Reviews

I knew very little about David Koresh and the Siege at Waco going into this book. I found this book so informative about what had happened and how sinister the events were.

There is something weirdly compelling about reading about horrific human events and this is one of the darkest situations I have heard about - the scale of manipulation, exploitation and abuse is horrific.

I think the author did a great job of helping me understand not only the behaviour and decisions of David Koresh but also the response to the situation and subsequent events that followed. There is a good balance between the both throughout the book.

I suppose it is important to note that we clearly read about the events from one perspective and there will be people who take a different view however I didn’t find this too one sided. It is possible that as I look into these events a bit more, I might reach a different conclusion about this though.

This is a long book, it’s not the easiest of reads - both because it deals with heavy topics and is quite dense in the way it is written. It took some perseverance to see it through but I am so glad I did.

shanaconda's review against another edition

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informative sad medium-paced

3.0

alexandrabree's review against another edition

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4.0

I was gripped in the very beginning, through his strange beginnings as a young man collecting a harem. Into the initial stages of the cult and taking over from George and Lois.

But I really felt like I had heard it all once it got to the ATF and the raid. But I am likely the exception to the rule, having steeped myself in Culty podcasts and literature for years and years. When the mini series WACO came out, I did a deep dive into Koresh and the Branch, which was very centered on the mistakes made on the government side that created a weird martyr out of Koresh.

Overall, I recommend, and I don't know how I would have made the book shorter without leaving out important fine details.. but I did find it long. Additionally, how would you make it more exciting without sensationalizing

kayhaun's review against another edition

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informative sad medium-paced

4.0

fromtheyellowchair's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.5

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