Gone from the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History [Paperback]

John R. Hall (Author, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1987 | ISBN-10: 0887388019 | ISBN-13: 978-0887388019

In this superb cultural history, Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown: why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tensions of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring the social character of Jim Joness Peoples Temple--how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes? The book begins by examining the cultural origins of Jonestown: Who was Jim Jones? Where did he get his ideas and followers? How was his Peoples Temple established? The organiational base of the Temple is analyed through relevant comparisons with modern institutionalied practices in economics, bureaucracy, social control, public relations, and power.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Transaction Publishers (January 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887388019
• ISBN-13: 978-0887388019
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,459,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Most Objective Book So Far about Jonestown!, March 18, 2009

By 

Sylviastel - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gone from the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History (Paperback)

First of all, this book is not an easy read. The book is written by a sociologist who studied the case of Jonestown, Jim Jones, and the People's Temple. Be weary, this book is not beach material. If you have read other books on Jonestown and wanted some fresh insight like myself, this book will be ideal for you. Unfortunately, the print is small and plain. There are no photographs in the book or maps and charts like there should be to help understand the reading material. The author does paint an objective view of Jonestown. He doesn't disregard already reported facts but incorporates them into understanding the situation better.
Even thirty years later, we are still trying to understand Jonestown before another catastrophe of such magnitude can happen again. The author has no obvious connections to Jonestown, Jim Jones, or the People's Temple. The book is thoroughly researched and referenced with other books regarding the same subject. The author is a social scientist and this book chronicles the social science and the make-up of Jonestown. I find this book to answer other unanswered questions but I wished the layout was far more reader friendly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About This Book..., April 3, 2010

By 

Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is for the Transaction Books first edition in hardcover: cloth over boards with a sewn binding in dustcover. 381 pp. Appendix. 40 pp of End Notes and a 10 p Bibliography. Indexed.

"If we are to learn anything of value from the murders and mass suicide at Jonestown, its history must be salvaged from popular myths, which are little more than superficial atrocity tales. In this superb cultural history, John R. Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown: why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tensions of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring the social character of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple - how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes? The book begins by examining the cultural origins of Jonestown: Who was Jim Jones? Where did he get his ideas and followers? How was his Peoples Temple established? The organizational base of the Temple is analyzed through relevant comparisons with modern institutionalized practices in economics, bureaucracy, social control, public relations, and power. The author then traces the situational causes of the Temple's conflict with its detractors, the collective migration to Guyana, and the mass suicide. By assessing the degree to which the Peoples Temple was truly an aberration or simply an exaggeration of our society's contradictions, the author deepens our understanding of a modern scape-goat."

5.0 out of 5 stars About This Book, April 3, 2010

By 

Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gone from the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History (Hardcover)

This review is for the Transaction Books first edition in hardcover: cloth over boards with a sewn binding in dustcover. 381 pp. Appendix. 40 pp of End Notes and a 10 p Bibliography. Indexed.

"If we are to learn anything of value from the murders and mass suicide at Jonestown, its history must be salvaged from popular myths, which are little more than superficial atrocity tales. In this superb cultural history, John R. Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown: why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tensions of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring the social character of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple - how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes? The book begins by examining the cultural origins of Jonestown: Who was Jim Jones? Where did he get his ideas and followers? How was his Peoples Temple established? The organizational base of the Temple is analyzed through relevant comparisons with modern institutionalized practices in economics, bureaucracy, social control, public relations, and power. The author then traces the situational causes of the Temple's conflict with its detractors, the collective migration to Guyana, and the mass suicide. By assessing the degree to which the Peoples Temple was truly an aberration or simply an exaggeration of our society's contradictions, the author deepens our understanding of a modern scape-goat."