Jon Krakauer is a gifted writer--Into Thin Air and Into the Wild were outstanding books. His literary skills are on display in Under the Banner of Heaven, but the central story in the book, the Lafferty murders, doesn't get nearly enough of the space. Only about a third or so of this book is dedicated exclusively to the case, with the remainder dedicated to the history of Mormonism.
Knowing the history of this sect is certainly important for putting the Lafferty murders in perspective, but I felt like insufficient attention was paid to the point of the book. Specifically, I wanted to know the effect the murders had on the community generally and Allen Lafferty specifically. Without reading the book, this may sound a bit ghoulish, but after reading it, I think you'll want to have the same questions answered--or at least raised.
All in all, Under the Banner of Heaven is a good book, but not Krakauer's best.Get more detail about Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith.
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