In the Shadow of Greatness
2012 book
In the Shadow of Greatness is a book written by 33 members of the United States Naval Academy Class of 2002 and published by the United States Naval Institute in 2012.
The authors describe how their lives were shaped by their experiences at the Academy, the September 11 attacks, and the events following graduation. The stories describe subjects such as relief assignments to Haiti, diplomatic missions, cross-service training and deployments, losing infantrymen in combat, and the stress of pilots on missions. There are homages to the fallen, including Navy Lieutenant Richard F. Andersen, Marine Corps Capt. Matthew C. Freeman, Navy Lieutenant John J. Houston, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Kevin Shea, and Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Torres. Gary C. Ross discusses his same-sex marriage following the repeal of DADT; others tell of rescues at sea and in the crater of Mount St. Helens. Other topics include two-career couples and the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The foreword was written by David Gergen and the epilogue by Admiral Mike Mullen. General John Allen—Commandant of Midshipmen in 2002—wrote for the book, as did his predecessor, Admiral Sam Locklear.
The authors' proceeds go to veterans' organizations, including Luke's Wings, the Semper Fi Fund, The Mission Continues, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, The Travis Manion Foundation, and the Matthew Freeman Project.
Released in August 2012, "In the Shadow of Greatness" achieved Los Angeles Times Bestseller status that October. John Nagl reviewed the book in the September 2012 issue of the Naval Institute's Proceedings Magazine, writing: "All of these stories give voice to courage, sacrifice, and the nobility of living in the service of others." Tom Brokaw provided this blurb: "This is a must read for all Americans - an up close and personal account of duty and sacrifice by graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy in Iraq and Afghanistan."
References.
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United States Naval Institute
American private non-profit naval military association
The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds several annual conferences. The Naval Institute is based in Annapolis, Maryland.
Established in 1873, the Naval Institute claimed "almost 50,000 members" in 2020, mostly active and retired personnel of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The organization also has members in over 90 countries.
The organization has no official or funding ties to the United States Naval Academy or the United States Navy, though it is based on the grounds of the Naval Academy through permission granted by a 1936 Act of Congress.
History.
The United States Naval Institute was formed on October 9, 1873, by 15 naval officers gathered at the Naval Academy's Department of Physics and Chemistry building in Annapolis to discuss, among other topics, the implications of a smaller, post-Civil War Navy. Rear Admiral John L. Worden, former commander of the USS "Monitor", served as the first president.
In 1874, the Naval Institute began to accept papers and publish the proceedings of its discussions, which were distributed to the organization's members. In 1898, the Naval Institute Press was created to publish basic naval guides. The most popular of these, "The Bluejacket's Manual", is on its 26th edition, and is still issued to all enlistees of the United States Navy. The press eventually expanded to publish more general-interest titles in history, biography, and current affairs.
In 1992, the Naval Institute Foundation, Inc., was established to stabilize the organization's funding.
In 1999, the Naval Institute transferred its former headquarters, Preble Hall, to the Naval Academy, and renovated a derelict Navy hospital to serve as its new headquarters. The new building was named Beach Hall after Captain Edward L. Beach Jr., author and Navy Cross recipient; and his father, Captain Edward L. Beach Sr., who had served as the institute's secretary-treasurer.
On 30 September 2021, the Naval Institute opened a conference center with a 406-seat auditorium, reception spaces, an indoor/outdoor rooftop terrace, five meeting rooms, and a broadcast studio. It is named for Jack C. Taylor, a decorated World War II Navy fighter pilot who founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
Publications and products.
"Proceedings".
"Proceedings" is the Naval Institute's monthly magazine. Published since 1874, it is one of the oldest continuously published magazines in the United States. Issues include articles from military professionals and civilian experts, historical essays, book reviews, full-color photography, and reader commentary. Roughly a third are written by active duty and active reserve personnel, a third by retired military, and a third by civilians. "Proceedings" also frequently carries feature articles by Secretaries of Defense, Secretaries of the Navy, Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and top leaders of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The magazine has published controversial articles on contentious issues; moreover, military officials have been known to block certain articles from being submitted to the journal. For example, in 1962, the Department of Defense blocked a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel from submitting an article to "Proceedings" about a 1949 proposal to merge the Marines' aviation units into the Air Force.
