Customer Reviews
Brilliant account of a religion and how it lead to a modern day murder - By: Lee Abbey, 30 Sep 2008 
Brilliant account of a religion & how it lead to the murder of innocents by people carrying out what they thought was God's work. Sound familiar?
This is a stunning book. It so incredibly well researched & written that despite the amount of details you don't ever lose your way. It describes everything so richly that you almost feel part of events. A warning though - it makes the retelling of the actual murders all the more harrowing & almost unreadable at one point.
I'd like to think it's for everyone but I think you need more than a casual interestin religion (more so atheists! Anyone whose read God Delusion or Sam Harris MUST read this) to really enjoy a pretty full account of Mormon history but it really rewards. It made me shake my headin disbelief several times & reflect on how a religion (?!) like Mormonism or it's offshoots can gain such a footholdin modern times.
I'd also recommend it for fans of Brian Masters crime writing as it feels similarly well written & the subject matter does cross over.
Not a book for adventure-writing fans. - By: Brendan Doherty, 29 Apr 2008 
I came to this book after "Into the Wild" & "Into Thin Air" ,both of which I enjoyed immensely. This effort is really a potted history of Mormonism , about which I don't give a dinky-do. If it wasn't for the authors style, I would have given it 1*.
If like me, you like adventure/travel, stear clear of it.
Under The Banner Of Heaven - By: Spider Monkey, 07 Feb 2008 'Under The Banner Of Heaven' is written with Jon Krakauer's usual easily read & digested style & tells the story not only of the Mormon fundamentalist murder of a mother & babyin the early 1980's, but also the history of the Mormon faith. Knowing nothing about Mormons, this historical aspect of the book really added to my overall understanding of the murders (and what may have lead to them) & the two aspects of this book are weaved together perfectly. The parts about the murders are shocking & a touch distressing to readin places & the origins & development of the Mormon faith is hard to believe at times. Jon Krakauer seems to writein a measured way & doesn't seem excessively biased. A great deal of the points he makes are backed up by various Mormon texts & interviews. The extent of Mormon fundamentalism is unnerving to discover & read about & casts their self proclaimed religious superiorityin a rather dubious light. This is a clear & readable account of some horrific murders & the history of the Mormon faith & it kept me engrossed the whole way through. It's not Krakauer's usual outdoor adventure type book, but it is a fascinating read never-the-less. Worth a read.
Brilliant - By: K. Harbottle, 21 Nov 2007 Another substantial nailin the coffin of religious fundamentalism. Gives the reader another perspective on those smart "elders"in black suits & ties knocking on doors. Utterly compelling & anger inducing.
A chilling story of religious fundamentalism - By: Linda Bulger, 26 Oct 2007 This book is entirely absorbing, which is no surprise coming from this fine author.
There are two strands woven together throughout the book -- the shocking 1984 murders attributed to fundamentalist Mormons, & a historical perspective on the origins of the Latter Day Saints. The skillful wayin which Krakauer weaves the strands together holds the reader's interest & is very effective.
The book includes extensive interviews with fundamentalist Dan Lafferty, incarceratedin the Utah State Prison for the murders of his brother's wife & daughter. The interviews, along with the recounting of the murders, are chillingin their details. Just as chilling is the the historical perspective on how the polygamous fundamentalists splintered from mainstream Mormonism, claiming their religious direction to be directly received from God. The facts of this frightening phenomenon were probably not widely known before this book was published.
Knowing very little about the Church of the Latter Day Saints, I came away from this book with much more knowledge about the religion. The distinction is clearly drawn between the mainstream LDS & the fundamentalist sect, giving the book a balanced feel when it could have been pure sensationalism. Krakauer seems to stand aside & let the story tell itself without interpretation or judgment; only the best writers can give that impression.
