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Dave Cullen

Goodreads Author

Born

in suburban Chicago, The United States

June 03

Website

https://www.davecullen.com/parkland

Twitter

davecullen

Genre

Nonfiction, History, Social Sciences

Influences

Vladimir Nabokov, William Faulkner, Lucia Berlin, Warren Zevon, Patti ...more

Member Since

May 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/davecullen

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Dave Cullen wrote the definitive account of COLUMBINE, plus PARKLAND: BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT, both New York Times bestsellers. The former gay infantry grunt is completing a book on two gay soldiers 25 years in the making. It depicts the arc of the gay rights struggle through the lens of two extraordinary lives — which he has been immersed in since 2000.

Columbine has made two lists of the best 25 and 30 books of the quarter century, over a dozen Best True Crime Books of All Time, won several major awards, including the Edgar, Goodreads Choice Award, and Barnes & Noble Discover Award, and made 2 dozen Best of 2009 lists. It has been translated into nine languages.

Dave has written for New York Times, Atlantic, Vanity Fair, London Times, Politi ...more

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Dave Cullen’s books

Average rating: 4.26 · 109,370 ratings · 12,148 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	Columbine 4.29 avg rating — 101,776 ratings — published 2009 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Parkland: Birth of a Movement 3.97 avg rating — 7,526 ratings — published 2019 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Soldiers First 3.87 avg rating — 70 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Handling Your Finances Perfectly 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fish As Pet: Keeping Fish at Home in Aquarium 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cloud Over Columbine: How the Press Got It Wrong and the Police Let It Happen 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Columbine in the country, a fantasy in one act 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dave Cullen in Conversation with David L. Ulin (2009): Los Angeles Times Festival of Books by Dave Cullen (Goodreads Author), David L. Ulin (Goodreads Author) (Narrator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Don't Fall in Love 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Dave Cullen…

377 posts
Dave Cullen's Blog: Conclusive Evidence of Dave Cullen's Existence--The Goo

Slate names COLUMBINE 1 of 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the quarter century

Slate just set about creating a canon of major nonfiction books, by naming The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last 25 Years. Staggered to see Columbine there, with a lovely write-up.*It's currently their cover story, and an awesome list. I have read quite a few, and loved nearly all of those, including Lost City of Z, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow Read more of this blog post »

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17 likes · Like • 4 comments • flag

Published on November 20, 2019 12:00

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Because the Goodreads Editors love books just as much as our readers do, we decided to share some of the titles we can't stop talking...

Dave is Currently Reading

Dave Cullen is currently reading

The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis

by José Saramago

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Sep 09, 2025 11:45AM

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Giovanni’s Room

by James Baldwin

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The Great War and Modern Memory

by Paul Fussell

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Sep 18, 2022 09:05AM

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Dave’s Recent Updates

Dave Cullen entered a giveaway Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg (Goodreads Author) 100 copies available, ends on December 28, 2025 Enter to win »
Dec 03, 2025 09:55AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dave Cullen entered a giveaway Vigil by George Saunders 25 copies available, ends on December 10, 2025 Enter to win »
Dec 03, 2025 09:54AM · 1 like · like · see giveaway
Dave Cullen and 16 other people liked Dave Cullen's blog post: Slate names COLUMBINE 1 of 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the quarter century "Slate just set about creating a canon of major nonfiction books, by naming The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last 25 Years. Staggered to see Columbine there, with a lovely write-up.*It's currently their cover story, and an awesome list. I have r..." Read more of this blog post »
Sep 14, 2025 08:54AM
Dave Cullen answered Ryan Bingham's question: Hey Dave, I just finished Columbine. You speak about the depression and PTSD that the book brought you. Is this why Parkland is such a different book than Columbine? Your focus seemed to have switched from the shooters and their impact in Columbine to more just the victims in Parkland. Thanks for thinking about that and asking about that Ryan. 2 big reasons: 1. I'd already done that. I have so many books to write and no interest in repeating. 2. Yes. I actually made a firm agreement with my shrink that I'd never go back--and potentia See Full Answer
Sep 14, 2025 08:46AM · 5 likes · like
Dave Cullen rated a book really liked it Just Kids by Patti Smith (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic, so far.
Sep 09, 2025 11:49AM · 20 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Just Kids by Patti Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Just Kids by Patti Smith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dave Cullen finished reading Missionaries by Phil Klay (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 11:48AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Missionaries by Phil Klay. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Missionaries by Phil Klay <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dave Cullen rated a book really liked it Just Kids by Patti Smith (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic, so far.
Sep 09, 2025 11:46AM · 20 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Just Kids by Patti Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Just Kids by Patti Smith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Sep 09, 2025 11:45AM · 2 likes · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Just Kids by Patti Smith. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Just Kids by Patti Smith <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dave Cullen is currently reading The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 09, 2025 11:45AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Sep 09, 2025 11:44AM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Dave's books…

