Dwight L. Moody could be called the Billy Graham of his generation. But a more appropriate appellation might be the father of the American evangelical movement, for without Moody, the reaching of souls worldwide would likely have occurred decades later. Moody's self-described "lifeboat" set sail for Great Britain in 1873 on a modest evangelistic tour. Appealing to audiences abroad with his heart-warming stories, Moody met with immense success and returned a national hero. From then on this shoe salesman from Massachusetts with a heart for America's struggling masses would not be silenced until he had realized "the evangelization of the world in this generation." Characteristic of Moody -- and of Graham a generation later -- was his desire to work independently of church denominations. His ministry, without elaborate theological embellishment, was simply to save souls, and to that end, his vessel was never ashore. - Back cover.