John Pollock (author)
{{Short description|English Christian writer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{review|date=July 2011}}
John Charles Pollock (1924 – 6 January 2012) was a Christian author.{{cite web |url=http://www.evangelical-times.org/archive/item/5370/Obituaries/John-Pollock--1924-2012-/ |title=John Pollock (1924–2012) |publisher=Evangelical-times.org |access-date=2012-06-27 |archive-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203045/http://www.evangelical-times.org/archive/item/5370/Obituaries/John-Pollock--1924-2012- |url-status=dead }} He was the official biographer of Billy Graham and lived with his wife in rural North Devon, England.{{cite web|url=http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Authors/Author.htm?ContributorID=PollockJ&QueryStringSite=Zondervan |title=Revd Dr John Charles Pollock |publisher=Zondervan |access-date=2012-06-27}} {{Dead link|date=March 2017}}
Writings
One of his earliest books, A Cambridge Movement, was a history of the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union.
One of his best known books is The Apostle, A Life of Paul. This book presents Paul the Apostle and his life as taken from his journeys in Biblical times. The story takes the modern day reader back into history. It portrays Paul as he deals with personal issues while trying to deal with his conversion to Christianity. He wrote extensively on William Wilberforce, including a full-length biography (1977) which has never been out of print. He also wrote about John Newton, composer of the hymn Amazing Grace, and was a board member of the John Newton Project.{{cite web|title= Board of Reference and Endorsements |website= The John Newton Project |location= Barton Seagrave, England |access-date=2012-06-27 |url=http://www.johnnewton.org/Groups/32652/The_John_Newton/About_the_Project/Board_of_Reference/Board_of_Reference.aspx |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130222015522/http://www.johnnewton.org/Groups/32652/The_John_Newton/About_the_Project/Board_of_Reference/Board_of_Reference.aspx |archive-date= 2013-02-22 |url-status= dead}}
His other biographies cover many other renowned Christian individuals, including Hudson and Maria Taylor (1965), L. Nelson Bell (1971), D.L. Moody (1972 & 1983) Lord Shaftesbury (1985), and John Wesley (1989); and groups, such as The Siberian Seven (1979) and The Cambridge Seven (1985). In the 1990s, Pollock also wrote biographies of several Victorian figures, including Gordon of Khartoum, Lord Kitchener and Henry Havelock.{{cite book|last= Pollock |first= John Charles |title= Kitchener: The Road to Omdurman and Saviour of the Nation |publisher= Robinson |edition= First Thus |date= 2002-01-17 |isbn= 978-1841194622 }}
Personal life
Pollock was born in London and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He taught teaching history and divinity for two years at Wellington College. He was then rector of a country parish until he became a full-time writer in 1958.
John and his wife Anne were keen walkers and did not fuss about bad weather; they were frequently to be seen pacing along the Devon lanes in the rain, seemingly impervious to the cold of Exmoor. This strength of resolve was a hallmark of John Pollock's life which was filled with managing woodlands, writing, gardening, family history, music and travelling.
John Pollock was taken ill on a walking holiday in Scotland and died after a short illness on 6 January 2012.
Selected works
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=J. C.|title=Candidate for Truth|location=London|publisher=Church Book Room Press|date=1950}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=J. C.|author1-mask=6|title=A Cambridge Movement|location=London|publisher=John Murray|date=1953}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|title=Hudson Taylor and Maria: Pioneers in China|location=London|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date=1962}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Moody Without Sankey|location=London|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date=1963}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Billy Graham: The Authorised Biography|location=New York|publisher=Graw-Hill|date=1966}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=The Apostle: A Life of Paul|location=New York|publisher=Doubleday|date=1969}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Wilberforce|location=Oxford|publisher=Lion Books|date=1971}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=A Foreign Devil in China: The Story of Dr. L. Nelson Bell|location=Minneapolis|publisher=World Wide Publications|date=1971}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Moody: A Biographical Portrait of the Pacesetter in Modern Mass Evangelism|location=Grand Rapids|publisher=Zondervan|date=1972}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=George Whitefield and The Great Awakening|location=London|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date=1973}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=The Master: A Life of Jesus|location=Wheaton|publisher=Victor Books|date=1979}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=The Siberian Seven|location=London|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date=1979}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Amazing Grace: John Newton's Story|location=New York|publisher=HarperCollins|date=1981}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=To All the Nations: The Billy Graham Story|location=San Francisco|publisher=Harper & Row|date=1985}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=The Cambridge Seven|publisher=Marshalls|date=1985}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Shaftesbury: The Poor Man's Earl|location=London|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date=1985}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=A Fistful of Heroes: Christians at the Forefront of Change|location=London|publisher=Marshall Pickering|date=1988}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=John Wesley: Servant of God|location=London|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date=1989}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=On Fire for God: Great Missionary Pioneers|location=New York|publisher=HarperCollins|date=1990}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Gordon: The Man Behind the Legend|location=London|publisher=Constable|date=1993}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=The Way to Glory: Major General Sir Henry Havelock – The Christian Soldier|location=Fearn|publisher=Christian Focus|date=1996}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Kitchener: The Road to Omdurman|location=London|publisher=Constable|date=1998}}
- {{cite book|author1-last=Pollock|author1-first=John|author1-mask=6 |title=Kitchener: Comprising The Road to Omdurman and Saviour of the Nation|location=London|publisher=Constable|date=2001}}
References
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Category:English non-fiction writers
Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Category:20th-century English Anglican priests
Category:Evangelical Anglican clergy
Category:English male non-fiction writers
Category:People from North Devon (district)
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