No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith [Paperback]

Fawn M. Brodie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1995

The first paperback edition of the classic biography of the founder of the Mormon church, this book attempts to answer the questions that continue to surround Joseph Smith. Was he a genuine prophet, or a gifted fabulist who became enthralled by the products of his imagination and ended up being martyred for them? 24 pages of photos. Map.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The first paperback edition of the classic biography of the founder of the Mormon church, this book attempts to answer the questions that continue to surround Joseph Smith. Was he a genuine prophet, or a gifted fabulist who became enthralled by the products of his imagination and ended up being martyred for them? 24 pages of photos. Map.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 2nd Revised & enlarged edition (August 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679730540
• ISBN-13: 978-0679730545
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (187 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Mormonism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

481 of 576 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Classic in Mormon Studies, April 2, 2001

By 

Missing in Action (Idaho Falls, Idaho USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (Paperback)

I've consummed a library of books on Mormon studies, and had held off on reading "No Man Knows My History" because I had already read a considerable quantity of biographical material on Joseph Smith. I capitulated at last only because it is among the most well known books on early Mormon history. I am so glad I did. No book could have pulled it all together and made sense of it all as well as Fawn Brodie's book. It is as valuable today as it was when it was first written over half a century ago. None of the objective scholarship of recent years contradicts her conclusions, but rather validates her, page after page after page. Her insight is piercing, her style is almost poetic, and her message is powerful.

It is not any easy book for a Mormon to read, as is evidenced by some of the reactionary attacks Brodie receives in some of the reviews already written. The faithful do not want to hear that Joseph Smith was an "evolutionary revolutionary," his doctrine growing with his ego and sense of personal magnificence. But this is no mean swipe at the character of Joseph Smith...if anything, you come away with a sense of awe at the creative genius, the charismatic giant that he must have been. If he brought scorn and violence upon himself and his people, it was a measure of the power he produced and the fear that he struck in lesser men with whom he shared his time and space. Nevertheless, Brodie's exploration of the world of Joseph Smith and the context within which his doctrine evolved is brilliant. She is adept at recognizing the role that projection has played throughout his career, beginning with the Book of Mormon, and continuing on through all of his other writings, including the History of the Church. Ms. Brodie says it best herself in the opening lines of Chapter 19: "A man's memory is bound to be a distortion of his past in accordance with his present interests, and the most faithful autobiography is likely to mirror less what a man was than what he has become." Or as is so often the case, "less what a man was than what he wished he had become." To one who has studied the role of paradigms in shaping the way we interpret our world, Brodie's book makes the most beautiful sense. To one who's faith is at stake, however, her book may serve to threaten the idylic, heroic legend of Joseph Smith that has been carefully nurtured since his murder in 1844.

This is among the finest pieces of historical literature I have had the priveledge of reading. Her scholarship and writing and fearless approach to tackle controversial issues with objectivity and sensitivity is matched only by Juanita Brooks in the realm of Mormon studies. This is a book not just to read, but to consume.

71 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars meticulous and thought-provoking, June 21, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (Paperback)

I will spare the reader of this review another exhaustive summary of the book contents, since the contents are well-documented and reviewed by innumerable other reviewers (the book was initially published in 1945). At any rate, I found the book well-written, the material neatly couched & contextualized into the era it occurred, and a conscientous effort given to both 'official' mormon history and 'unofficial' mormon history. In spite of one's religious beliefs, this book ought to be required reading for both the scholar of mormon history and the devout mormon churchgoer. Ultimately, this book should serve as a springboard for further investigation and research by BOTH earnest mormon scholars and pious mormons alike.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many bash Brodie... but I liked it!, April 21, 2010

By 

David C. Jackson (Utah) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (Paperback)

After hearing about the "controversial" nature of this book amongst my peers and how "horribly" written it was I decided I would read it for myself.

Needless to say I was enthralled from the very beginning of the book. I found the book and the subject matter fascinating. I had expected the book to have a clear bias, but I felt Brodie presented the information very fairly and in a suprisingly unbiased way... oftentimes giving both perspectives and the information where both sides claims come from (i.e. she'll present people's claims that Joseph Smith was a moneydigger and occultist, and than show the court documents where he was on trial for doing so, and than she would show the other side's argument.).

In fact the only part of the book that I felt had a truly negative biased tone was the "afterword" that was added several years after the author's excommunication.

In the end though, I would have to say that the part I enjoyed most about the book was that it not only gave a detailed account of Joseph Smith, but of other church history figures such as Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, John D. Lee, etc. I felt like a picture of what life was like back then was painted.

Granted true blue Mormons will be offended when reading this book because they haven't heard anything but the filtered down version, AND they will gnash their teeth and bash on Fawn Brodie... BUT give her a break! It was the first biography of its kind and it was written in the 40's for heaven sakes. All the teeth gnashing looks ridiculous as if you're trying too hard to prove your obedience and faith.

A good product will sell itself, and this book has sold suprisingly well despite being restricted to a small fraction of the world who actually knows what a "mormon" or who "Joseph Smith" was. I enjoyed the book very much, thank you Fawn Brodie.