In 1848, William Taylor, one of Methodism's foremost pioneers in 19th century missions work, was called to California. He settled in the burgeoning metropolis of San Francisco and quickly became a prolific open-air preacher, church planter and reformer in the "land of gold and crime." In this magnificent account, Taylor's unvarnished, vibrant, and immediate first-hand narrative chronicles the throes of a global city in its formative years.

Feigning eloquence for directness, Taylor's tour through "the streets and lanes," and "highways and hedges" brims with local flavor while his sketches and vignettes detail the old west just as it was; filled with a wild, newfound freedom yet deeply in need of the gospel's reforming influence. Amid the fires, duels, steamship disasters and gold rush, his stalwart influence through street evangelism shows us at once the power of a preacher keenly in tune with the needs of his people and the rousing power inherent in God's word. Seven Years' stands mightily as one of Americana's most galvanizing religious literary timepieces, and now, in this new edition, it is available for a new generation of readers.