A Witness of Struggle: Telling Tales of a Rambling Rector

Buy the book on Amazon

Book Details:

Paperback. Pages : 416

ISBN : 978-1-80074-443-1

Published: 26/01/2023

“Travel can lead you into greater wisdom, and spontaneous encounters can wonderfully brighten your face.”

“Patrick Whitworth has led a remarkable life with many rich experiences which he shares in this delightful memoire. From life in Berlin during the Cold War to travels through the Balkans during a tragically hotter war and even a pen picture of life in Ukraine before the disaster of 2022, this is a book for all, and a spiritual joy to read”.

General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL: Chief of The General Staff 2006-2009.

“In this unique, compelling account you feel Patrick’s determination to bear witness, to stand in the place of others and hear stories, to be endlessly curious, because only then can you understand. His intrepid quest to find meaning and moments of sincere reflection are interwoven with exquisite descriptions of the house on Lake Havel in Berlin, the setting sun at Palmyra, coping with camels, exploring Jerusalem or St Catherine’s Monastery hidden deep in the Sinai desert. I genuinely looked forward to the next place, often in ferment, to be visited. His knowledge of Church history is simply infectious, and testament to the power of the search for truth.”

Jocelyn Hurndall, author of Defy The Stars: The Life and Tragic Death of Tom Hurndall (Bloomsbury 2007).

“Patrick Whitworth makes an excellent modern Phileas Fogg as he whisks us around the world in multiple modes of transport (including the essential hot air balloon), all the while keeping up a brisk panoramic commentary on the legions (literally) of armies, characters and events that have shaped the hundreds of places he visits alone or in the company of family or friends; and, as an added bonus every now and then, a Whitworth ancestor pops up to flash across the screen in some deed of derring-do.”

Tom Peryer OBE, Director of Education London Diocese 1999-2009.