"[E]ven readers not interested in evangelicalism will enjoy this book, offering as it does an engaging account of an intelligent man struggling to find his footing as the ground beneath him disappears." --
The Journal of British Studies"Chapman's biography helps us remember Stott as immensely gifted, dedicated, and ambitious for God's glory. We learn more from this critical evaluation of his unexpected triumphs and excruciating failures than from merely laudatory obituaries."--Christianity Today
"For scholars, Chapman's book is the starting place for any future studies of Stott (there will be many) and a template for how to write a good biography that balances appreciation for the subject without resorting to hagiography."--Themelios
"This book is a splendid success. It is admirably concise, pithily written, and based on a wealth of manuscript and relatively obscure printed sources. It adroitly avoids hagiography on one hand and debunkery on the other, and is a model of engaged, sympathetic yet critical scholarship which is sure to find a wide readership. It is only to be regretted that Stott himself did not live to see it published."--Reviews in History
"Godly Ambition views the ministry of John Stott in historical perspective and puts it into its social context. The analysis recounts his well-known successes but, just as illuminating, his unreached goals and disappointments. The result is a judicious, fair-minded, and instructional look at one of the most remarkable Christian leaders of the past 100 years. It is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand contemporary world evangelicalism." --Timothy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church
"Alister Chapman's well-crafted study expertly situates the career of John Stott, first in Stott's post-war efforts to revitalize evangelical forces in Britain's Anglican churches and then from the 1970s as a thoughtful leader of evangelicals around the world. Chapman's wide-ranging and empathetic effort to probe the 'godly ambition' of his title make this an important book for an exceedingly important figure in the modern world history of Christianity." --Mark A. Noll, author of America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln
"A fascinating, insightful, and thought-provoking analysis of the life of one of the seminal religious figures of recent years-and a riveting read, too." --Stephen Tuck, Fellow and Tutor in History, University of Oxford, and author of We Ain't What We Ought To Be: The Black Freedom Struggle from Emancipation to Obama
"John Stott has been a giant influence in the shaping of evangelicalism in the English-speaking world and far beyond. He embodies much that is most thoughtful and winsome in the movement. Godly Ambition will reward its readers on multiple levels. From John Stott's pacifism during his formative years to his global vision in his final days, Alister Chapman's account of his life will illumine the broader development of not only Stott but evangelicalism itself." --John Ortberg, Senior Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
"The global Evangelical movement was moulded by a wide range of individuals in the later twentieth century. None was more important than John Stott, who by his lucid writing and strategic vision forged attitudes that were intellectually mature but still spiritually vibrant. Alister Chapman's account of John Stott's life is a probing appraisal of his significance that explains the trajectory of his career without diminishing his stature." --David Bebbington, Professor of History, University of Stirling
"John Stott is more than Anglican but not less. Earthed in his 'beloved' Church of England, his influence has percolated throughout the world-wide evangelical movement, through preaching, theological reflection, writing, statesmanship, and personal contact. Alister Chapman's profoundly perceptive biography combines erudition and concise comment. With full access to Stott's private papers, he writes out of a hinterland of historical perspective, comprehensiveness and scholarly critical distance." --The Rt Revd Dr Graham Kings, Bishop of Sherborne
