Cardinal John Henry Newmans renowned poem describes the death of an old man and the journey of his soul to the judgment seat of God. First published in 1865 it quickly became a bestseller in its field second only in popularity to Tennysons In Memoriam. William Gladstone described The Dream of Gerontius as the most remarkable production since Dantes Paradiso and Purgatorio. General Gordon took inspiration from the poem in his last moments at Khartoum. In an insightful preface Father Benedict Groeschel CFR explains the relevance of the work for today. Also included are a section on Sir Edward Elgars Dream of Gerontius an adaptation of Newmans poem which rapidly became the most popular choral work in Britain after Handels Messiah and a discography of currently available recordings of Elgars Dream.