1820: Dawning of the Restoration

by Richard E. Bennett

"This volume examines the "four cornerstones" of the early nineteenth century: revolution and reform, Romanticism, emancipation, and religious revivalism. The book focuses on remarkable figures in each of these movements during this era, including people such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander von Humboldt, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Charles Wesley. The author weaves together the biographies of these extraordinary people in order to give readers a glimpse into the spirit of the age. Readers will gain greater insight into the exciting and dynamic era of 1820, the year of the restoration of Christ's church on the earth"

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Richard Edmond Bennett

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book not only contextualized the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but also gave me a broader context for the modern era. As a student of ancient history, my familiarity stops at the Renaissance. This book gave an excellent overview of the political, religious, and artistic developments across the world that impacted Joseph Smith's world.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Nathaniel Irvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in a very tiny involved in the writing of this book - I was one of Dr. Bennet's research assistants many years ago. I was ultimately a little disappointed by it - rather than try to argue a thesis that 1820 was a pivotal year in world history by explaining how everything was changing, not just the Restoration, it instead focused on setting the stage and explaining the conditions of the world at that time. It was certainly interesting in parts - for example, I had never known about the exhaustive scientific work of Humboldt and his profound impact on Western scientific development in the 20th century. But it was ultimately a summary, not a persuasive essay, which hadn't been what I was hoping for or what I'd thought we'd been working towards when it was under development.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very ambitious book full of amazing information. For me, though, it was a bit crowded with names and dates and places. Does present a very thorough look at the world into which Joseph Smith, Jr. was born and the context in which his revelations came.

[Jason Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is essentially a brief biography of some of the influential people around 1820. I enjoyed it!

[Jeff Crosby]

The author tries too hard to make the case for 1820 as pivotal.