UPDATES: See comments: 1, 13, 16, 17, 22, 24, 25, 28.
It’s time for the yearly round up of recently published and forthcoming Mormon history books. See last year’s list here. Be sure to also check out Ben’s recap of significant scholarship in 2011 and Stapley’s Christmas Gift Book Guide. Be sure to let me know what I missed in the comments. Rumors about book projects are always welcome! Finally, according to the WordPress stats, this is our 1000th published post. Not a bad milestone for any blog.
Arthur H. Clark & Oklahoma University Press
Gregory K. Armstrong, Matthew J. Grow, Dennis J. Siler. Parley P. Pratt and the Making of Mormonism. (AHC 2011)
James C. Work. Don?t Shoot the Gentile. (OUP 2011) ?A witty memoir of a non-Mormon teacher?s rookie years in Utah?
Beth Moore. Bones in the Well: The Haun?s Mill Massacre, 1838. (OUP 2012) (new in paperback)
Polly Aird, Jeff Nichols, Will Bagley (eds). Playing with Shadows: Voices of Dissent in the Mormon West. (AHC 2011) Kingdom in the West series, vol. 13.
Jesse G. Petersen. West From Salt Lake: Diaries from the Central Overland Trails. (AHC 2012)
Thomas Alexander. Edward Hunter Snow: Pioneer Builder in Southern Utah. (AHC 2012)
Richard L. Saunders, ed. Dale Morgan and the Mormons, vol. 1. (AHC 2012) Kingdom in the West series, vol. 14.
Baylor University Press
LDS in the USA: Mormonism and the Making of American Culture. Lee Trepanier and Lynita K. Newswander (2012)
Bearhead Publishing
And Should We Die: The Cane Creek Mormon Massacre. Donald R. Curtis.
BYU Religious Studies Center
Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared. Kenneth L. Alford and Scott C. Esplin, eds. (2011)
Under the Gun: West German and Austrian Latter-Day Saints in World War II. Roger P. Minert (2011)
Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible: Electronic Library. Scott Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, eds. (2011)
BYU Studies
Father of the Prophet: Andrew Kimball. Edward L. Kimball (2011)
Jens Neilson: Bishop of Bluff. David S. Carpinter (2011)
Cedar Fort
Mormon Yankees: Giants on and Off the Court. Fred E. Woods (2012). See an article here for info on the documentary that I assume the book will follow.
Church Historian?s Press
The Joseph Smith Papers, Histories Volume 1: Joseph Smith Histories, 1832-1844. (2012)
The Joseph Smith Papers, Histories Volume 2: Assigned Historical Writings, 1831-1847. (2012)
We may very well have a new volume of George Q. Cannon’s journals–the Hawaiian mission journals. I’ve heard a lot of great things about these journals, so I hope we’ll get to see them soon. I also hear that there are some other publications in the works which will be announced in due time. Stay tuned!
Covenant Communications
Against the Odds: The Life of George Albert Smith. Mary Jane Woodger. (2011)
Deseret Book
How We Got the Book of Mormon. Richard E. Turley, Jr., and William W. Slaughter. (2011)
Women of Faith in the Latter-days, Volume 1, 1775-1820. 2011. Richard E. Turley Jr., and Brittany Chapman, eds. See the series website for submission and publication details.
Eborn Books
The Mendon Saints: Their Lives and Legacy, Volume 1. Stephen G. Schwendiman. (2011) See here for more information.
William E. McLellin’s Lost Manuscript. Mitchell K. Shaefer, editor; Steven C. Harper, introduction. (2012) Word on the street is that Harvard Heath left the project in order to concentrate on editing the James E. Talmage journals (Signature?).
I?ve heard of a Wilford Woodruff autobiography that Eborn is hoping to publish, but I do not know about a timetable.
Murder of the Mormon Prophet (softcover). LeGrand L. Baker (2012).
The Mendon Saints, Their Lives and Legacy, Volume 2 (2012). This will be a 4 volume set.
