Under The Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith - Hardcover

Here, Krakauer shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious belief within the USA. At the core of his book is an appalling double murder committed by a pair of brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they were commanded to kill by God. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this "divinely inspired" crime, Krakauer constructs a multi-layered, bone-chilling narrative of 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. Weaving the story of the Lafferty brothers and their fanatical brethren witha clear-eyed look at Mormonism's violent past, Krakauer examines the underbelly of the United States' most successful home-grown faith, and findsa distinctly American brand of religious extremism. The result is vintage Krakauer, an utterly compelling work of non-fiction that illuminates anotherwise confounding realm of human behaviour.

Jon Krakauer is the author of Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air, and is editor of the Modern Library Explorer series. He lives in the USA.