Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874 – 1936)

 Gilbert Keith Chesterton photo

Born in London on May 29, 1874, Chesterton wrote over a hundred books in his lifetime, wrote thousands of newspaper and magazine essays, and was a prolific cartoonist, illustrating for magazines and books alike.



Best known for his popular mystery books which featured The Flying Inn. Not limited in repertoire to fiction, Chesterton sharply addressed social norms, politics, science, and especially religious topics, all with a rapier wit with which he had a knack for "turning things in upon themselves".

Notable among his non-fiction works are Charles Dickens, his acclaimed biography of the famed author.

Chesterton was a deeply devoted Christian, having converted to Catholicism in 1922, and most of his works, fiction, and non-fiction, express his religious convictions and sentiments. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Christian apologists and critics of the 20th century.

Chesterton died on June 14, 1936.

"Good literature is a thing quite different from books. And in one respect books are more important even than good literature."
-- Morning Post, October 18, 1906.

Books by Gilbert Keith Chesterton