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Under the Banner of Heaven
- A Story of Violent Faith
- Narrated by: Jon Krakauer
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
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Publisher's summary
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 audiobook 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 listeners inside isolated communities in the American West, Canada, and Mexico, where some 40,000 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 and their 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.
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Story
The technological marvel of its age, the Erie Canal grew out of a sudden fit of inspiration. Proponents didn't just dream; they built a 360-mile waterway entirely by hand and largely through wilderness. As excitement crackled down its length, the canal became the scene of the most striking outburst of imagination in American history. Zealots invented new religions and new modes of living. The Erie Canal made New York the financial capital of America and brought the modern world crashing into the frontier.
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An under told story of the United States.
- By JayHey on 08-28-16
By: Jack Kelly
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Seven Women
- And the Secret of Their Greatness
- By: Eric Metaxas
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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In his eagerly anticipated follow-up to the enormously successful Seven Men, New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas gives us seven captivating portraits of some of history's greatest women, all of whom changed the course of history by following God's call upon their lives - as women.
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A Different Kind of Inspiring
- By Samuel Hudnet on 09-11-15
By: Eric Metaxas
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The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara
- By: David I. Kertzer
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Bologna, 1858: A police posse, acting on the orders of a Catholic inquisitor, invades the home of a Jewish merchant, Momolo Mortara, wrenches his crying six-year-old son from his arms, and rushes him off in a carriage bound for Rome. His mother is so distraught that she collapses and has to be taken to a neighbor's house, but her weeping can be heard across the city. With this terrifying scene - one that would haunt this family forever - David I. Kertzer begins his fascinating investigation of the dramatic kidnapping.
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Too much detail
- By L. WILLIAM on 03-03-24
By: David I. Kertzer
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The Wordy Shipmates
- By: Sarah Vowell
- Narrated by: Sarah Vowell
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Sarah Vowell's special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where "righteousness" is rhymed with "wilderness," to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America's most celebrated voices.
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I love Sarah Vowell
- By Audiophile on 10-25-09
By: Sarah Vowell
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A Man of Honor
- The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno
- By: Joseph Bonanno
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, Joseph Bonanno found his future amid the whiskey-running, riotous streets of Prohibition America in 1924, when he illegally entered the United States to pursue his dreams. By the age of only 26, Bonanno became a don. He eventually took over the New York underworld, igniting the "Castellammarese War", one of the bloodiest Family battles ever to hit New York City.
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A must read
- By E. Orlando on 05-03-17
By: Joseph Bonanno
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Raven
- The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People
- By: Tim Reiterman
- Narrated by: Mitch Horowitz
- Length: 29 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Tim Reiterman's Raven provides the seminal history of the Rev. Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the murderous ordeal at Jonestown in 1978. This PEN Award-winning work explores the ideals gone wrong, the intrigue, and the grim realities behind the Peoples Temple and its implosion in the jungle of South America.
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What a very thoroughly written book!
- By Traci P. on 04-22-17
By: Tim Reiterman
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They Were Christians
- The Inspiring Faith of Men and Women Who Changed the World
- By: Cristobal Krusen
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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What do Abraham Lincoln, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Louis Pasteur, Frederick Douglass, Florence Nightingale, and John D. Rockefeller, Sr., all have in common? They all changed the world - and they were all Christians. Now the little-known stories of faith behind 12 influential people of history are available in one inspiring volume. They Were Christians reveals the faith-filled motivations behind some of the most outstanding political, scientific, and humanitarian contributions of history.
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Great book
- By Amazon Customer on 12-10-18
By: Cristobal Krusen
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Brigham Young
- Pioneer Prophet
- By: John G. Turner
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Brigham Young was a rough-hewn craftsman from New York whose impoverished and obscure life was electrified by the Mormon faith. He trudged around the United States and England to gain converts for Mormonism, spoke in spiritual tongues, married more than 50 women, and eventually transformed a barren desert into his vision of the Kingdom of God. While previous accounts of his life have been distorted by hagiography or polemical exposé, John Turner provides a fully realized portrait of a colossal figure in American religion, politics, and westward expansion.
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The Lion of the Lord says "Mind Your Own Business"
- By Darwin8u on 08-26-13
By: John G. Turner
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Massacre at Mountain Meadows
- By: Ronald W Walker, Richard E Turley, Glen M Leonard
- Narrated by: Bill Dewees
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On September 11, 1857, a band of Mormon militia, under a flag of truce, lured unarmed members of a party of emigrants from their fortified encampment and, with their Paiute allies, killed them. More than 120 men, women, and children perished in the slaughter.
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Slow to get started - not fully balanced.
- By Chris on 02-28-10
By: Ronald W Walker, and others
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The Miracle Detective
- An Investigative Reporter Sets Out to Examine How the Catholic Church Investigates Holy Visions and Discovers His Own Faith
- By: Randall Sullivan
- Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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In a tiny, dilapidated trailer in northeastern Oregon, a young woman saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in an ordinary landscape painting hanging on her bedroom wall. After being met with skepticism from the local parish, the matter was officially placed "under investigation" by the Catholic diocese. Investigative journalist Randall Sullivan wanted to know how, exactly, one might conduct the official inquiry into such an incident, so he set off to interview theologians, historians, and postulators.