Grandin Book Company
A Preliminary Inquiry into the Nature of the High Priesthood, 1831-1837: Remarks Presented by Lyndon W. Cook to Employees and Invited Guests of Grandin Book Company, Provo, UT Tuesday, March 23, 2010 (Volume 2 in the Grandin Lecture Series). (forthcoming–> ?)
Greg Kofford Books
Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again: Perceptions and Perspectives, Davis Bitton (2011)
This is My Doctrine: The Development of Mormon Theology. Charles Harrell. (2011)
The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon. Brant Gardner. (2011)
Saints of Valor: Mormon Medal of Honor Recipients. Sherman Fleek. (2011)
The Man Behind the Discourse: A Biography of King Follett. Joann Follett Mortensen (2011)
Villages on Wheels: A Social History of the Gathering to Zion. Stanley and Violet Kimball (2011)
Knowing Brother Joseph Again: Perceptions and Perspectives. Davis Bitton (2011)
From Tiki to Temple: The Story of the New Zealand Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1854-1958, Marjorie Newton (2012)
Mormonism in Transition, 3rd Edition. Thomas Alexander (2012)
Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, Volume 1. Brian C. Hales (2012)
Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, Volume 2. Brian C. Hales (2012)
The Lost 116 Pages: Recovering the Book of Lehi. Don Bradley (2012)
The Earliest Mormon Understanding of God (1829-1844): Modalism and Other Myths, David Paulsen, et. al. (2012)
Harvard University Press
John Turner’s biography of Brigham Young is forthcoming with HUP.
John Whitmer Books
Strangites: The Great Lakes Mormon Experience, edited by John Hamer and Vickie Speek (forthcoming)
An Illustrated History of Nauvoo by Steve Shields (forthcoming)
Let Contention Cease: The Dynamics of Dissent in the Reorganized Latter-day Saint Tradition by W. B. Spillman (forthcoming)
Hanging by a Thread:Joseph Smith and the White Horse Prophecy by Newell G. Bringhurst and Craig L. Foster (forthcoming).
Manuscript
The working title is ?Latter Leaves from the Life of Lorenzo Snow: An Administrative History and Biography?, by Dennis B. Horne and Orson F. Whitney. This is, from what I understand, a biography that Orson F. Whitney left unpublished. I do not have an updated timetable for publication or certain knowledge of the publisher.
North Highland Publishing
Latter-day Pioneers. George Stewart (2011)
Oxford University Press
In Heaven as it is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death. Sam Brown. (2012)
Exhibiting Mormonism: The Latter-day Saints and the 1893 Chicago World?s Fair (Religion in America), by Reid Neilson (2011)
Terryl Givens has been hard at work on a history of Mormon Theology which would be published (IIRC) through Oxford UP, though I am not aware of a time frame for publication.
Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism. Matt Grow and Terryl Givens (2011)
Paul Reeve?s second book is under contract with OUP. It will deal, basically, with how Mormons in the 19th century were constructed as racial others.
Princeton University Press
The Book of Mormon: A Biography. Paul C. Gutjahr (2012)
Random House
Our own Matt Bowman!
The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith. Matthew Bowman (2012). See also the Audiobook. 🙂
Routledge
The Mormon World. Sherlock and Mosser (2012)
Signature Books
Dimensions of Faith: A Mormon Studies Reader. Stephen C. Taysom, editor. (2011)
The Nauvoo City and High Council Minutes. John S. Dinger, editor. (2011)
The Midwife: A Biography of Laurine Ekstrom Kingston. Victoria D. Burgess. (2012)
The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition. (2012)
Lost Apostles: Forgotten Members of Mormonism?s Original Quorum of the Twelve, edited by Michael Marquardt (this was a John Whitmer Books project, but now has come to Signature apparently. Not sure if the title will remain the same.)
There is a 3 Volume Joseph Smith biography still in the works.
