Reviews

How should a historian depict a man's life when that man, and his religion, remain a mystery to so many 200 years after his birth? Bushman, an emeritus professor at Columbia University and author of Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, greatly expands on that previous work, filling in many details of the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and carrying the story through to the end of Smith's life. Many continue to view Smith as an enigmatic and controversial figure. Bushman locates him in his historical and cultural context, fleshing out the many nuances of 19th-century American life that produced such a fertile ground for emerging religions. The author, a practicing Mormon, is aware that his book stands in the intersection of faith and scholarship, but does not avoid the problematic aspects of Smith's life and work, such as his practice of polygamy, his early attempts at treasure-seeking and his later political aspirations. In the end, Smith emerges as a genuine American phenomenon, a man driven by inspiration but not unaffected by his cultural context. This is a remarkable book, wonderfully readable and supported by exhaustive research. For anyone interested in the Mormon experience, it will be required reading for years to come. (Oct. 10) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

"Remarkable. . . . A tale that's as colorful, suspenseful and unlikely as any in American history...Bushman earns a place for his biography on the very short shelf reserved for books on Mormonism with appeal to initiates and outsiders, too."--"The New York Times Book Review""A fascinating definitive biography. . . . Stirs deeper questions about American religious convictions and how they shape lives and culture." --"The Christian Science Monitor""An exhaustively researched and beautifully written biography of Mormonism's enigmatic founder."--"Christianity Today""Fascinating. . . .Bushman captures all the harrowing events of Smith's short life, rife with converts and cabals, while meticulously dissecting the revelations that continue to haunt the Smith story." --"The Providence Journal""Well-researched and lucidly written. . . . An excellent source for learning about the Mormon faith." --"The St. Louis Post-Dispatch"

Bushman, emeritus professor of history at Columbia, crafts a thoroughgoing biography of Mormon founder Joseph Smith on the 200th anniversary of his birth. With a four-city tour. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.