C.E.M. Joad

British author C.E.M. Joad was born in Durham County, England, in 1891. He became one of Britain's most controversial figures in the 1940s. A pacifist during a time of war and an agnostic in a majority Christian country, Joad was celebrated--and reviled--for forcefully taking on unpopular causes and was known for his witty and vigorous participation on the BBC's popular "BBC Brains Trust" program from 1941-47. During World War I he was a conscientious objector and a "diehard" pacifist during World War II. He wrote more than 40 books, covering everything from philosophy to politics. In the latter part of his life he gave up his agnosticism and turned toward accepting theism, but still remained a pacifist. He died in London, England, in 1953.