Smith-Pettit
Six Volume History of the Church by Joseph Smith, edited by Dan Vogel (forthcoming)
University of Minnesota Press
Chosen People, A Promised Land: Mormonism and Race in Hawai’i. Hokulani Aikau. (2012)
University of Utah Press
Henry Burkhardt and LDS Realpolitik in Communist East Germany. Raymond Kuehne (2011)
To The Peripheries of Mormondom: The Apostolic Around-The-World Journey of David O. McKay, 1920-1921 by Reid Neilson (2011)
Utah State University Press (descriptions courtesy of the publisher)
Claudia L. Bushman, editor, Pansy?s History: The Autobiography of Margaret E. P. Gordon, 1866?1966, vol. 12 of Life Writings of Frontier Women. (2011)
Richard Francaviglia, Go East, Young Man: Imagining the American West as the Orient. (2011)
Plural Wife: The Life Story of Mabel Finlayson Allred, vol. 13 of Life Writings of Frontier Women, edited by Martha S. Bradley. (2012)
Excellent, Jared; thanks for putting this together.
Don’t forget Spencer Fluhman’s book on 19th century anti-Mormonism is forthcoming with UNC Press this fall, and JB Haws’s book on the “Mormon image” in post-WW2 America is under contract with Oxford to come out sometime soon.
Comment by Ben Park — December 15, 2011 @ 6:07 am
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to prepare and post this, Jared. I’m excited to read a lot of these books–it looks like there’s something there to interest students of Mormon history interested in any number of things.
One question–you have vol. 1 Steve Schwendiman’s study of the Mendon Saints listed as 2011 and vol. 2 listed as 2010. Is that supposed to be 2012?
Comment by Christopher — December 15, 2011 @ 8:29 am
Awesome. Thanks for the wlrk to put this together.
Is the Cannon diary a reprint of the Deseret volume that was previously published? Has anyone heard how the third edition of Mormonism in Transition has been revised? Is Woodger’s GAS bio good? I’ve been looking for a an accessible source to point people to with regards to his struggle with mental illness.
Comment by J. Stapley — December 15, 2011 @ 9:39 am
…also, does anyone know anything about the Mendon volumes?
Comment by J. Stapley — December 15, 2011 @ 9:44 am
Thanks for reminding me of those, Ben.
Chris, Eborn said the first volume was to be published this year, so I suppose it still may happen. The 2010 is a typo, should be 2012.
Stapley, no, Volume 1 of the Cannon diary that was previously published comes from his 1849 California journal. This is volume 2 and is comprised of his Hawaiian journals, as I understand it.
Also, see here for a bit more on the Mendon Saints volumes.
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 10:55 am
Chris, this indicates that volume 1 of the Mendon Saints has been released.
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 10:58 am
Stapley, here is the publisher page for the GAS book. Not sure, though, how it is.
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 11:10 am
Thanks Jared.
Comment by Steve Fleming — December 15, 2011 @ 11:40 am
That lost 116 pages book looks interesting. I wonder if it’s content will match. It looks like it merely is looking at people’s claims of what was on the 116 pages. But that could be a disaster if one isn’t methodological careful.
Paulson’s book looks interesting too. It’s weird the modalism myth persists. It’s a too pat answer for the texts itself even if you discount the apologist attempts to show parallels to Jewish conceptions of such things as Merkevah literature.
Comment by Clark — December 15, 2011 @ 11:42 am
Thanks Jared. Great write up. And I will go on record as saying that I would be profoundly shocked if the GA Smith bio had anything substantive in it regarding Smith’s struggles with depression (or much else). I really hope I am wrong.
Comment by SC Taysom — December 15, 2011 @ 11:47 am
I haven’t read it, but Woodger apparently did write an article solely on Smith’s breakdown.
Comment by Ben P — December 15, 2011 @ 11:57 am
Love these posts, JI folks.
