What readers think of Under the Banner of Heaven, plus links to write your own review.

I feel like such a nit wit and I see that I am not the only person writing here who "bought" the stories premise "hook, line, and sinker."

No doubt that this author is a terrific writer and a great story teller and I must thank him for whetting my appetite for more reading. It was because of the additional reading, that I got a more balanced view of the Mormons and found the myriad of historical inaccuracies that pervade this writing.

I found that much or the author's research was a rehashing of much of the agenda driven anti-religion hatched jobs written throughout the ages against many faiths.

If you, like me, feel intellectually sucker-punched by the colored stories that attempt to jade our Mormon neighbors, simply go to Wikipedia - scroll to the bottom and start with the well cited critical response to this atrocity. How cunning are the atheists and agnostics of this world, but dispassionate vetting can keep us from stepping into the leavings of the proverbial male bovine.

The author has writting skills, I admit. But the book only highlights the negatives in the Mormon religion. It is biased and one sided. But, if you are strictly anti mormon, this book will add fuel to the fire.

While the book was superbly reported, it was obvious that the subject wasn't the author's passion. Unlike Eiger Dreams, Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, where it was obvious Krakauer posessed a strong bond with his subjects, he seemed detached from those in this book. While engaging and historically appealing, it didn't agree with Krakauer's ability to depict the outdoor adventure world, where he has no rivals. A book to read, not a book to savor.

Hmmm...where to start. Suppose someone writes a "balanced" book about your family and doesn't use your family members for much source material. Granted, source material directly from the family is biased but so is material from those who don't like the family (or were booted out of the family). You read through a "history" of your family but see, to your frustration, that the sources used for info were only casually associated with the family or wrote about them from afar.

Basically, this book didn't do justice to my family. In short, the treatment of Joseph Smith caused me to laugh out-loud. The sources used for that particular part of the book were obviously from enemies of the church. Further, The fundementalists are not as linked to the "Main-line" (a term, incidently, that I've never heard used in Utah before) LDS church as a casual, outside observer may be led to believe. These groups and individuals pick and choose doctrines from the gospel to achieve their own ends but live nothing close to LDS observances/lifestyle.

This book takes aspects of our history (plural marriage and LDS scripture for example) out of context making it difficult for non-LDS folk to understand the whole within a full framework of Mormon history . I don't know how accurately the FLDS (another term I've never heard of) were portrayed, but I truly didn't recognize the people he described as "Main-line" LDS. I would urge people to study the source (Book of Mormon - other church publications) of the doctrines for themselves and not take this book at face value.

Wrong facts and wrong assumptions in this "nonfiction" book.

"fundamentalists" are not and never have been "MORMONS". They are a separate identity, just as Jehovah's Witnesses are a separate sect. So what does the killing have to do with "Mormons" really except give a good story?

Why all the hoopla about polygamy. Read your bible people--polygamy is all over the old testament practiced by great prophets--Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc. King David had like 200 wives and then another 200concubines.... Polygamy has been a "God law" in the past. It is not now for some reason--ask God and find out why. Before you go condemn how awful polygamy is read your bible--you may be condemning God. I can't say I like the idea of polygamy either but I am not going to condemn something God has sanctioned in the past!!!

An unfair, one-sided view of the Mormon church. At least 90% of what was said about Joseph Smith was entirely false. It's sad to think that there will be people who not only look up to this and do not consider anything of the LDS church, but will also despise and discriminate it. I've seen people holding banners and signs of at sacred Mormon tabernacles exclaiming how much they hate Mormons. I have lots of knowledge of the Mormon church, and know as a fact that they're very nice, honorable people who work hard to make the world a better place. In my opinion, this should be encouraged and thought well of instead of discriminated. The gospel of the Mormon church is hardly what this book claims it to be. Other religious followers are simply upset that the Mormon church receives as many converts as it does. Why? because people feel that it's right, and believe that they're doing the right thing in following a correct gospel. don't push them away from this. Even if you don't believe the Mormon gospel is true, Mormonism teaches lots of good morales such as no alcohol, drugs, or such, as these things cloud your view of judgment. I myself do believe in the Mormon gospel, and I think that Under the Banner of Heaver does a poor job of revealing it's actuality. He never labels a single source for allot of his arguments, nor does he explain the reasonings behind them. Most of his "facts" make no sense at all, and should not be listened to. Please don't base your opinions of this book. Mormons are allot different then this book makes them out to be.

It's a horrible injustice to the Mormon faith that the book does not distinguish between the fundamentalist and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This kind of debauchery causes prejudice and hatred of others. I'm sad others will believe what the author says about the "mormon" (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) faith. The actions of two fanatical, misguided, evil people do not represent the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If one thinks he/she knew nothing about the "Mormons" before reading this book, he/she can be assured that he/she still knows nothing about the "Mormon" beliefs.

Completely one sided and doesn't really distinguish the difference between the real mormons and the crazy polygamists that aren't mormons at all. I'm friends with alot of mormons and have even been to their services and I feel that their should be a greater distinction between the two. Its not fair that one group gets a bad reputation because of other peoples actions.