Amazing Grace: Book and Film

I said I'd comment on the film so it's about time I did. Firstly, I loved it. If a story of a man giving his life to fight injustice as a result of his faith in God hadn't inspired me or moved me to tears it would be have been a poor film indeed. Fortunately it wasn't and by the end as the MPs stood to give William Wilberforce the longest standing ovation in the history of the House of Commons, I had tears rolling gently down my face.



It was well acted, with great turns especially from Albert Finney as John Newton and Rufus Sewell as Thomas Clarkson. It did at times feel like it had one eye on the educational market once it's out on DVD. I will watch it again, I will probably buy the DVD and Amazing Grace remains my favourite song.


Which leads me to the book of that name by Steve Turner - which charts the history of the man who wrote the song and that of the song itself. Both are fascinating but the story of Newton is what grabbed me, you can see how to him grace was amazing - to him it was life.