Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

· Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Scott Brick
4.5
14 reviews
Audiobook
12 hr 32 min
Unabridged
Eligible
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About this audiobook

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.

Ratings and reviews

4.5
14 reviews
Josh
September 3, 2023
a good book and well written. I learned a lot but it can be a little meandering and it was at times upsetting/frustrating to hear
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Kathryn Rucker
August 2, 2023
It's a very interesting 🤔💭 book 📖📚
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Sheryl Walker
December 24, 2022
Interesting
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About the author

Jon Krakauer is the author of Eiger DreamsInto the WildInto Thin AirUnder the Banner of HeavenWhere Men Win Glory, Three Cups of Deceit, and Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, among others. He is also the editor of the Modern Library Exploration series.

Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. His stage appearances throughout the US include CyranoHamlet, and MacBeth. In the audio industry, Scott has won over 20 Earphones Awards, as well as the 2003 Audie Award in the Best Science Fiction category for Dune: The Butlerian Jihad. After recording nearly 250 books in five years, AudioFile Magazine named Scott “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy” and proclaimed him one of their Golden Voices. Brick’s range is unparalleled as he reads thrillers to narrative nonfiction, from biographies to science fiction with aplomb.

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Narrated by Scott Brick