Pete Sullivan
158 pages
Tucked away in St Mary's Square in Gloucester stands an imposing Victorian monument to the memory of John Hooper (c1500 -1555), second Bishop of Gloucester and one of the first Protestant martyrs during the reign of "Bloody Mary". Drawing from a wide range of sources - particularly Hooper's own correspondence and writings - Pete Sullivan provides a vivid, lively account of the final turbulent years of Hooper's life, set against the religious and political dramas of the day. This account is a rich mix of cruelty and compassion, despair and hope. Above all it is the story of an extraordinary man whose faith and sense of duty compelled him to pay the ultimate price, and whose "name and deeds alone are monument more fair and durable than stone".