read about!

[J.E. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Grace was a difficult, but enlightening book to read due to the subject matter. The story of John Newton is one of heartbreak, danger, adventure, and a struggle with his faith due to the atrocities he was part of.

A fairly newly converted Christian influenced by prejudice, society standards, and money, I could feel the turmoil he faced as I read the pages. Being self-deceived and turning his back on the Christian faith, his life was not an easy one.

The main parts I took away from reading his biography is
(1) No matter how dark your sins are, you can still be forgiven
(2) No matter how strong your faith is, you can still be self-deceived
(3) Once you are right with God, it is your duty to live for Christ
(4) Follow Jesus and be more like HIM- put forth LOVE. Answer to God, not man's will.

The authors did an amazing job in their storytelling and descriptions of the life of the slave traders. The accounts of the life of the slaves were heart-breaking. Along with the sorrowful parts of the story, there always seemed to be some pivotal point in John's life that set him straight again on the right path showing hope and inspiration. Well worth the read.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and voluntarily choose to review it. All opinions are my own.

[Gabrielle Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” -John Newton.

Known for his most popular hymn “Amazing Grace”, this biography is a compelling and very interesting read about his life and how he came to write the lyrics that are still popular today. As someone who can take for granted this song, this book puts it in a different perspective of why it meant so much for Newton to write the song and how grace affected his life after becoming a Christian. Very well told and highly recommend this book! The audio book was fantastic and couldn’t stop listening to it.



“Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright, shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see”

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually won this from Goodreads on their giveaway page. It intrigued me but I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. I thought it would be too technical and full of too many footnotes. I was wrong. It was written like a novel. I am so glad I read this. I had never read a book about the slave trade from the view of England and their slave boats. It sickened me to read how people have treated other people. I cannot begin to understand how anyone could ever think that was okay. I have to say that John Newton's behavior was hard to understand. But hearing that he turned his life around has helped me to understand him and the song Amazing Grace. The song itself has never been a favorite of mine probably because my mother did not like it. I will never be able to hear that song and not think of everything that came before it to make it happen. There is so much I could write about the slave trade but I could never touch the surface of the atrocities that have been done.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific. This is a biography about John Newton written in the style of a novel. While this does detract away from the historicity of Newton and his life (For instance, Newton doesn't actually longingly sigh before he gets on the boat), it does make the book intensely readable and memorable. The song "Amazing Grace" is in the title of this book but only plays a role towards the very end of the book itself. This book chronicles the life of Newton from a child onward and his life as a seaman and a captain of a slave trading ship makes up the majority of the focus. Very glad to have read this one.

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5 stars because this is a biography that sometimes reads as a novel, which can make it confusing and hard to follow at times. There are also gaps in the story line and some missing character development. For example, his wife is introduced as “Polly” then unexplainably switches to “Mary.” However, despite the shortcomings, the John Newton’s story is fascinating and makes this a book worth finishing.

[Beth Lev · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The journey was nearly over. The work almost complete. His eyesight was failing, but his vision was perfectly clear. He knew the wretch that he had once been, he knew where he was heading, and he knew who was taking him there.”

“‘My memory is nearly gone,’ he said to a friend before he died. ‘But I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great savior.’”

[Margaret Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book on the life of John Newton. The first half is written as if you were reading a fictional book-but all of it is true and is based off his letters, biography etc. I knew parts of his life story but not all and it was amazing to read about the horrors of the slave trade aboard the ships. But God's grace in Newton's life is evident and it's inspiring to read of the salvation of one who was so entrenched in sin-and how God utterly transformed his life as is especially seen in the second half of his story.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t imagine I would enjoy a book about a sailor so much, but the story is fascinating while being sad as it deals with the slave trade. There are so many lessons here about how we can just accept customs and ways of doing things without questioning if is the way God would want us to live.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent !! a good book to read with Eric Metaxas, William Wilberforce Amazing Grace book which I highly recommend.

[Tim Chesterton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent novelistic presentation of the life of John Newton. The thing that makes it so much more than a novel is the meticulous scholarship and research behind it. In the body of the work this is not intrusive, but in the appendix the authors (Bruce Hindmarsh and Craig Borlase) give a thorough listing of all the source material they worked with. Bruce Hindmarsh, in particular, has made the study of the life and witness of John Newton a major part of his life's work (see his earlier scholarly work 'John Newton and the English Evangelical Tradition').

