Innocent Blood: Essential Narratives of the Mountain Meadows Massacre

Norman: Arthur H. Clark Company, 2008. First Edition. 496pp. Octavo [24.5 cm] Blue cloth with the title silver stamped on the front board and backstrip. Near fine. Volume 12 in the ambitious and well received 'Kingdom in the West' series. This compelling documentary record presents the primary evidence that tells the story from its contradictory perspectives. The sources let readers evaluate and track the evolution of such myths as the Piautes' guilt, the emigrants' provocation of their murderers, Brigham Young's ignorance of what happened, and John D. Lee's sole culpability. Clearly revealed is the part Utah authorities took in blocking the investigation until it became expedient to sacrifice Lee. Together these narratives show how the massacre's story has been continually distorted and then revealed over 150 years - and how the obfuscation and cover-up continue. Clark & Brunet 12.