This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of early Methodism through the words of those who led and experienced it. The 500 short extracts are all carefully introduced and linked together and they provide the reader with a vivid impression of why and how the Methodist movement began and its enormous impact on the lives of ordinary people. While most of the chapters are chronological, four are thematic - one conveying the content of early Methodist preaching and how individuals responded to it, one dealing with the social justice issues raised by Methodism, one covering the amazing role played by the lay preachers, and one providing examples of eighteenth-century prayers.