"Naval History".
"Naval History" is the Naval Institute's bimonthly magazine. First published in 1987, its articles detail the role of sea power in American history. The magazine's contributors have included historians David McCullough and James M. McPherson; former sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen such as Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.; and journalists, such as Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw.
Naval Institute Press.
The Naval Institute Press was founded in 1898 and publishes about 80 books a year. Its twice-yearly catalog includes works on history, biography, professional military education, and occasional works of popular fiction, such as Tom Clancy's first novel, "The Hunt for Red October" and Stephen Coonts' "Flight of the Intruder". Its professional titles include "The Bluejacket's Manual", "Naval Shiphandling", "The Naval Officer's Guide", "The Marine Officer’s Guide", and "The Coast Guardsman’s Manual". "The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World" and "The Naval Institute Guide to Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet" are popular reference books with the military, the media, and maritime enthusiasts.
USNI News.
USNI News is the Naval Institute's news service. Founded in 2012, USNI News operates from Monday to Friday and primarily focuses on defense-related topics. USNI News heavily covered the Fat Leonard scandal as it developed.
"Americans at War".
In 2007, USNI produced "Americans At War", a series of video interviews with American combat veterans of conflicts dating to World War I. Former President George H. W. Bush, Senators Bob Dole, Daniel Inouye, Bob Kerrey, and others described how combat changed their lives. The series was broadcast on PBS television stations nationwide.
Archives.
Photographs.
The Naval Institute holds more than 450,000 images of people, ships and aircraft from all branches of the armed forces. The photographs date from the American Civil War to the present.
Oral histories.
The Naval Institute's oral history program preserves the reminiscences of numerous American military figures, including General Jimmy Doolittle, Admirals Arleigh Burke and Chester W. Nimitz. The Naval Institute records a series of interviews covering the life story of each participant. The interviews are then transcribed, annotated, indexed, and bound. Since the inception of the program in 1969, more than 230 bound volumes have been completed, and interviews have been recorded to produce dozens more.
Notable members.
The institute's notable current and former members include:
References.
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The Shadow of the Torturer
1980 fantasy by Gene Wolfe
The Shadow of the Torturer is a science fantasy novel by American writer Gene Wolfe, published by Simon & Schuster in May 1980. It is the first of four volumes in "The Book of the New Sun" which Wolfe had completed in draft before "The Shadow of the Torturer" was published. It relates the story of Severian, an apprentice Seeker for Truth and Penitence (the guild of torturers), from his youth through his expulsion from the guild and subsequent journey out of his home city of Nessus.
In 1987, "Locus" magazine ranked "The Shadow of the Torturer" number four among the 33 "All-Time Best Fantasy Novels", based on a poll of subscribers.
Plot summary.
Severian, an apprentice in the Torturers' Guild, barely survives a swim in the River Gyoll. On his way back to the Citadel, Severian and several other apprentices sneak into a necropolis where Severian encounters Vodalus, a legendary revolutionary. Vodalus, along with two others, including a woman named Thea, are robbing a grave. Vodalus and his companions are confronted by volunteer guards. Severian saves Vodalus's life, earning his trust and the reward of a single coin.
Shortly before Severian is elevated to journeyman he encounters and falls in love with Thecla, a beautiful aristocratic prisoner. Thecla's crime is never made clear, though it is implied that she is imprisoned for political reasons since Thecla's half-sister is Thea, Vodalus's lover. The Autarch (ruler of the Commonwealth) wishes to use Thecla to capture Vodalus. When finally Thecla is put to torture, Severian takes pity on her and helps her commit suicide by smuggling a knife into her cell, thus breaking his oath to the guild.
Though Severian expects to be tortured and executed, instead the head of the guild dispatches Severian to Thrax, a distant city which has need of an executioner. Master Palaemon gives Severian a letter of introduction to the archon of the city and Terminus Est, a magnificent executioner's sword. He departs the guild headquarters, traveling through the decaying city of Nessus. He finally comes upon an inn, where he forces the innkeeper to take him in despite being full and is asked to share a room with other boarders. His roommates are the giant Baldanders and Dr. Talos, travelling as mountebanks, who invite Severian to join them in a play to be performed the same day. During breakfast, Dr. Talos manages to recruit the waitress for his play and they set out into the streets.
