As the leader of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, a group based in Utah and Texas, Warren Jeffs held sway over thousands of followers for nearly a decade. In addition to pressuring girls into polygamous marriages with older men, Jeffs reputedly took scores of wives, many of whom were his father's widows. Television, radio, and newspapers were shunned, creating a hidden community where polygamy was prized above all else. In 2007, after a two-year manhunt, Jeffs' reign was forcefully ended. He was convicted of rape as an accomplice for his role in arranging the marriage of a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old first cousin. In "When Men Become Gods", Singular traces Jeffs' rise to power and the concerted effort that led to his downfall. The book offers new revelations into a nearly impenetrable enclave, granting a rare glimpse into a tradition that's almost a century old, but that has only now been exposed.

Reviews

This ripped-from-the-headlines expose uncovers the rise and fall of polygamist Warren Jeffs, former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). Based on interviews with ex-members, newspaper stories and trial records, it provides a raw and bracing account of Jeffs's sex crimes and fugitive years. Unfortunately, Singular's account is not burdened by nuance or significant attention to history or theology, ignoring important prior research on Mormon fundamentalism and painting all polygamists with the same broad brush. Some of this could be forgiven if Singular's lapses in understanding Mormon fundamentalism were not exacerbated by his frequent tactic of comparing the FLDS to Islamic extremists, which evokes the intended fear response but remains tenuous. However, the book's second half, which hews closely to the chronology of Jeffs's flight from the law and the individuals who helped to bring him to justice, is more balanced than the first. Singular is a strong writer who uses pacing, dialogue and drama to good effect. Readers will find this a troubling and fascinating, if careless, account. (May) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

"A raw and bracing account of Jeff's sex crimes and fugitive years... Troubling and fascinating." - Publishers Weekly."