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Fascinating book on the study of miracles
- By H Walsh on 11-16-15
By: Randall Sullivan
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The House of Government
- A Saga of the Russian Revolution
- By: Yuri Slezkine, Claire Bloom - director
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 45 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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On the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, the epic story of an enormous apartment building where Communist true believers lived before their destruction. The House of Government is unlike any other book about the Russian Revolution and the Soviet experiment.
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Inside saga of the leaders of Bolshevism & the USSR
- By Edward V. Blanchard on 11-05-17
By: Yuri Slezkine, and others
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A Delusion of Satan
- The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials
- By: Frances Hill
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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During the bleak winter of 1692 in the rigid Puritan community of Salem Village, Massachusetts, a group of young girls began experiencing violent fits, allegedly tormented by Satan and the witches who worshipped him. From the girls' initial denouncing of an Indian slave, the accusations soon multiplied. In less than two years, 19 men and women were hanged, one was pressed to death, and over a hundred others were imprisoned and impoverished. This evenhanded and now-classic history illuminates the horrifying episode with visceral clarity.
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A new take on the Witch Trials
- By Jolene Correll on 02-17-15
By: Frances Hill
What listeners say about Under the Banner of Heaven
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- T41782
- 09-17-03
Very Informative
As a pastor, I meet people from various backgrounds. If you understand where someone comes from, it is easier to help them. Jon does a great job of unvailing the background of mormonism. Some of the criminal's descriptions of the crimes are graphic, but overall, if you wish to gain a better understanding of mormonism, this is the book to read.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Crystal
- 08-06-03
Very Thought Provoking!
I found the book to be very well rounded and though provoking. I thought Kraukaer did an excellent job of looking at how religion is used to justify violence in people who are already predisposed to follow violent means to an end. I did not think that he tried to make the point that religion causes violence. I have read many other books on violent events that were justified by religious belief and this book was well rounded and documented. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Mary
- 08-09-03
Great Book
Incredible amount of facts and reported unemotionally. Krakauer did his homework although I am sure religious zealots will try to downplay the role of religion (any religion) in unpleasant events. Any kind of religious bashing is nixed unless it is bashing Islam. I think Krakauer's book is thought-provoking and well done! Bravo.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Gene
- 09-06-03
Fascinating
Anyone who gives this less than four stars must have a hidden agenda. It would be interesting to see how many people who reviewed it actually listened to it, especially among those who gave it a low rating. I have been around Mormons all my life and really didn't know much about the religion. This gave me a good introduction as well as told a harrowing, unbelievable story. Superbly read by the author. Never a dull moment. I only give five stars to all-time classics, and this just falls short.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Heavy t.o.
- 02-18-16
story Is much deeper than the synopsis suggests.
This book explores more than just the true crime tale of a few delusional Mormons horrific acts . It dives deep into the creation of this modern day, american made religion. An eye opener
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Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 11-01-08
Interesting Historical Perspective
Good historical view of the Mormon religion's beginnings and the adoption of polygamy. It was a little dry and drawn out in some areas, but necessary to understanding of the history of polygamy. I went on to read Stolen Innocence. So, this provided some good background for that book. I read the book along with the audio and was disappointed that the audio skipped over a lot of the book. I had to stop the audio and read over the deleted portions, then catch up to the audio again.
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- Foster
- 10-24-21
Disturbing Account of the Mormon Faith
This is a detailed and well researched accounting of the Mormon faith.
I am a Christian, who holds Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
These people do not know, have faith in or hold Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They hold themselves as leaders of their so called faith. Evil, murderous, and their judgement will be held in the hands of God. None other.
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- John Flynn
- 10-22-22
History of FLDS
I guess I’m not sure what I wanted from this book when I started, but it’s not what I thought it would be. I didn’t think it would be a history of the Mormon faith, but it is, and it is well written, and it’s short and quick enough that I didn’t lose interest over the course of the book. If you believe in any faith, I think this should be a must read. I no longer participate in any faith practice, but there are many people I would’ve loved to hear their take on this, because it’s what this book asks of you that eventually brought me away from my own faith. It’s important to wrestle the questions of this book, and either way you answer them, they can only make you a more compassionate person.
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Overall
- amazonman
- 05-18-04
Under the Banner of Bias & Biogtry
Laffertys were excommunicated from the Mormon Church before their horrific crimes were committed. Calling Lafferty a "Fundamentalist Mormon" is like calling Charles Manson a "Fundamentalist Catholic" or a "Born-Again Baptist." Hmmmm, why is it those labels are never used to described psychopathic murderers who used to go to Sunday School when they were growing up? To sell books by smearing an entire religious people through sensationalistic half-truths and misleading or misinformed story-telling is ludicrous at best and ugly biogtry at worst. Hatred and prejudice are alive and well. This book just proves it and fuels it.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Pamela
- 06-10-04
I thought I'd like it more
This is a book about the history and development of Mormonism in the United States that happens to discuss a murder committed by one of the flock. If you are looking for a "true crime" book, this is not it. The story of the murder of a young woman and her daughter by a brutally deranged fanatic takes so long to tell that there is no climax. The author makes a connection and big deal out of something that turns out to be only mildly interesting. God told the murderer to kill these people -- heard that before and in way less than 5 hours. I enjoyed Krakauer's other books -- "Into Thin Air," about disaster striking a Mt. Everest climbing group, and especially "Into the Woods," a fascinating story of survival off the land with an amazing climax. This book, however, read like, "Into the Church," which, frankly, isn't a place I'd like to go.
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5 people found this helpful