John Wilson did more than anyone else to prevent and cure blindness and help blind people throughout the world between the 1940s and his death in 1999. In addition, he made a significant contribution to the cause of disabled people in general. A man of action and unflagging energy, with exceptional determination, imagination and compassion, and analytical and organizational ability, he changed millions of people’s lives for the better by developing systems and techniques for preventing and curing blindness, and by spurring on the process by which blind people have come to be able to play a full, active, and creative role in society. Meticulously researched, the remarkable story of his life is primarily based on Wilson"s Braille diaries and his other papers, the records at Sight Savers, and interviews in many different countries with people who knew him.