"The story of Augustana is shown to be well worth telling, and the authors tell it well; not simply from the inside, recounting names, dates, and events, but set within the larger social fabric, culture, and history of Sweden, the United States, and Canada - and within the larger context of Lutheranism in North America. The authors make use of letters and archival materials not previously drawn upon to fill us in on what was going on behind the scenes of the events chronicled in official reports. They give readers a feel for what is was like to grow up in the Augustana Lutheran Church. Because of their creative efforts, The Augustana Story isn't only the culmination of several years of research and writing, but an innovative approach to denominational history telling."--BOOK JACKET.