The Salvation Army - 150 Years of Blood & Fire written by Stephen Huggins
and published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 240
In 2015 the Salvation Army celebrated the 150th anniversary of its birth in the poverty and
squalor of London’s East End. Today the Army is to be found in towns and cities throughout
Britain, its members readily recognised through their military uniform and their reputation
for good works widely acknowledged. Many people, however, are unaware of the origins
and subsequent development of the organisation. At times Salvationists were imprisoned,
beaten up in street riots and ridiculed in the press for their religious beliefs. Despite this
persecution, the Army put in place a programme of help for the poor and marginalised of
such ambition that it radically altered social thinking about poverty.
There have been very few attempts at writing a wider and more accessible account which locates the Army in its historical context. This is something of an omission given that it has made a unique contribution to the changing social, cultural and religious landscape of Britain. The Salvation Army: 150 years of Blood and Fire aims to provide a history of the organisation for the general reader and is for anyone who is interested in the interplay of people, ideas and events. The book reveals how the story of the Salvation Army raises fundamental questions about issues of power, class, gender and race in modern society; all as pertinent today as they were in Victorian Britain. The Salvation Army: 150 years of Blood and Fire also makes extensive use of pictures illustrative of the Army’s history gathered from around the world, most of which have never previously been published.
The Salvation Army and other smaller religious groups like the Quakers, always fascinate me. I think I just have a keen interest in smaller groups that get little attention and this makes me want to find out more about them. I should also point out that when I used to live in a small Bedfordshire village, the Salvation Army was very prominent and used to do a lot of work locally. I was surprised at how much I already knew about the Salvation but the book does a great job of informing the reader about its origins, aims, strengths, development and why it began and also why it is still relevant today. This was a really interesting read, started by the Booth’s who really seemed to care about society and community. I would happily tell people to give this book a read.
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