Not intending to participate, Severian parts with the group and stops at a rag shop to purchase a mantle to hide his fuligin cloak (the uniform of his guild, which inspires terror in common folk). The shop is owned by a twin brother and sister, and the brother immediately takes interest in Terminus Est, but Severian refuses to sell the sword. Shortly after, a masked and armoured hipparch enters the shop and challenges Severian to a duel. Severian, who believes this is an indirect means for the Autarch to execute him for his crime, is forced to accept, and he departs with the sister, Agia, to secure an avern, a deadly plant used for dueling. While on their way, urged by Agia's bet to a passing fiacre, their driver crashes into and destroys the altar of a religious order, where Agia is accused of stealing a precious artifact. After Agia is searched and released, they continue their journey to the Botanic Gardens, a large landmark of Nessus created by the mysterious Father Inire, right hand to the Autarch, where they encounter strange hypnotic illusions and at one point appear to be transported to present-day Earth without realizing it.
Inside the gardens, Severian falls into a lake used to inter the dead, and while pulling himself out he finds a young woman named Dorcas to have come up from the lake as well. Dazed and confused, the woman follows Severian and Agia. Severian secures the avern with the help of a man named Hildegrin, who he recognizes as a companion of Vodalus from the night they met in the necropolis. Agia, Severian and Dorcas proceed to an inn near the dueling grounds. While eating dinner, Severian receives a mysterious note warning about one of the women. After dinner, Severian fights in the duel, and though stabbed by the avern he miraculously survives. When Severian wakes again, he finds himself to be in a lazaret. After finding Dorcas and identifying himself, he is requested to perform an execution. The prisoner turns out to be his opponent, Agia's brother, whom he executes after learning that Agia had challenged him in disguise, while her brother fought him with the avern, as part of a scheme to kill him and steal Terminus Est.
Severian continues his travels toward Thrax, and Dorcas accompanies him. While searching his belongings, Severian finds the Claw of the Conciliator. Apparently Agia stole the Claw from the altar they destroyed and placed it in Severian's belongings knowing that she would be searched. Eventually Severian and Dorcas encounter Dr. Talos, Baldanders and an actress named Jolenta, who are almost ready to perform the play they had invited Severian to the morning before. Severian assists in the play, and the next day the group sets out toward the great gate leading out of Nessus, where they meet a man named Jonas. As they are passing through the gate, there is suddenly a commotion and the narration abruptly ends.
Reception.
Greg Costikyan reviewed "The Shadow of the Torturer" and "The Claw of the Conciliator" in "Ares magazine" #9 and commented that "This is fantasy as it should be written; portentous events, marvelous beings, wielders of great powers, a land of terror and delight. If Wolfe never writes another word, he will have made his mark."
Neil Gaiman, in his list of the three greatest science fiction novels, ranked "The Shadow of the Torturer" first, ahead of "Neuromancer" and "The Left Hand of Darkness".
Awards.
"The Shadow of the Torturer" won the annual World Fantasy Award and British Science Fiction Association Award as the year's best novel. Among other annual awards for fantasy or science fiction novels, it placed second for the Locus (fantasy), third for the Campbell Memorial (SF), and was a finalist for the Nebula (SF).
Limited edition.
Centipede Press, a small independent fine press, produced a limited edition of "The Shadow of the Torturer" in 2007: one hundred copies, signed by Gene Wolfe, with full color artwork by Alexander Preuss of Germany. The $225 book had a ribbon marker, head and tail bands, three-piece cloth construction, and a protective slipcase. It is now out of print.
Easton Press included it in their "Masterpieces of Science Fiction" series, red leather bound, gold stamped and edged, ribbon marker, and printed on acid neutral paper (like all the series) with custom artwork, collector's notes insert, and a custom introduction written by Tom Shippey of Leeds, England. All additional text and artwork are copyright 1989 by Easton press. Unlike some of the works included in the series, the author did not sign the copies printed by Easton Press.
