Great comprehensive view of Mormonism beginning to the late 20th-century. Events and people that you've heard about before are put into a big picture. There's a lot I didn't understand until seeing it in the larger context. Full of interesting details about Church development and how it related to the larger American environment.

While still a good introduction to Mormon history, it's a little dated and focuses a little too much on each little development in the Church, such as auxiliary curriculum and committees. Such organizational minutia isn't best suited for Non-Mormons, who might fare better reading The Mormon Experience, by Arrington and Bitton.

Though the authors are believing Mormons and respected academic historians, some in the Church criticized them for not promoting faith enough, but I think most Church members will expect credible history to be little messy. However, this book really doesn't get very controversial and can even be a little dry.

Bottom line: A solid, comprehensive history, best for Mormons. Slightly dated, occasionally dry. ( )

An adequate, though not outstanding, one volume history of the LDS Church from its beginnings to the late 1980s. People seeking the convenience of a one-volume history would do better to check out Leonard Arrington and Davis Bitton's "The Mormon Experience," published by U of Illinois Press, and still in print.
In contrast, Allen and Leonard's volume was published by Mormon Church-owned Deseret Book. Consequently it hews closely to the party line, accepting uncritically the institutional Church's rather limited, narrow view of Mormonism and its extremely controversial early history. (On that same topic, Fawn Brodie's "No Man Knows My History", the biography of Joseph Smith that got her ex'd from the LDS Church, is still essential reading. Allen and Leonard's work pretty much ignores Brodie throughout.)
The LDS reader who wants a faith-promoting, don't rock the boat history, will find this volume useful. Otherwise, readers who want an accurate, thoughtful, non-polemical history of Mormonism's rocky past will take the time to find Arrington and Bitton's more accurate account. ( )