Comment by BHodges — December 15, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
Jared–
Good work as always. A few tidbits from our end:
—Mendon Saints, vol 1 is out–it will have a fun painting spread out over the spines (a la On the Mormon Frontier)–Steve has really done a lot of work on these families–whether for research or family history interests, it’s a trove
–last we heard, Lyndon Cook has put the High Priesthood and the BY Nauvoo diary (which would have been next in line) aside for a new, large project on the John Long papers
–Smith-Pettit’s next title will be The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition–Tom came by and gave us the rundown–looks like it will be pretty interesting
–RSC will be doing a collection of letters from Joseph F. Smith to his sister–should be out early 2012
–BYU Studies is doing a Frederick G. Williams bio slated for Mar/Apr
Comment by Bryan — December 15, 2011 @ 12:21 pm
Thanks for additional info, Bryan. I have The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri under Signature Books.
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 12:36 pm
That article isn’t bad, Ben; but as I understand it, it only represents a small segment of his struggle with mental illness.
Thanks for the additional links, Jared. I had totally misremembered that first Cannon journal volume.
Comment by J. Stapley — December 15, 2011 @ 12:50 pm
Great list. You should add the Oxford Handbook to Mormonism that Terryl and Phil are editing. If authors will get off their bums, the book should enter production in the next while or so. And rumor has it that Reid Neilson has a book under contract with OUP for a history of missionary work.
I’m very much looking forward to Gutjahr’s book. He’s great.
Comment by smb — December 15, 2011 @ 12:59 pm
Speaking of Terryl and Reid, their edited documentary history for Columbia Press is approaching the production stage as well. Last I heard (in September) it was in the final stages of review.
Comment by Ben P — December 15, 2011 @ 1:09 pm
As much as I love the Papyri printing that’s been going on it’d be really nice to have the Alphabet and Grammar in a critical edition as well.
Comment by Clark — December 15, 2011 @ 1:15 pm
Great list. One quick correction: Women of Faith, which is hot off the presses, is published by Deseret Book, not Church Historian’s Press. The first of the George Q. Cannon journals was also published by Deseret Book.
Comment by Matt — December 15, 2011 @ 1:40 pm
Clark, Brian Hauglid is working on GAEL critical edition as we speak (at least as of when we spoke last–I’ll be seeing him in Jan and will ask again).
Comment by smb — December 15, 2011 @ 1:45 pm
Thanks Sam and Ben for those added titles.
Matt, thanks for the correction. True the first was through DB, but this new volume is CHP, right?
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 4:33 pm
Sarah Barringer Gordon’s faculty page says she and Kathryn Daynes have a book forthcoming from Illinois called Convictions: Mormon Polygamy and Criminal Law Enforcement in Nineteenth-Century Utah. No date given.
Comment by Craig M. — December 15, 2011 @ 5:01 pm
Thanks, Craig!
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 5:22 pm
Here are a few more I was just told about:
(tentative title) The Reed Smoot Hearings: American Politics and American Religion (Utah State University Press) edited by Mike Paulos and Konden Smith (2013)
(tentative title) A Compilation of Historical Selections from the General Handbook of Instructions of the LDS Church: 1899-2006 (Smith-Pettit) edited by Mike Paulos
Mormons and American Popular Culture, vols. 2 (Praeger Publishers imprint of ABC-CLIO) edited by Mike Hunter (2012)
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 5:26 pm
John Whitmer Books held a retreat last weekend in Nauvoo to reorganize. John Hamer will remain as publisher and production manager (designing the pages and covers), I am the new editor, Erin Jennings is the associate editor, and Jan Marshall is the business manager. We are all VERY excited about this reorganization and I think we will make a great team.
Since it was started in 2009, JWB has put out 14 books–a tremendous amount considering it was run by just John and Mike. Unfortunately, we have had some delays lately, but we are determined to get back up to speed and get some new books out.