Comic book.
The novel was adapted as a serial comic book, "The Shadow of the Torturer" by Ted Naifeh (Innovation Publishing, 1991). It was cancelled after three of six planned issues.
Notes.
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References.
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Great British Railways
Proposed UK Government transport body
Great British Railways (GBR) is a planned state-owned railway company that is to oversee passenger rail transport in Great Britain, with the exception of Transport for London, Merseytravel, light rail and tram services. It will assume the existing responsibilities of Network Rail, to become the owner and manager of most railway infrastructure across Great Britain.
The publicly-owned body will be the long-term replacement for the privatised rail franchising system which lasted from 1996 until its effective abolition in 2021. All train operating companies will be taken into public ownership as their contracts expire and then folded into GBR, reunifying passenger services under one publicly-owned entity for the first time since the privatisation of British Rail. This will not include open-access operators, who will be able to continue running services on selected routes.
In September 2024, the Government set up "Shadow Great British Railways" to start the work of GBR in advance of its legal establishment by Parliament. As of March 2025[ [update]], DfT Operator is working as part of Shadow GBR to bring train operations back into public ownership as their (train operating company) franchise contracts expire.
History.
Great Britain's railway system was originally built and run by private companies, but it was nationalised by the Transport Act 1947 and was run from then onwards by British Railways (which traded as British Rail from 1965) until privatisation, which was begun in 1994 and completed in 1997. Infrastructure, passenger, and freight services were separated at that time. The infrastructure was privately owned and operated by Railtrack from 1994 until 2002, when it was renationalised and transferred to Network Rail. Goods (freight) services are operated by a number of companies, the descendants of those created during the 1990s privatisation.
Plans under the Conservative government (2020–2024).
During 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, all passenger train operating companies (TOCs) entered into Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements with the UK and Scottish governments. Normal passenger service franchise mechanisms were amended, transferring almost all revenue and cost risk to the government, effectively re-nationalising those services temporarily.
The new GBR organisation was proposed under the Williams–Shapps Rail Review, which was published as a white paper on 20 May 2021. The review had been launched in September 2018 and was led by Keith Williams. Separately, Andrew Haines and Peter Hendy, who were the CEO and chairman of Network Rail respectively, were appointed to oversee the establishment of GBR.
In October 2022, the [then] Transport Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, announced that the Transport Bill (which would have set up GBR) would not go ahead in the current parliamentary session. In February 2023, the [subsequent] Transport Secretary Mark Harper reaffirmed the government's commitment to GBR and rail reform. The 2023 King's speech announced the progression of a draft Rail Reform Bill which would enable the establishment of GBR, although it was not timetabled in the parliamentary programme. Harper later told the Transport Select Committee that the legislation was unlikely to reach Royal Assent within the 2023–2024 parliamentary session. In February 2024, Harper announced a draft Rail Reform Bill to "establish the future of the railways" that would provide the legal foundation of GBR.
Plans under the Labour government (2024–present).
Prior to the 2024 general election, the Labour Party confirmed that it would be seeking to bring railways into public ownership while preserving the role of open-access operators. Following its election victory, the new Labour government announced that GBR would be established by two bills in the first parliamentary session: the "Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill", to bring rail franchises into public ownership as their contracts expire, and the "Railways Bill", which will establish GBR to oversee the passenger and freight rail network. Under the plans, GBR will absorb the functions of Network Rail to own and manage most railway infrastructure (stations, track and signalling). It will take over the activities of the Rail Delivery Group, as well as both the public sector DfT Operator and the 14 franchised train operating companies. GBR will carry out the functions of these organisations as one entity.
In September 2024, the government announced that the organisation would be created at first in "shadow" form, pending legislation to formally create it. The chief executives of DfT OLR Holdings and Network Rail, and the Director-General for Rail Services in the DfT, have been tasked with running Shadow Great British Railways in order to "[work] in closer collaboration, bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers and freight users." On 3 October, Laura Shoaf, previously chief executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority, was appointed as chair of Shadow GBR.
