Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn

“A compelling story of a hymn rescued from the horror of slavery . . . in the author’s hands, ‘Amazing Grace’ lands firmly on the right side of history.”―TLS

Journey through the history of “Amazing Grace,” one of the transatlantic world’s most popular hymns and a powerful anthem for humanity.

Sung in moments of personal isolation or on state occasions watched by millions, “Amazing Grace” has become an unparalleled anthem for humankind. How did a simple Christian hymn, written in a remote English vicarage in 1772, come to hold such sway over millions in all corners of the modern world? With this short, engaging cultural history, James Walvin offers an explanation.

The greatest paradox is that the author of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, was a former Liverpool slave captain. Walvin follows the song across the Atlantic to track how it became part of the cause for abolition and galvanized decades of movements and trends in American history and popular culture. By the end of the twentieth century, “Amazing Grace” was performed in Soweto and Vanuatu, by political dissidents in China, and by Kikuyu women in Kenya. No other song has acquired such global resonance as “Amazing Grace,” and its fascinating history is well worth knowing.