Secular or Sectarian History? A Critique of No Man Knows My History
When Herbert O. Brayer reviewed No Man Knows My History, Fawn Brodie's biography of the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, in the Mississippi Valley Historical Review in 1946, his words were prophetic. “This book”, he said, “which purports to be a ‘definitive biography’ will probably be one of the m...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1974
|
| In: |
Church history
Year: 1974, Volume: 43, Issue: 1, Pages: 78-96 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | When Herbert O. Brayer reviewed No Man Knows My History, Fawn Brodie's biography of the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, in the Mississippi Valley Historical Review in 1946, his words were prophetic. “This book”, he said, “which purports to be a ‘definitive biography’ will probably be one of the most highly praised and highly condemned historical works of 1945.” The book has indeed been highly praised and highly condemned, with plaudits coming generously from professionals in the field of American history. It quickly became the standard life of Joseph Smith and the most influential book on early Mormonism, a status it has retained. Evidence of the respect it still commands is provided by Sidney Ahlstrom of Yale University who recently termed it a “sympathetic and insightful account” which is “unequaled” as a life of the Mormon prophet. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1755-2613 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Church history
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3164082 |