No one in nineteenth-century England had a more varied circle of friends and contacts than St John Henry Newman (1801-1890), the priest, theologian, educator, philosopher, poet and writer, who began his career as an Anglican, converted to Catholicism and ended his days a Cardinal. That he was also a leading member of the Oxford Movement, brought the Oratory of St. Philip to England, founded the Catholic University in Dublin and corresponded with men and women from all backgrounds made him a figure of enormous interest to his contemporaries. In this study of Newman's personal influence, Edward Short looks closely at some of Newman's relations with his contemporaries to show how this prophetic thinker drew on his personal relationships to develop his many insights into faith and life. Based on a careful reading of Newman's correspondence, the book offers a fresh look at an extraordinary figure whose work continues to influence our own contemporaries.

Edward Short is the author of several scholarly studies of St. John Henry Newman. Newman and his Contemporaries, here reissued and revised, is the first volume of his much acclaimed Newman trilogy, which Gracewing now publishes in a handsome uniform edition. Lord Andrew Roberts, Churchill's biographer, hailed Edward Short's most recent book, What The Bells Sang: Essays and Reviews as "beautifully written," "brave" and "wise."