Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield (Leaders in Action) [Hardcover]

Stephen Mansfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001 | Series: Leaders in Action

For many of those who are even familiar with his name, George Whitfield is thought of as a preacher, a man connected with the Great Awakening in the 1700s. While this is true, it is only part of the s

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581821654
• ISBN-13: 978-1581821659
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Mansfield is the New York Times bestselling author of The Faith of George W. Bush, The Faith of the American Soldier, Benedict XVI: His Life and Mission, and Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill, among other works of history, biography and contemporary culture. His interest in First Amendment religion issues arises from his decades of work among American churches and his efforts on behalf of religious liberty in the Middle East. Stephen lives in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Beverly. For more information, log onto www.mansfieldgroup.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forgottten Founding Father: A Online Review, February 25, 2005

By 

The Constitutionist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield (Leaders in Action) (Hardcover)

Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield is a outstanding biography of a man who had a great influence on young Benjamin Franklin. This epic follows Whitefield from childhood to his ministry in the colony of Georgia. A must read for any one who wish to study early American history. Steven Mansfield doses a splendid job at writing Whitefield's life story.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An okay starting point, January 22, 2006

By 

Joyce Haworth (Midwestern US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield (Leaders in Action) (Hardcover)

This is a nice introduction to George Whitefield, and its short chapters, strong narrative and straightforward vocabulary makes it a good choice, perhaps, for middle- and high-school students.

It is most refreshing to read a book about a famous Christian written by a Christian, in which the Christian life is understoond, and a given.

However, this book has some sloppy history. The author makes statements that he does not back up, and some of his assertions are incorrect. For instance, he says that bear-baiting and public executions were products of the eighteenth century, and holds them up as departures from England's Christian past, when in fact they had been around for a lot longer than that. There are, unfortunately, a number of examples like this, throughout the book.

Also, his analysis of Whitefield's character is wanting. His goal is clear in the title of the book -- to highlight Whitefield's "heroic legacy." And that's a great goal -- historians often do emphasize the failings of the famous, and neglect their successes. But Mansfield but does not draw very deep or satisfying conclusions from the failings of this complex, inspirational man.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good story about an Amazing Man, June 20, 2011

By 

Thomas M. Magee - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield (Leaders in Action) (Hardcover)

I hope as many people as possible can read this book. The book is sort of average but the story is incredible. I wasn't familiar with the patron's story. This guy, George Whitfield is an incredible man. His story cast Colonial America in a new light and gives hope for today's world. The book offers two looks at the man. Part one is a simple biography of George Whitefield. Part two goes over George's opinion on various subjects. This is a unique way to discover who George Whitefield is.

George Whitefield was the Billy Graham of the early 1700s. His preaching of the gospel had a profound impact on the country in countless ways. George was an Englishman that came from humble means. He found God early in life and started preaching. Very early in his career he became a success in preaching. He becomes a very big star. His sermons could move thousands to repent in an afternoon. I wish I could have heard him. Few in history can boast of such power in their words. However George had an edge. He was preaching the gospel.

America grew to be a special place for George Whitefield. He visited America 13 times in his career. George Whitefield preached from one end of the colonies to the other winning thousands of converts. He did the same thing in England. George did this preaching in times when Christianity was just a set of good manors and nothing more. The land he preached in was far from the values of the bible. All kinds of sin was going on in public. Sin, violence, debauchery were common place. His brand of preaching created a crew of detractors that harassed him at every corner. However they did not stop him, thank heaven.

The story of George Whitefield shows us today what God can do through a man whose heart is truly his. His preaching shaped a nation. Thousands came to know the Lord from his preaching. The proof of that is the warm review of his ministry by the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry. The books description of his story shows how advancing the Gospel rarely happens in huge steps. George's life was full of one adversity or another. However through persistence great things happen. George's ministry shaped a nation and effected ministries scores of years later. The likes of Charles Finny, George Moody, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham. It all shows you never know the impact you are making so it is important to get it right the first time.

Oh George Whitefield where are you today? We so need you now as much as we did in the 1700s.