Recent biographies of John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, have portrayed him as anything from a schizophrenic wandering ascetic to a hedonistic pleasure-seeker. But who was the real man behind the misconceptions?

In this spiritual biography, Ray Silverman explores the stories and the popular misconceptions about Johnny Appleseed as well as the truths behind the legends. As a businessman, Chapman owned nineteen nurseries and twenty other land holdings throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, brokering deals that belie the popular image of him as a wandering nomad with a tin pot on his head. But it is only once we talk about Chapman’s spiritual convictions that we come to the core of who he was: a thoughtful and also joyful Christian who was deeply moved by the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

The picture that emerges is of a lighthearted person whose convictions led him to seek harmony not only in nature but in the spiritual realms also—and to share his bounty with as many people as he could.

The man popularly credited with planting apple trees throughout the Midwest, John "Appleseed" Chapman epitomizes the American folk hero and pioneer: a man of humble origins who headed west to seek his destiny.

The essays in this collection bring to life the real Johnny Appleseed (1774-1845). A courageous, God-fearing, peaceful, and spartan figure, Chapman was welcomed by settlers and Native Americans alike. He was an unusual businessman -- one who believed that his "wealth" was sown in the trees he planted rather than in banks.

But most of all, Johnny Appleseed was a lover of nature whose respect for all living things was born of his faith. An itinerant "missionary," he provided settlers with "news fresh from heaven" -- pages from the works of eighteenth-century theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.

Editor William Ellery Jones has updated historical essays that explore how Chapman's legend grew both during and after his life.

John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, is seen through the eyes of a lost child in this short work of historical fiction.

This beautifully illustrated book presents the real life of John Chapman, whom Americans know as "Johnny Appleseed." A businessman who believed in spreading the Word as he spread his apple seeds, Johnny emerges as a dedicated conservationist, as well as a peacemaker and itinerant preacher.