In November 2024, the bill to bring train operating companies back into public ownership became law as the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024. This re-established DfT OLR Holdings, which already operated rail operators such as London North Eastern Railway under the operator of last resort, as DfT Operator. The current train operating companies will be brought in and owned by DfT Operator as part of Shadow GBR. The first three companies to be brought in will be South Western Railway in May 2025, c2c in July, and Greater Anglia in the autumn. Creating alliances between train operators and their respective Network Rail routes as part of Shadow GBR will be a precursor to being integrated under GBR. An example of this is the alliance between the DfT Operator-owned Southeastern and Network Rail's Kent route since 2022.28 Rail Minister Peter Hendy stated that once GBR is fully established, neither DfT Operator nor Network Rail will continue to exist.
As of April 2025, the timescale for the establishment of GBR remains unclear. In November 2024, then–Transport Secretary Louise Haigh stated that GBR would be up and running by late 2026 at the earliest. In the April 2025 edition of "Modern Railways", Roger Ford gave a "best guess" that GBR's powers would come into effect in early 2027.
Headquarters.
The government promised to base the organisation outside London to promote economic growth and skills in a region outside the capital. In February 2022, the DfT launched a public consultation for the location of GBR's headquarters. In total, 42 towns and cities submitted expressions of interest.
A shortlist comprising Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle upon Tyne, and York was announced in July 2022, using the following criteria: alignment with "levelling up" objectives; connected and easy to get to; opportunities for GBR; railway heritage and links to the network; value for money; and public support. A public vote was held following the announcement.
In March 2023, then Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced Derby as the headquarters location.
Scope and powers.
Great British Railways is planned to operate in the existing areas of Network Rail, i.e. England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland – where the railway is already operated by the vertically integrated and wholly state-owned NI Railways – was explicitly excluded from the scope of the "Plan for Rail", and rail is not a reserved matter in Northern Ireland.25
GBR's powers were unconfirmed as of  2023[ [update]]. However, the "Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail" suggested that GBR would develop rail strategies, manage budgets and operations, own stations and infrastructure and manage the procurement of contracts.30 Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that the government would respond to consultation on those powers in summer 2023.
Under devolution, a number of powers relating to rail services are devolved to administrations in Scotland, Wales, London and Merseyside. According to the "Plan for Rail", these powers will be unaffected. The Plan states that GBR will co-operate with devolved administrations, but that those administrations will need to work with GBR to improve consistency across the national network.
Under Network Rail, all stations are formally in public hands since 2014, but only 20 (mainly large termini and central stations) are managed directly by it. GBR will own all stations and most infrastructure in Great Britain. Existing leases of stations to devolved transport authorities will continue. Dedicated station management teams will be created within regional divisions of GBR to manage stations and land. GBR will develop masterplans for station renewal.
GBR will be made up of five regional divisions, organised in line with Network Rail's 'Putting Passengers First' programme. Budgets and delivery will be held at the local level as well as at the national level. Regional divisions will manage concession contracts, stations, infrastructure, and local and regional budgets, integrate track and train, and integrate rail with local transport services.
GBR will be responsible for the operational delivery of the railways. This will include delivering services; planning timetables; operation and maintenance of rolling stock; setting fares; and managing access to the network, including setting access charges for existing and future open access operators.
Branding.
GBR will use modified forms of British Rail's Double Arrow symbol and Rail Alphabet typeface – Rail Symbol 2 and Rail Alphabet 2 respectively – for its branding. The Williams-Shapps plan recommended that there will be a single, unifying brand for railways, and it is expected that this will be a gradual rebranding over time. English regions, Scotland, and Wales will have their own variants, but these will still emphasise the national nature of GBR. The white paper does not specify whether the branding of devolved railways such as London Overground and Merseyrail will be affected.
References.
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Deseret Book Company
American publishing company
Deseret Book () is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the holding company for business firms owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Deseret Book is a for-profit corporation registered in Utah. Deseret Book publishes under four imprints with media ranging from works explaining Latter-day Saint theology and doctrine, fiction, electronic resources, and sound recordings such, as The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square albums.
History.