Quotes by Dave Cullen (?)

“You can't really teach a kid anything: you can only show him the way and motivate him to learn it himself.”
― Dave Cullen, Columbine

tags: teaching

109 likes

“The final portrait is often furthest from the truth.”
― Dave Cullen, Columbine

tags: deception, misconception

59 likes

“Psychopaths don't act like Hannibal Lecter or Norman Bates. They come off like Hugh Grant, in his most adorable role.”
― Dave Cullen, Columbine

44 likes

See all Dave Cullen's quotes »

Polls

Best Nonfiction

Columbine

615 votes 18.4%

Half Broke Horses

454 votes 13.5%

Pretty in Plaid

408 votes 12.2%

Eating Animals

356 votes 10.6%

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

351 votes 10.5%

Stitches

299 votes 8.9%

The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship

263 votes 7.8%

Zeitoun

258 votes 7.7%

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

196 votes 5.8%

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University

151 votes 4.5%

3351 total votes

17 comments

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Challenge: 50 Books: Lucy Y's Books!	1	252	Jul 23, 2009 12:33PM
Cover to Cover Ch...: Aths' Race to 144 in 2010	13	116	Jan 12, 2010 04:49PM
The Seasonal Read...: Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks	2717	2509	May 31, 2010 09:00PM
Book Nook Cafe: Dinner with Friends ~ July 2010	32	47	Jul 23, 2010 12:18PM
Q&A with Dave Cullen: * COLUMBINE Q&A w/ Dave Cullen June 10-24, 2009	145	563	Aug 09, 2010 02:02PM
The Seasonal Read...: Summer Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread)	3022	3287	Aug 31, 2010 10:39PM

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Dave’s Quotes

“Down the hall came the wife. She was glorious, burning. She didn't know yet that her husband was dead. We knew. That's what gave her such power over us. The doctor took her into a room with a desk at the end of the hall, and from under the closed door a slab of brilliance radiated as if, by some stupendous process, diamonds were being incinerated in there. What a pair of lungs! She shrieked as I imagined an eagle would shriek. It felt wonderful to be alive to hear it! I've gone looking for that feeling everywhere.”
― Denis Johnson

36 likes

“We made mad love
shadow love
random love
and abandoned love.
Accidentally like a martyr.
The hurt gets worse, and the heart gets harder.”
― Warren Zevon, The Warren Zevon Guitar Songbook: Enjoy Every Sandwich

tags: accidentally-like-a-martyr

10 likes

“Passion is no ordinary word”
― Graham Parker

4 likes

“An I'll never forget the smile on my face
cos I knew where you would be
An if you're in the Crown tonight
Have a drink on me
But go easy...step lightly...stay free
-- "Stay Free”
― Mick Jones, The Clash Songbook

7 likes

“Once upon a time there lived in Berlin, Germany, a man called Albinus. He was rich, respectable, happy; one day he abandoned his wife for the sake of a youthful mistress; he loved; was not loved; and his life ended in disaster.

