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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 289.33 EAN: 9781400032808 ISBN: 1400032806 Label: Anchor Manufacturer: Anchor Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 432 Publication Date: June 08, 2004 Publisher: Anchor Release Date: June 08, 2004 Studio: Anchor Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying. In an age where Westerners have trouble comprehending what drives Islamic fundamentalists to kill, Jon Krakauer advises us to look within America's own borders. --John Moe Product Description: Jon Krakauer’s literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. He now shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within our own borders, taking readers inside isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy. Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God. At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, 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. Average Rating:
 Rating: - At times it needs a little more focus A very well intentioned book with one main problem Krakauer can never decide where exactly to place the Lafferty Murders in the narrative therefore whatever issue about the nature of Mormonism is being discussed is always cut short and refocused to some kind of vague tie in that relates to these gruesome murders at least in the mind of the author. So the narrative will be clipping along and you will be very interested in a particular aspect the Golden Plates, The Sons of Ham, plural ... Read More Rating:  - AAsserting that America's "homegrown religion" is one steeped in and ultimately defined by persecution and violence, Krakauer's extensively researched book about Mormon fundamentalism is an informative look at an aspect of life that people are not always willing to see. Centering around a double murder in 1984, Krakauer deftly blends the beginnings of Mormonism, and the eventual splitting of the religion into Mainstream Mormonism and FLDS (the fundamentalist sect) with character portraits of those ... Read More Rating: - Spot on, Krakauer.This is a story of extremism. Two Fundamentalist Mormons murder their sister-in-law and her two-year old child for her bad influence on their brother. Extreme, right? Yes. But the importance and genius of this book is how Krakauer connects extremism to its foundation - mainstream Mormonism. His reporting of the Mormon culture was spot on, in fact, so precise and accurate that many mainstream members resented the intrusion. He got it absolutely right and made the connection with extreme behavior undeniable. ... Read More Rating: - Meticulously researched and well presentedThere are far better and longer reviews than mine posted here, so I hesitated to even attempt one. However, I've traveled to many of the places described in Jon's book, including Separation Canyon (within the Grand Canyon) and Colorado City, long before the Fundamentalist LDS Church became one of the latest media targets. Jon's book is very well researched, with first-person accounts, interviews, old letters and many other sources neatly pulled together. He had no intention of this book "bashing" ... Read More Rating: - fascinating story, which raises lots of questionsi've read a couple of krakauer's books (into thin air, into the wild), and have mostly loved them. i say "mostly", because, while i think he's a great writer and storyteller, and meticulous in his research, there's occasionally a hint of arrogance or smugness that i don't find appealing. that said, i found under the banner of heaven to be exceptionally fascinating. if you're not familiar with krakauer's work, his books all have the same general approach: he tells a particular story, but places ... Read More |