I am told that Mike Reed’s book Banishing the Cross went to the printer a couple of weeks ago and we are looking at several exciting new titles this year, including an important biography, a book concerning women’s studies, and a sequel to Bill Russell’s book Homosexual Saints in the Community of Christ.
Stay tuned for other titles. One of our first items of business will be updating our website.
Comment by Vickie Speek — December 15, 2011 @ 6:03 pm
That is indeed wonderful news, Vickie. Hurrah!
Comment by Ben P — December 15, 2011 @ 6:11 pm
Thank you for the update, Vickie!
Comment by Jared T — December 15, 2011 @ 6:21 pm
The RSC is also coming out with a volume of articles on Mormons in the Civil War sometime early next year. It is being edited by Kenneth Alford.
Comment by Brett D. — December 15, 2011 @ 7:20 pm
Thanks for putting this together, Jared. And congrats to the JI bloggers and readers for sticking around for 1,000 posts. Amazing.
Comment by David G. — December 15, 2011 @ 9:43 pm
I may be wrong, but it seems like Signature Books has announced the forthcoming of a 3-volume bio of Joseph Smith for about the past decade.
Comment by larryco_ — December 16, 2011 @ 6:23 am
Jared,
Any word on when Marquardt’s volume of later patriarchal blessings will come out?
Comment by Brett D. — December 18, 2011 @ 11:18 pm
Jared,
Fantastic list, and thanks for including Praeger’s encyclopedia of Mormonism & American Popular Culture in comment 24. My contribution there is with film, but it covers all kinds of media, sports, recreation, material culture, art, etc. The portion of the TOC I’ve seen looks really broad, with great topics like documentary film, reality TV, Disney, etc.
On that note, I’m also aiming to release a book on ‘Mormon Cinema’ before the end of 2012. Hoping it’s engaging for those interested in popular culture and 20th century Church history.
Looks like there’s going to be a lot of great reading material coming up, let alone the 950 JI posts I have to catch up on. Congrats!
Comment by Randy — December 19, 2011 @ 12:07 am
Brett, don’t know.
Randy, thank you and thanks for word on your book on Mormon cinema. Happy reading!
Comment by Jared T — December 19, 2011 @ 1:07 am
#11 & #15
You can read Woodger’s article on GAS here (page 113, PDF page 120):
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/mormonhistory/vol34/iss4/1/
She says: “George Albert wrestled with both physical and emotional health issues throughout his life, but this article focuses on conditions leading to an episode of nervous exhaustion that lasted from 1909 to 1912…”
Woodger is willing to discuss his problems but gives a positive take-home message, which I think tells us something about the forthcoming biography.
Comment by Rich jj — December 19, 2011 @ 6:33 pm
I think the 96 total page count also tells us something about the bio. His goatee alone could merit that much space…
Comment by Bryan — December 19, 2011 @ 6:42 pm
Rich, I wasn’t favorably impressed with her McKay bio, especially compared to Greg Prince’s, so my expectations are not high. I will say, though, that I flipped through a copy the other day and noticed plenty of references to GAS’s personal papers, which I think are available at the Marriott Library, if memory serves. So, there’s something to be said for that, I think.
Comment by Jared T — December 20, 2011 @ 11:33 am
Jared,
Readers who want a better understanding Mormon history might be interested in a historical novel called Odysseys of the Saints which is available at Amazon or direct from the Publishers.
As the readers of this post know, the Mormons are a singularly American religion. They are optimistic, expansive and generous with an outlook that has attracted millions of believers. But the distinct Mormon beliefs have also created repeated controversy over time. Odysseys of the Saints tells “how and why” from the viewpoint of both fiction and fact.
This book was extensively researched, with sources noted, not only on Mormon history, but on matters of ritual and theology. Neither of the authors is Mormon or ex-Mormon, so there is no religious agenda, either positively or negatively.
More information is available on the book website www. http://odysseysofthesaints.com.
Comment by HowardF — December 20, 2011 @ 12:13 pm