Brigham Young: A Concise Biography of the Mormon Moses

by Ed Breslin

He was a carpenter. A visionary. A governor. A prophet. A pioneer. A preacher. A businessman. A temple-builder.

Brigham Young loomed large in a tumultuous time. He helped found the state of Utah in the era of American Manifest Destiny. He rallied thousands around Mormonism, a new faith with powerful detractors who tried to stamp it out in the towns and villages where its communities sprang up. With barely a dozen days of formal education under his belt, he left a legacy of writings, letters and sermons that continue to enrich the study of the Mormon Church and the era of American Western expansion.

In Brigham Young, Ed Breslin distills Young's larger-than-life story into a concise, readable biography that focuses on his most critical moments and achievements. Unlike other biographies, Breslin's account neither whitewashes nor sensationalizes Brigham Young's controversial life. Brigham Young is the perfect primer on Young's vast and complicated legacy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2013

About the author

Ed Breslin is a former editor and publisher who spent two decades in the book business. He left his job as publisher and senior vice president of HarperCollins in order to write and edit full-time. During his career he edited and published such best-selling authors as Jeffrey Archer, Len Deighton, Clive Barker, Stuart Woods, W.E.B. Griffin, Tom Clancy, TV talk show host Sonya Friedman and business maven Harvey Mackay. He also wrote two espionage thrillers and the parody of Spy magazine called Sty, published by Random House in 1989 and a national bestseller on the B. Dalton and Waldenbooks lists."

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of Brigham Young treats is life as a endorsement of the religion off the Mormans. Both positive and negative facts about the man are present but he he still portrayed as a frontier hero and missionary. A look of the development of the Morman religion during his life time is presented.

[James Ilango · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, concise account of Brigham Young. A balanced, unbiased perspective, shining light on both his greatness as a leader and pioneer in American history and his fatal flaws that would lead to his demise.

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

A concise narrative history. Quotes almost no primary sources. Mediocre writing. Some statements are just plain wrong. Grasps only a small fraction of Brigham Young's character, achievements, and legacy. Leonard J. Arrington's and John G. Turner's biographies of Brigham Young are much better.

[Doug Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and easy to read. Very favorable to Young but not uncritical. For those looking for lots of detail or an in-depth treatment, this might not be your best option but he does note other more detailed biographies in the text and in the bibliography.

[Scott Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good info. Fair, balanced. Not really a great read

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a well written overview of Brigham Young's life. I found it well balanced.