What the cover says: "On July 24, 1984, a woman and her infant daughter were murdered by two brothers who believed they were ordered to kill by God. The roots of their crime lie deep in the history of an AMerican religion practiced by millions . . . ."

WHAT a mis up this trade turned out to be! (All my fault). I was thinking of another book entirely. But as all things finally work out, Under the Banner was mailed today on November 30. Sorry for all the mishaps. Thanks, Melanie (Alainas)

Received in a trade from Alainis. I look forward to reading this one as soon as possible!

This was a very interesting and very disturbing book.

Sending to a fellow bookcrosser as a RABCK.

Received today. Thanks for the RABCK rainflower!

I found this book disturbing and fascinating. I'm planning on releasing this as a bookray.

From Amazon.com
In 1984, Ron and Dan Lafferty murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen. The crimes were noteworthy not merely for their brutality but for the brothers' claim that they were acting on direct orders from God. In Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer tells the story of the killers and their crime but also explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism from which the two emerged. The Mormon Church was founded, in part, on the idea that true believers could speak directly with God. But while the mainstream church attempted to be more palatable to the general public by rejecting the controversial tenet of polygamy, fundamentalist splinter groups saw this as apostasy and took to the hills to live what they believed to be a righteous life. When their beliefs are challenged or their patriarchal, cult-like order defied, these still-active groups, according to Krakauer, are capable of fighting back with tremendous violence. While Krakauer's research into the history of the church is admirably extensive, the real power of the book comes from present-day information, notably jailhouse interviews with Dan Lafferty. Far from being the brooding maniac one might expect, Lafferty is chillingly coherent, still insisting that his motive was merely to obey God's command. Krakauer's accounts of the actual murders are graphic and disturbing, but such detail makes the brothers' claim of divine instruction all the more horrifying.
***
The usual bookray "rules" apply. Please make a journal entry when you receive the book and then again when you send it on. Please PM me if you run into any problems (such as finishing the book in a timely manner, which means 4-6 weeks). Check back here before sending the book on, as the shipping order may have changed since this ray will remain open. If you are the last person on the ray, feel free to do what you like with the book once you're done reading it - continue the ray, RABCK it, or release the book into the wild. Enjoy!

shellheap - USA (ship USA)(done)
andersor - USA (ship intl)(done)
tenneh - USA (ship USA)(done)
mustytomes - USA (ship intl)(done)
lynlee4 - USA (will ship intl, prefers USA)(done)
esq228 - USA (ship USA)(done)
fungirl503 - USA (ship intl)(done)
MissTerry - Germany (will ship intl, prefers Europe)(done)
toyjoy - Singapore (ship intl)(done)
BellaMack - Australia(ship Australia) (done)

Rec'd in the mail days ago. Sorry to be so slow journalling!

I couldn't really get into this book--I was impressed by the amount of research, but found it very dense and hard to follow. I loved Into Thin Air, though, by the same author. Will send on to andersor today.

Arrived in Monday's mail. I am in the middle of another bookring, but I will pass it on as soon as I can!
Thanks for sharing.

12/15 - This was a great book! I found it very interesting, and I really learned a lot.
I already have the next address, and I will be sending it out today.

Received today - will get to it asap!

I really enjoyed reading this book although it wasn't easy to read. It has a lot of Mormom history that I had to concentrate on. I did like the fact that the author put the LDS church's criticism of the book in his appendix (and his rebuttal to the criticism).

RELEASE NOTES:

going to mustytomes

Got it - Will read as soon as I finish Reading Lolita in Tehran

Others have taken the words out of my mouth: this book is both fascinating and disturbing. I would even go so far as to say that it's fascinating *because* it's so disturbing. I came into the book with some basic knowledge of Mormon theology, history, and splinter sects, and the information that was new to me was well-explained so I didn't have any difficulties following Krakauer's thought process. If there's a moral to tale, I suppose its the old adage: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

On its way to lynlee4.

Ugh! I received a few days ago and really tried to give it a go but invoked the 50 page rule. The story is interesting but I found the author so biased that it's hard for me to trust what he has to say. I'm not very familiar with any "organized" religion, they all make me uncomfortable. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this bookring and will send to esq228 as soon as I get the addy.

sent out via media mail today to esq228

Received yesterday. PLanning to start on it tonight. Thanks for sharing.

Just finished this one last night. I'm with the majority who found the book fascinating and disturbing. But I don't understand lynlee4's comment that the book is so biased in the first 50 pages that she couldn't get past it. I didn't see that at all. In fact, I thought the opposite was true -- I wasn't sure whose side the author was on at first. And even once that became clear, I'd hardly say the book is a full-on attack on anything . . . I thought Krakauer presented the information in a remarkably nonconfrontational manner, when he really could have been quite vicious. Also, while I started the book with only a very limited knowledge of Mormonisn and its various splinter groups (learned primarily from TV), I didn't find the book difficult or dense in the least. I actually thought it flowed quite nicely and told an amazing story. The last couple of chapters seemed to flow less well, thus the 9 and not the 10.

Will be sending on to the next reader as soon as I have an address.

3/21/07 Update: Sent today to fungirl503 via media mail.

this book had alot of history about the latter day saints. I have read another books on the history. It is hard to believe that god told Dan and ron two brothers to killed brenda and erica. It is so hard to believe the court system and the trails that went on.
This book is going to missterry

RELEASE NOTES:

going to missterry who is next for this book

Arrived back at work today after a week's holiday to find this book waiting for me on my desk. Very good timing as I have just finished a book. Will start over the weekend.

Like readers before me I also found the book both facinating and disturbing. I did not know alot about the Mormon religion before reading this, so I have learnt alot. But I did have to perserve at times as alot of ground was covered (although on the whole I think this was necessary).

Will PM toyjoy for their postal address.

Posted to toyjoy last Friday. Coming by airmail.

Hi everyone! Just a note to inform that I will be slow in moving the book as I’m have a few books in queue! Hope you don’t mind!

01/08/08
I find it rather contravening for such a religon to exist nowadays especially the recent news a family was secluded from the outside world for over 10 years sounds like the Mormon beliefs. I do respect every religons as I'm a Free Thinker. But I condemn those abuse the name of God freely. Especially in Polygamy and taking other lives without guilt in the name of acting in God's Will. It was way too deep, no one in the world has any rights or decision over another's life. There's isn't any respect of life and human relations at all, which I don't suppose this God's way at all.

Had PM for the next reader, awaiting.

3.25pm
Off to Australia!

Thanks Joy, received yesterday and although feeling a little daunted by comments from other readers about it being a disturbing etc book, I will read it and then make it available to others in Australia via the Aussie Virtual Bookbag.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Need to clear space sadly so handing a couple of boxes of books to Sarahbear

Received as part of a massive collection from bellamack.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Will be left in the waiting room.