Jailed for atheism and disowned by his family, George Jacob Holyoake came out of an English prison at the age of 25 determined to bring an end to religion’s control over daily life. This first modern biography of the founder of Secularism describes a transformative figure whose controversial and conflict-filled life helped shape the modern world. Ever on the front lines of social reform, Holyoake was hailed for having won “the freedoms we take for granted today.” With Secularism now under siege, George Holyoake’s vision of a “virtuous society” rings today with renewed clarity.

Ray Argyle is the author of eleven books, including biographies of French President Charles de Gaulle and American Ragtime composer Scott Joplin. A journalist and media consultant, his articles have appeared in such magazines as Reader’s Digest, France Today, and World War II History. He is based in Kingston, Ontario.

Ray Argyle

Foreword by Robert Forder

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 15 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8421-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4229-1
Imprint: McFarland

• “Ray Argyle is an author who writes exceptionally fascinating stories on social and cultural change.”—Toronto Globe and Mail

• “Holyoake and his influence on the development of almost every modern progressive cause has been a secret kept for too long within the humanist movement. Argyle’s scrupulously researched historical analysis brings this at last to light in both a scholarly and accessible way.”— Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, Humanists UK