This is the whole of the story and we might have left it at that had there not been profit and pleasure in the telling; and although there is plenty of space on a gravestone to contain, bound in moss, the abridged version of a man's life, detail is always welcome.”
― Vladimir Nabokov, Laughter in the Dark

tags: epitaph

52 likes

More of Dave’s quotes…

Dave’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-14) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 14: by Dave

Oct 04, 2019 12:08PM

Roslyn wrote: "Hey Dave! Are you excited to be a featured speaker at the Blue Hill Word Festival this month? I'm hoping to catch you there on Oct. 25!"

SO excited. I've never been to Maine!

See u there.

reply | flag

message 13: by Roslyn

Oct 02, 2019 02:38PM

Hey Dave! Are you excited to be a featured speaker at the Blue Hill Word Festival this month? I'm hoping to catch you there on Oct. 25!

reply | flag

message 12: by Pukka13

Apr 18, 2014 04:56AM

Dave! Thanks for adding me. I read "Columbine" some years ago and was completely floored by the depth of your research. Your writing is remarkable. I look forward to your next book. Thanks again!

reply | flag

message 11: by Betryal

Dec 06, 2012 02:40AM

Hey Dave, thanks for the accept. I just got your book, which I've been reading a lot of those types recently with the shootings and/or bullying and look forward to reading it.

reply | flag

message 10: by Dave

Dec 28, 2011 03:10PM

Thanks, Linda. A magazine story and then book on gay soldiers. More on it here:

http://www.davecullen.com/read/gays-i...

reply | flag

message 9: by Linda

Dec 28, 2011 01:02PM

Hi Dave,

I'm delighted to connect with such an accomplished writer and fellow author here on GR. What are you working on now?

Happy reading & writing,

Linda

reply | flag

message 8: by Gary

Aug 26, 2011 09:06AM

Thanks for the add DAVE;

My Memoir - TO LIVE OR MAYBE NOT
At Barnes and Noble

My birth in Alabama, youth, high school-Holmes County High School, US Navy Service, music-Hollywood, Memphis, Nashville, Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Investigation, recording and releasing the single record of the song about the MLK assassination, THEY SLEW THE DREAMER and more.

Paperback and for Nook Book-Click Here

reply | flag

message 7: by Beth

Aug 17, 2010 08:26PM

Hi Dave,
Thanks for befriending this fellow author on Goodreads! Living in Colorado, the events at Columbine hit close to home, and being a mystery author, I have heard presentations from Colorado police officers who were involved in the investigation.

reply | flag

message 6: by David

Apr 19, 2010 11:01PM

Thanks for adding me! I'm a big fan since I first heard about Columbine, about 10 years ago. I really wish I could find your book in this book-deprived country!

PS. I won't say "happy" because it's impossible, but have SOME kind of 11-year anniversary since Columbine today.

reply | flag

message 5: by Dáithí's

Dec 23, 2009 11:23PM

Wishing you a deep sense of peace and good fortune this holiday season!!!! Happy reading!!!

Pastor Chris

reply | flag

message 4: by Ryan

Dec 21, 2009 07:14AM

i know you've read black hawk down... right? I ran a "compare books" between you and me and it didn't come up... haha

reply | flag

message 3: by Dave

Dec 03, 2009 10:35PM

Goodreads nominated me for "Favorite NONFICTION book of 2009." That made me very happy. If you liked the book, please consider voting for it here:

http://www.goodreads.com/award/goodre...

My category is #3.

Your votes determine the winners.

Thanks.

Dave

reply | flag

message 2: by Kelly

Aug 04, 2009 02:11PM

Dave,
I suppose that is what happens when you write with honesty and a good heart. :) I hope for all the best in your writing career.
-K.L.

reply | flag

message 1: by Dave

Jun 05, 2009 11:44PM

Hi. I was amazed and touched to see all the interest in my book here: nearly 500 reviews. Wow.

I'm looking forward to figuring out how to connect with many of you on this site. I'm fumbling my way for now.

reply | flag

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Dave Cullen's Blog: Conclusive Evidence of Dave Cullen's Existence--The Goo

Slate names COLUMBINE 1 of 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the quarter century

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See a Problem?

Preview — Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg

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Preview — Missionaries by Phil Klay

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Preview — Just Kids by Patti Smith

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