Readers who are looking for a focus on Newton's later work as a minister should be alerted to the fact that the first two thirds of this book deal with the earlier part of his life. In particular, the details about the slave trade were a real eye-opener to me. Most stories of Newton's life that I have read have rushed over this period, and have also paid little attention to the fact that Newton continued to work as a slave trader for some years after his conversion - even spending a lot of time in prayer and Bible study in the cabin of the slave ship of which he was the captain. Later, of course, he came to a genuine repentance for this, but it was a healthy reminder to me that we all have our blind spots, especially when they are reinforced by the culture around us.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and would highly recommend it.

[Denise Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

Could not put the book down. It read like a novel but was filled with the knowledge of a biography.

[Apilrain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from net galley, but the opinions are all my own.
Amazing grace is one of those hymns that I grew up singing and hearing. This book is basically the back story of John Newton and how he came to write this hymn. Before John is even 25 he’s pressed ganged into the royal navy, he escapes to work on a slave trading ship and gets captured on an island where he is held in chains and is treated as the lowest of the low, he is able to get released to work of another slave trading ship where he is almost ship wrecked and then becomes a ship captain for a slave trader. All of this takes place before his eyes are opened and he’s converted to Christ.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. John knows intimately what a sinner he and the transforming love of God. He was lost and then found, and redeemed. That’s the whole pattern of his life.
I’m so glad I was able read this book, It was such a powerful story. I enjoyed it so much that I also purchased the audible version as well. The readers voice for the audible is spot on and so good!

[Robert Conder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the life of John Newton. How God changed the life of one man. All can come to find God’s amazing grace. I would recommend to anyone who seeks to know how God changes our life, we need to seek Him.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an in depth view of the life and conversion of John Newton the author of the famous spiritual song “Amazing Grace”. If you have only seen the movie about the challenges William Wilberforce faced as he tried to block the slave trade, you know very little about John Newton. This insightful book is well researched and gives a step by step account of John Newton’s life using multiple written accounts including Newton’s himself, to help paint what his life may have been like. Nothing in the book felt forced or fake even though to make this a fluid story, there had to be some suppositions on the part of the authors.
My one problem with the book was in the formatting. There were no clear headings for chapters, the font size for headings was the same size as the content within the chapter. The first letter of the first word of each chapter was on a line by itself even though it was also the same font size as the entire chapter. Often times in the middle of a sentence a new line, sometimes even indented, was started making me feel like I might have missed something. I did not find any of the script missing in spite of the disruption of the sentence structure. These formatting issues in no way reflects on the book itself. With the excellent writing, content and subject matter, these problems just interrupted the flow for me as a reader. Because of the quality of the research and writing, I still gave the book a 5 star rating. I would highly recommend this book to all my reading friends. This is not my usual genre but I feel confident that anyone who likes to read, would find reading this well worth their time!

[Faith Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing Grace
Audiobook lib

Weird but this is the best love story ive ever read prob? If this was a romance film Id roll my eyes deeming this as unrealistic. I know the whole point was Newtons testimony but a reckless barbarian’s relentless pursuit for the girl he fell in love with at age 15??? He did everything he could to marry her in every stage, whether that be a wretched slave trader, drunkard, enslaved under tyrants, thought to be wealthy, or a humble pastor. Andddd her deep love for him even while he sold slaves & then while he was in danger as an abolitionist…….. it’s incredible. And the testimony of Gods amazing grace was ofc stellar. But honestly this Polly & John duo needs to be written about somewhere bc this book scratched the surface of their letters & life together. He unabashedly loved *one* woman his *whole life.*

Hospitable, parents to many (though I dont think they had any biological children?). It seems like he developed most of his theology and love for the Lord through Scripture?? He rarely had christian companions until he left the ships. He found Sovereign Grace in the pages of the Bible, revealing his sin, deceitful heart, and kind, merciful Creator.

Authors showed Newton deceived as a Christian while selling slaves. He treated the slaves w dignity, but he was blinded by English’s depiction of it. God confirmed the guilt when he physically couldnt go back on the ship. Called into ministry. He and his wife doted on one another in every season. Adorable. But- Christians must not think we are above being deceived, tossed by the waves to & fro, as Newton was.

Influenced Wilberforce mightily, interesssttttinggggg.

Letters to Wife, 1793


Polly gets cancer, John is praying at her bedside as she shakes to death. Johns life declined fast. Mid preaching during wedding ceremonies he said, “I am not sure what to say next.” Memory failed often, missed Polly, and cared for his distressed adopted-as-a-daughter-niece. He lost ability to walk. He reflected in praise and prayer.


In childhood: reckless, intense, brought under strict discipline though extremely wild, impulsive
In adulthood: convicted, humble, intrepid, loving

Born in London, 1725–1807.

[Melissa MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had me gripped from the moment I opened it. You can tell extensive research was done by the authors. It’s well written and a great read. There are definitely some hard parts to read in regards to the slave trade. A beautiful look at the author of Amazing Grace.