Book excerpt: David L. Bigler and Will Bagley use long-suppressed sources to show that--contrary to common perception--the Mormon rebellion was not the result of Buchanan's "blunder," nor was it a David-and-Goliath tale in which an abused religious minority heroically defied the imperial ambitions of an unjust and tyrannical government. They argue that Mormon leaders had their own far-reaching ambitions and fully intended to establish an independent nation--the Kingdom of God--in the West. --from publisher description.