History of Utah, 1540-1886 (Forgotten Books) Book + PRICE WATCH * Amazon pricing is not included in price watch

History of Utah, 1540-1886 (Forgotten Books) Book

One of the problems with literature about and by Mormons, is that, pro or con, there are very few texts without an extreme point of view. This is one of the few comprehensive histories of 19th century Mormonism which was written with a center of gravity close to what we moderns call a 'neutral point of view.' Written by (or under the aegis of) H.H. Bancroft, the foremost historian of the Western US, this massive book tells the story of the settlement of what would become the state of Utah. This is, naturally, closely bound up with the saga of the Mormon persecution and exodus.This book draws on a huge library of contemporary sources, which Bancroft assembled with the help of an army of assistants. Every statement of fact, every incident mentioned, is backed up in the extensive footnotes, some stretching across five or six pages. Bancroft is not afraid to deal with touchy subjects such as the Mountain Meadows massacre, polygamy, and the quirks of the Mormon leaders. Despite the neutral stance, Bancroft is not unsympathetic to the Mormons. He praises them as industrious, sober, and law-abiding people (and to document that, he carefully adds a huge footnote with a compiled table of crime statistics, broken down by Mormon/non-Mormon!).There are also many points of general interest here, such as how Utah happened to be the first US territory to let women vote, the story of the Deseret alphabet, and how some seagulls saved the pioneers from starving. His review of the polygamy issue is extremely relevant to the debate over acceptable forms of marriage today. This book is required reading if you want to understand the background of the Mormons. Both Mormon and 'Gentile' will find a lot to like in this volume. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)About the AuthorHuberRead More

from£18.57 | RRP: £12.23
* Excludes Voucher Code Discount Also available Used from £60.76
  • 1605068209
  • 9781605068206
  • Hubert Howe Bancroft
  • 13 February 2008
  • Forgotten Books
  • Paperback (Book)
  • 724
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. If you click through any of the links below and make a purchase we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Click here to learn more.

Would you like your name to appear with the review?

We will post your book review within a day or so as long as it meets our guidelines and terms and conditions. All reviews submitted become the licensed property of www.find-book.co.uk as written in our terms and conditions. None of your personal details will be passed on to any other third party.

All form fields are required.