Under the Banner of Heaven

A Story of Violent Faith

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air, this extraordinary work of investigative journalism takes readers inside America’s isolated Mormon Fundamentalist communities. • Now an acclaimed FX limited series streaming on HULU.

“Fantastic.... Right up there with In Cold Blood and The Executioner’s Song.” —San Francisco Chronicle

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; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities.

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.

©2003 Jon Krakauer (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc., Published by arrangement with Random House Audio Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Scrupulously reported and written with Krakauer’s usual exacting flair, Under the Banner of Heaven is both illuminating and thrilling. It is also the creepiest book anyone has written in a long time—and that’s meant as the highest possible praise.” —Newsweek

“Powerfully illuminating. . . . Almost every section of the book is fascinating in its own right, and together the chapters make a rich picture. . . . An arresting portrait of depravity.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Illuminating . . . provocative. . . . Krakauer is an adept chronicler of extremists [and] the tour guide of choice for secular quests.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

A great presentation of the fundamentalist Mormon church with some true crime

A history of the Mormon church and the fundamentalists specifically. This book is aptly written with the back drop of the grisly murder of a young Mormon mother and her child by fundamentalist relatives who received a revelation from God. Well researched and comprehensive in its telling, the facts are fascinating. The questions it poses,in terms of all religious fervor, is highly thought provoking. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a casual interest in this subject. Its writing, story structure is easy to follow and it doesn’t get bogged down in theology. Great read.

krakauer and brick at it again

the author successfully weaves a thrilling story of depravity within the context of Mormonism's history.

Breathless

Krakauer has left me breathless with this novel. The writing allowed me to travel in my mind each and every time As i continued listening to this novel. It garners you all the specific and supporting details you need to make your decision and understand the manipulation tactics used by many religious zealots to control and rule upon the week. I am a better person for having read this book. Thank you Mr Krakuer.

Is religion a force for good or evil?

Intertwines the history of Mormonism with the story of a gruesome double murder of a young mother and her baby, with side trips to explore related crimes from the recent and more distant past. The author raises questions about whether such crimes are the result of madness, religion gone awry, or simply an extension of normal religious mentality. Reader Scott Brick does a great job holding the listener's attention with an intense and somewhat creepy reading style. The complexity of the interwoven stories makes the audio version a little difficult to follow at times.

Shocking, enlightening

Tragic yet enthralling. They need to make a Mormon history series on HBO. This crazy history is almost hard to believe

outstanding

great read equal to David Fitzgerald book complete Heretics guide to religion book one the Mormons

Mormonism

This is for the most part a study of the Mormon religion. It goes into detail about polygamy
and some fundamentalist beliefs in Mormonism. I found it very interesting.

Absolutely fascinating and illuminating

This book is so interesting and engaging that I listened to all 13 hours in less than three days. The way the author weaves the history of the Mormon Church into the narrative of the crime committed in the name of Mormon fundamentalism is captivating. If the reader has any interest in religion, history, and the psychology and belief systems that can create criminals, this book will not disappoint.

1/3 of the fundmentalist story

I recently read three books regarding fundamentalist Mormon experiences. They were all highly informative and covered (mostly) different material. "Prophets Prey" by Sam Brower deals with the more recent story of the FLDS sect now run by Warrant Jeffs from prison. "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop is an account of her experience as a plural wife who escapes the FLDS faith with her eight children. "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer recounts the history of the Mormon church and the splinters into fundamentalist factions. All excellent reading choices.

Scary Trurh

This well researched story changes my view of Mormon history, a fascinating analysis lets you into a part of American life I never fully thought about. Very compelling.