William Booth - The General and His Army

The Life and Legacy of William Booth

In thirty-four years as General of The Salvation Army, William Booth was a tireless evangelist, a world traveller and a social reformer. A legend in his own lifetime, his well-worn voice can be heard on gramophone recordings, and his distictive features can be seen in photographs and on early cinematograph film. Vilified by his critics and admired by his supporters, he was called 'The Prophet of the Poor', 'God's Soldier', and 'The General Next to God'. Colleges and schools, hostels, homes and hospitals, and even a mountain were named after him. He met kings and prominent statesmen, became a Freeman of London and Nottingham, and was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford University. In 2015, at the Army's 150th anniversary in London, his life and legacy were celebrated by 35,000 Salvationists from around the world.