The Deseret Book Company was created in 1919 from a merger of the Deseret News Bookstore and the Deseret Sunday School Union Bookstore. Both of these Utah bookstores trace their roots to George Q. Cannon, an LDS Church general authority. "Deseret" is a word from the Book of Mormon that is said to mean "honeybee."
George Q. Cannon & Sons.
George Q. Cannon published the first issue of "Juvenile Instructor" magazine in 1866. Cannon organized the Deseret Sunday School Union, an LDS Church organization responsible for educating young church members, and the magazine was the first church periodical oriented toward youth. Cannon opened the George Q. Cannon & Sons bookstore in 1867 to sell the magazine and other publications of an uplifting nature. Cannon believed that secular novels did not reflect Latter-day Saint values. In the 1880s, Cannon expanded with a branch in Ogden, Utah.
It is not known how many books Cannon & Sons actually published itself. In that era, authors commonly self-published their books, which were then distributed by others. However, Cannon & Sons distributed several important books through their stores and mail order (see table).
The company had extensive ties to the LDS Church-owned newspaper, the "Deseret News". Five of Cannon's sons held important positions in the paper, and Cannon himself was editor between 1867 and 1872, and again while temporarily owning the paper from 1892 to 1898. Nearly every George Q. Cannon & Sons book was printed on the "Deseret News" press. Cannon sold the bookstore to the LDS Church in 1900, near the end of his life. The church combined the two businesses, and the remaining Salt Lake City bookstore became Deseret News Bookstore.
Deseret News Bookstore.
By 1906, Deseret News press had a Linotype machine and dedicated book press. Many significant volumes were published and distributed through the Deseret News Bookstore. Of these, the most successful was James E. Talmage's "Jesus the Christ". Published in 1915, the book quickly went through numerous printings as the LDS Church's First Presidency authorized its use in its Sunday School program.
Meanwhile, the Deseret Sunday School Union, still publishing the money-losing "Juvenile Instructor", struggled to maintain its distribution center, the Deseret Sunday School Union Bookstore. Aimed at church supply, the bookstore sold textbooks, minutes ledgers, and sacrament trays, as well as popular books. Beginning in 1891, the non-profit Union asked for yearly five-cent contributions from Sunday school pupils on "Nickel Sunday." Facing over $12,000 in debt in 1914, donations requested increased to ten cents, and 1919 a committee formed to study the organizations solvency. Led by Talmage, the committee recommended consolidation of the Sunday School Bookstore with the Deseret News Bookstore.
Deseret Book.
By 1920, both antecedent bookstores were closed and a single new Deseret Book Company building was constructed in downtown Salt Lake City at site of the former ZCMI Center Mall. Ownership of Deseret Book was split between the "Deseret News" (70%) and the Deseret Sunday School Union (30%). However, the Union would manage the bookstore until 1932 when Deseret Book was incorporated for-profit as the "Utah Company". The "Deseret News" bought out the Sunday School Union in 1948 to become sole owner of the bookstore, but both the "Deseret News" and Deseret Book are now subsidiaries of DMC, which manages for-profit assets of the LDS Church. Deseret News Press printed nearly all Deseret Book publications until the 1960s when the company began seeking other competitive bids.
Through the 1930s, the bookstore focused mostly on Sunday school needs such as lesson manuals. Though the bookstore introduced relatively few new authors, several important works were published in this period. Notably, B. H. Roberts' magnum opus, the six-volume "Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", 1930. Deseret Book did not accept manuscripts for publication until the 1940s when the company made a push for new authors.
Deseret Book expanded into motion picture equipment and photographic supplies in the 1940s. Winning an exclusive contract to distribute for Bell & Howell in Utah and parts of Idaho and Wyoming, Deseret Book supplied 16 mm film projectors to the LDS Church. Becoming a film distribution and rental outfit, the Deseret Book "Censorship Committee on Films" was established in 1946 because regular employees were unable to review all the films it handled. By 1950, 18 members sat on the committee.
