rcrocket wrote:Fawn Brodie was not denied access to Church archives. In her interview, as part of the Cal State Fullerton oral history program, she said "It is not quite true to say the manuscript sources were denied to me."
She says that she first negotiated, and successfully so, unfettered access to church archives. But, she decided not to use it. "I wrote to [Pres. McKay] saying I would not ask for any more material and I never went back to the church library. So, technically, I was given access, but I didn't use it." Indeed, when she lists her key library resources, she does not mention the church archives.
She explained that she didn't want to use church archives because of "an extremely difficult family situation," but I kinda wonder what she thought the publication of her book would do to her family.
Sort of a strange thing for a biographer to do, ignore the most crucial repository of documents on the studied subject.
I'm curious, as to those who have commented above, whether each of you actually possess the book. It is a remarkable literary watershed on the life of the Prophet, but few Mormons -- active or tepid believers -- actually have ever read it, much less possessed it.
I've read it. And the because she writes from the perspective of a heretic, I found the book difficult to stomach. She made no attempt at objectivity or intellectual honesty. She used quote mining, out of context quotes, and quote splits, to support her assumptions.
Moreover, the link GoodK provided above contains an interview with Fawn where where she admits to using the archives for some of her material.
Big UP!
Lamanite
PS Her biography on Jefferson was pathetic.