Rating: 
Summary: too much history caused this reader to lose interest
Review: Though Jon Krakauer subtitled UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN 'a Story of Violent Faith', he left this reader lost in the middle of the book, literally. Krakauer introduces the crime that was the brutal murder that should've formed the focus of the book, within the first two or three chapters. Then, in the middle of the book, he drags the reader through a hundred-page-plus condensation of the beginnings of the Mormon faith and its founder, Joseph Smith. The true crime side got lost in this 'history lesson" Krakauer threw into the mix. By the time I got to the end of the book, the murder seemed to have taken second place to a cursory review of the beginnings of Mormonism. Krakauer wrote it like a term paper or essay: as if he had a read a book and was regurgitating what he thought were the most important events. Overly long and lacking in focus.
Rating: 
Summary: A Revelation!
Review: Krakauer has identified and documented what we former-Mormons have known and kept silent about for years (173 to be exact). This book should be required reading for anyone looking into the religion from any basis. Krakauer is adept at using exactly the right words to perfectly describe the intended feelings of the dual story being told. My jaw is now permanently locked open from the awe I felt reading some of the details I already knew, and discovering others, through the journey on which this masterpiece takes you.
Rating: 
Summary: Into thin History
Review: I grow tired of pseudo-historians using second and third hand references to support a weak and ill-defined theory. No, I am not a Mormon who lives in Utah, but I understand why they would find Jon Krakauer's latest offering disappointing, if not deceitful. It seems as if Mr. Krakauer set out to write a story about two brutal murders and ended up in a morass of religion he neither understands nor fully contemplates. I am not terribly interested in Mr. Krakauer's unsubstantiated history. And because so much of the book grows on this poor foundation, the real tragedy and story of the murders become nothing more than macro conjecture. Avoid.
Rating: 
Summary: A Little Disappointing
Review: I had not read any books by Krakauer before, but had heard great things about "...Thin Air." I was disappointed with this book. This book tried to tackle too many subjects. I am a huge fan of true crime and he didn't nail the genre. He should have tried to do a book about Mormanism or about the crime - but not both.
Rating: 
Summary: The American Religion
Review: Mr. Krakauer has written an interesting account of Mormonism and it's various fundametalist off shoots. I purchased this book thinking that it would be a true crime account of a mother/daughter murder. It was not. Mr. Krakauer successfully weaves the story of these murders with the history of the religion. I found it both fascinating and disturbing. A recommened read.
Rating:
Summary: Scary Ride
Review: This is one of the most powerful and interesting books I've read in a long time. For me, it helped validate my fears of organized religion, which I find to be one of the scariest things on earth. For you? Who knows. What I know is that all religions are based on faith of the unknown. That is scary enough. Under the Banner of Heaven is a hell of a ride.
Rating:
Summary: REVIEWS FROM UTAH....
Review: Folks, Since I'd already read the book I wrote a review first, as a former Mormon (apostate, they call me). Then I read all 301 reviews. I'd say Jon's rating, right now a four-star, is one helluva a rating, given that there was virtually no middle ground - ones and twos averaged with fives. Another *very* interesting thing I noted was how many negative reviews came from cities and towns mentioned in Joh's book (especially American Fork, UT). Looks like you hit a nerve, Joh!! Good for you........... larry fullmer
Rating:
Summary: BORN UNDER THE "BANNER".....
Review: Folks, I was born a raised a Mormon in Sugar City, Idaho - 99.99% pure (as in Ivory soap). Truly, it was, and is, that pure. With that monoploy, and the roots so deep, I got to hear about most of what John K. wrote, firsthand, as a kid. His, or more precisely the Mormon Church's, desire to distance mainstream Mormonism from fundamentalism is misplaced. The Doctrine is there. It's just that the fundamentalists take it seriously - sorta like Islam, if you know what I mean. I still live in Idaho, as an apostate (horrors), and I know for a fact that my family members and others are reading Krakhauer (no doubt under the covers with a flashlight, as I once read "Peyton Place"). I know Mormon fundamentalists. I've been to their meetings. Krakhauer hit it dead-on in relation to Doctrine, and in relation to those who take it seriously. One thing *all* Mormons believe is that they "will save the Constitution when it is hanging by a thread". I urge you to read the book for insight into what that might mean. Larry Fullmer (out from under the Banner, condemned, hence, to the lowest of the lowest of the rungs of heaven/hell)........
Rating:
Summary: Good Read, but Limited Insight
Review: Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer is an interesting book about the history of Mormonism, with a focus on how two ultra-fundamentalist Mormans, on the orders of God, committed the senseless murders of their sister in law and their niece. Admittedly, when I first heard of the book, and the fact that it was written by Krakauer, I was surprised and a little apprehensive. After all the subject matter is a far cry from Into Thin Air and Into the Wild. But Krakauer deserves credit for making the transition, although a greater background in religion or in the study of history would have been helpful. The book moves back and forth from a history of Mormonism and the murders. The writing is clear and readable as you would expect. Krakauer does a find job giving the history of both and attempting to explain the whys and wherefor of the murders and some the darker sides of Morman history. The chief limitation of the book is Krakauer's limitation as a author. Unlike his prior books, Krakauer does not have a firm background in religion, Mormonism or criminology. Thus, his ability to explain the whys and wherefores is quite limited and as a result only the surface of events is investigated. Even given this obvious limitation, the book is a worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Expose on Mormonite Polygamy & its Consequences
Review: This book is a really heartbreaking story about "fundamenalist Mormons" living virtually autonomously in rural western U.S. towns and clinging to the misguided "plural marriage" practices that "mainstream" Mormons abandoned a century ago. I know that "mainstream" Mormons won't like having these stories told, but Mormonism arose in the age of the printing press, and a good researcher, like Krakauer, can follow an ample paper trail. Krakauer's a great writer, but he needs a good editor and doesn't have one. There's a misspelled word on virtually every other page.
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