Ben-Hur question

I loved Ben Hur. I read that the author was not a Christian when he started the book, but through research and study for the book, he became a believer. I also didn't know he was a governor of the New Mexico territories and he lived from 1807 to 1905 I believe. But the book, and the movie were great.

Apparently, from what I've read, he met an atheist on a train, and this triggered his interest. And as you said, he became a believer after researching Ben Hur. I'm now reading Prince of India, which he wrote after he was an ambassador to the Ottoman Empire after being Governor of N.M. I think his writing style improved in it, and is a little less dated in comparison with today's fiction writings, though the story of Ben Hur is hard to match. I loved it too.