Ellis, William T. Billy Sunday: The Man and His Message, with his own words which have won thousands to Christ. Dayton, Ohio: The Thomas Manufacturing Co., 1914. Authorized Edition. [11242]
Brown cloth, 8 3/4 x 6 inches; front with black border, gilt & black titles, applied color illustration of Rev. Sunday preaching, backstrip in black & gilt, light edge-wear. 451 pages plus 61 plate illustrations. Some foxing. Good. Hardcover.
William "Billy" Ashley Sunday (1862-1935), b. Ames, Iowa; d. Chicago, Illinois. He has been considered the most prominent and influential American evangelist of the early 20th century, Fundamentalist in doctrine and a Prohibition advocate. An orphan, in 1883 he began a professional baseball career, playing 8 seasons in the National League. He was converted to Christ and dedicated his life to His service, first with the YMCA, then as a revivalist. Ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he worked briefly with J. Wilbur Chapman in evangelistic meetings; "then he went on his own and became a great crowd gatherer for 15 years before World War I and 15 years after it. Dramatic, hard-hitting, acrobatic, and very stimulating in his preaching. It is estimated that he had a third of a million converts. – George W. Dollar, A History of Fundamentalism in America.
