Revivalism was a product of the Second Great Awakening in early nineteenth-century America, and Nigel Scotland chooses ten examples of American revivalists who subsequently conducted Evangelical campaigns in Britain. Part of the Studies in Evangelical History and Thought series, this book begins with a consideration of the movement, showing that the conventional distinction between spontaneous God-given ‘revival’ and organised ‘revivalism’ is somewhat artificial since there is a ‘strong human element’ in the tactics of all Evangelical preachers. Scotland distinguishes the defining beliefs of revivalism as biblical literalism, the supernatural power of Christ, emotionalism, conversionism and Adventism. Holiness teaching, which emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century, was an important influence: the majority of American revivalists who came to Britain were part of this tradition. Each chapter explores the biography, spirituality and career of one revivalist. Starting with Lorenzo Dow, who visited in 1806 and 1818 to work with Hugh Bourne and had an impact on the creation of Primitive Methodism, the selection includes well-known evangelists, such as Charles Finney, Dwight Moody, James Caughey and Robert Pearsall Smith, and rather more obscure figures who receive valuable attention here. Of particular note are two African-American women, Zilpha Elaw and Amanda Berry Smith. Female preachers, indeed, feature prominently since the wives of several revivalists, such as Hannah Pearsall Smith and Phoebe Palmer, led their own campaigns and may be seen as reviving a tradition of female preaching in Britain which had been outlawed by the Wesleyan Methodists earlier in the century. Most of the chapters are based on the subject's autobiographical writings, which provide much fascinating material. The author is to be congratulated on making these often obscure accounts available, although they could sometimes be used more critically. This reader would welcome a questioning attitude to such practices as Edward Payson Hammond's enthusiasm for converting children by reducing them to tears. Issues raised by the career of Robert Pearsall Smith, the founder of the Keswick Convention, could also be pursued further. His two-year European mission (1873–5), is described as ‘one of the most spectacular in the history of modern evangelism’, but he suffered two breakdowns, caused in part by sexual temptation, and eventually lost his faith. Where there is no autobiographical writing available, as in the case of Moody, Scotland contributes his own valuable survey, based on the recent range of secondary comment. The book ends with a short review of the impact of the evangelists, showing that they promoted the development of inter-denominational organisations and also strengthened the campaigns of the temperance movement.