Jon Krakauer's literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. In UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, he shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders. At the core of his book is an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this ...
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Jon Krakauer's literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. In UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, he shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders. At the core of his book is an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this "divinely inspired" crime, Krakauer constructs a multilayered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, savage violence, polygamy, and unyielding faith. Along the way, he uncovers a shadowy offshoot of America's fastest-growing religion, and raises provocative questions about the nature of religious belief. Krakauer takes readers inside isolated communities in the American West, Canada, and Mexico, where some forty-thousand Mormon Fundamentalists believe the mainstream Mormon Church went unforgivably astray when it renounced polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the leaders of these outlaw sects are zealots who answer only to God. Marrying prodigiously and with virtual impunity (the leader of the largest fundamentalist church took seventy-five "plural wives," several of whom were wed to him when they were fourteen or fifteen and he was in his eighties), fundamentalist prophets exercise absolute control over the lives of their followers, and preach that any day now the world will be swept clean in a hurricane of fire, sparing only their most obedient adherents. Weaving the story of the Lafferty brothers andtheir fanatical brethren with a clear-eyed look at Mormonism's violent past, Krakauer examines the underbelly of the most successful homegrown faith in the United States, and finds a distinctly American brand of religious extremism. The result is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of nonfiction that illuminates an otherwise confounding realm of human behavior. "From the Hardcover edition."
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Fine. LIKE NEW! ! ALL 5 CD'S, IN GREAT SHAPE, IN ORIGINAL CASE, AND IN THE ORIGINAL SLEEVE FOR THE CASE-FROM SELLER WITH OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE SELLING ON-LINE.
Under the Banner of Heaven is an excellent book; easy to read; a real page turner. It is written by a journalist and covers major stories in the history of the Mormon church.
Valliman
Jan 28, 2010
Shockingly informative
Don't read this book if you're looking for an objective view of Mormonism, but if you wish to learn about the extremist, fundamentalist branch, denounced by the mainstream, a group known as the FLDS, and their horrendous practice of polygamous marraiges to very underage girls, it's certainly an eye-opener.
Slscheff
Apr 24, 2008
Great book
This is an incisive look into the fundalmentalist mormon culture. I assume it was used to a great extent by HBO in the making of its series Big Love. Anyone wanting a better understanding of what is going on in El Dorado Texas should read it.
Johnny2read
Jun 24, 2007
A Real Thriller
John Krakauer is, I think, one of the very best storytellers of our time! In this book, he takes history and factual current events, and turns them into a spine-tingling thriller. He is concise, with an intelligent and interest-holding way with words, and brings the reader into the very heart of the subject he is writing about. I simply could not put this book down, although in the beginning, I picked it up more from a sense of duty to be informed, rather than expecting to be "entertained" by reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, religion, the American past, or to anyone just plain wanting a "good read"!
FuriousStyles
Jun 10, 2007
Powerful as the 48 hour mystery TV series!
I was somewhat reserved in choosing to read this book at first, but at the time there was so much news going on (being televised) about Mormon Fundementalism and polygamy that I had to grab it. By covering a savage murder orchestrated by two brothers along with intertwining the profound yet evolving history of the Mormon religion kept me interested throughout the entire book. The author does a fantastic job in covering the foundations of early Mormonism along with disecting from it the extreme side of the religion being the fundementalist side where the murderers from this story evolve. I have read "Into Thin Air" by the same author which i enjoyed but not as much as this book. I recommmend it strongly to anyone whom wants a taste of what impast Mormonism has had in the past and what it deals with in the future as well.