Preceding modern Latter-day Saint cinema by over 50 years, Deseret Book founded Deseret Film Productions in 1947. The first film, produced by Frank Wise, was "Where the Saints have Trod", an 80-minute film celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Mormon pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley. Wise subsequently produced "Temple Square", a 30-minute filmed tour of Salt Lake City's most popular tourist location. Deseret Film recorded over 120 general conference talks over a six-year period. Intended for rental to wards, the conference talks are the first motion pictures of the church's conferences.
In the 1950s, Brigham Young University (BYU) established a motion picture department which attracted Frank Wise. Deseret Film Productions was gradually disbanded. Soon, KSL-TV began covering general conferences.
Deseret Book's downtown location remained the only store until 1959 when site for an Ogden, Utah branch was donated. Stores in Orange, California and Salt Lake County opened in malls in 1962. In the 1970s, the original location was torn down to make way for the ZCMI Center Mall where the store reopened on April 2, 1976, during a general conference to attract large crowds. Several more mall locations opened in the 1970s; in Northridge, California, Boise, Idaho, and many more locations in Utah. In 1997, Deseret Book opened its first Washington state location in the city of Bellevue. By 2004, Deseret Book operated over 33 stores in 9 western US states. Expanding its reach in eastern Idaho, the chain also purchased Beehive Book Stores, located in Rexburg, Idaho Falls, and Blackfoot, Idaho. Deseret Book already operated in Idaho Falls at the Grand Teton Mall and in Rexburg. The new store in Rexburg has expanded merchandise selection from the prior two stores.
In the late 1970s, Deseret Book coordinated publication of new editions of the King James Version of the Bible and the "Book of Mormon"/"Doctrine and Covenants"/"Pearl of Great Price" "Triple combination". The 1979 publication of the Bible was the first geared toward Latter-day Saints. A comparably styled "triple combination" was introduced in 1981. With notes from the Joseph Smith Translation, Talmage's scripture commentary, and an index and "topical guide", the new editions are now standard in the LDS Church. Typesetting for the volumes was done by Cambridge University Press.
Deseret Book began publishing Latter-day Saint fiction for the first time in 1979. In 1986, it purchased Mormon Handicraft–a handmade crafts store–from the Relief Society. As inventory and distribution was centralized in 1984, Deseret Book expanded its lines to include items such as CTR rings and more popular music.
In 2002, Sheri L. Dew became the first female CEO and president of Deseret Book.
Deseret Book established new corporate offices and downtown Salt Lake City retail space during the redevelopment of the Crossroads Plaza Mall into City Creek Center. In 2007, the corporate headquarters, with around 160 employees, moved into the top seven floors of the Utah Woolen Mills Clothiers building across the street from Temple Square. In April 2010 Deseret Book opened its "Flagship" store in the City Creek Center. This new store sits almost exactly on the same location as the first Deseret Book Location.
Acquisitions.
Bookcraft.
In early 1999, Bookcraft was acquired by Deseret Book. This allowed them to expand in the larger "values-oriented" publishing market. The merger also brought more writings by general authorities under the church's ownership, allowing for electronic and print collaborations with other DMC entities (the Deseret News, and Bonneville International) and church entities (such as BYU and the Church Educational System).
Excel Entertainment Group.
On November 15, 2004, Deseret Book announced that it had acquired Excel Entertainment Group, a 10-year-old company based in Salt Lake City which was known for its Latter-day Saint cinema productions as well as its record labels, including Highway Records, Joyspring Records, and Embryo Records (later renamed to Lumen Records). Jeff Simpson, the founder and president of Excel, became the new executive vice president of the merged company. Both companies are privately held, so terms of the deal were not publicly released. Although some Excel employees were relocated to Shadow Mountain music at Deseret Book headquarters, most remained at the separate Excel headquarters in Salt Lake City.
List of feature releases.
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Subsidiaries.
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Seagull Book and Covenant Communications.
In July 2006, Deseret Book threatened to discontinue sales with another Latter-day Saint bookstore chain, Seagull Book & Tape, citing marketing differences.<ref name="ksl_article_7/2006"></ref> Seagull claimed that their discounted prices on Deseret Book's products was the reason for the threat. Seagull Book & Tape competed with Deseret Book's retail operation, but depended on the company's published work, which reportedly accounted for most of its sales. Deser