Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) was one of the most eminent and controversial figures of the 19th Century. His conversion of the Church of Rome sparked one of the most bitter and divisive controversies of the Victorian age. His religious thought helped to lay the foundations for the second Vatican Council.Brian Martin's sympathetic study is a critical biography of Newman that surveys his life from his brilliant Oxford career to his eventual elevation to the Cardinalate. His relations with other leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain are examined, and his major works are discussed in the context of his life.

Brian Martin was for many years lecturer in modern English literature at New and Pembroke Colleges, Oxford.