Cults: Coercion and Control: The World's Most Notorious Cults [And the People Who Escaped Them]

by Jamie King

Delve into the dark world of cults this gripping true crime compendium, that exposes the chilling realities of notorious cults, exploring their origins, beliefs, and the unimaginable horrors they inflict.

Belief system or brainwashing? Captivated or captive? Community or cult? Uncover stories of the world's most infamous cults in this true crime compendium...

Building spacecrafts to transport humans to a new plane of existence, kidnapping children to create a master race that would survive the apocalypse, murdering innocent people to secure a place in the afterlife... these only scratch the surface of the strange, sinister and shocking world of cults.

Throughout history, cult groups have formed across the globe, promising followers freedom, family and fortune. In reality, religious, destructive and doomsday cults capture, coerce and control people. From mass murders to child marriages, polygamy to life insurance policies, blackmail to sex bait, discover the cruelty and curiosities of cults in this illuminating anthology.

Filled with stories of the world's most notorious cults, this book details their origins, beliefs, leaders, followers and victims, and uncovers the unthinkable horrors hidden by these "utopian" societies.

Whether you're new to the subject or looking to expand on your knowledge, discover the truth behind the world's killer and criminal cults in this gripping compendium.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2024

Reviews

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never say no to a book about cults and this one was a good one! Learnt some new facts that were incredibly horrifying yet incredibly interesting.

[Vicko Sicko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin.
A very simple look at lots of cults.
The tough thing with a book like this is that so many of the cults listed could have (and do have) entire books written about them on their own. So you definitely feel like you just KNOW there's more to the story than what's in the 5-10 pages they've been given in this book.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories are better than others but still readable.

[Ari Plant · Rating 3 out of 5]

A meal deal of mid-level detail about bargain bin cults. Good for a quick surface level read.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the first 100 pages or so , but it was alright , just not invested in cults enough to keep on reading.

[Kami · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 33%
I feel like watching YouTube documentary would be more fun than reading such a short and not very descriptive stories about different cults.
I didn’t find it engaging or it didn’t spark more interest in me. I knew some of the stories but I felt like there was so much more to tell in them; it would be better to remove the amount of cults and just expand more on the ones that author would prefer to prioritise.
This was much „quantity over quality”.
I don’t think I’ll reach for this author again but I can see some people enjoying this kind of book.
I’ll give it 2* as at least I learnt some new facts and cults, just wish there was more to it so I’d actually be invested. Felt like reading an article than a book.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main critique of this book is that the chapters about each cult were way too short. About four, five pages about a single cult before moving on feels like too little, when each one of them could have multiple books written on it, on its own. I understand that this was to be more of a summary of different big cults around the globe, and the different kinds of cults, however, keeping them these short felt like constantly reading introductions without the continuation you needed once you were hooked and your curiosity peaked.
Although too short, the book did a great job summarizing itself at the end, and I also enjoyed the introductions or "segues" into the different parts of the book.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars. It was a decent enough read, and I liked that it didn't just focus on the typical well known cults, but mentioned ones from around the world and throughout the ages. However, you only get mere pages on each cult, which gives only a very basic outline of how it started, what happened and how/if it ended, therefore I would say this is probably a good introductory book. If you are looking for more detailed information about certain cults and their history then I would give this a pass.

[Katerina Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the many different cults that exist, however, I would hesitate to say that there was any focus on the survivors. Also, the order in which they are presented can be confusing, since you jump from modern cults to ancient cults and back again without any rhyme nor reason.
Sometimes, the stories were disjointed and unrelated tangent given.
Nonetheless, if you want a crash course, then it is a good read.

[Chris Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting exploration of various cults, some famous some obscure. The author tells the tale well, often managing to fit long and complicated stories into a few short pages. Overall, a good read for anyone interested in cults or human/social history.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introductory book to cults. It contains some of the more obvious ones such as Heavens Gate, the Manson family, and Jonestown but also introduced me to some I never heard of. Really interesting read.

[Amelia Oliver · Rating 2 out of 5]

So so boring :(((

[Jess Milner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just watch literally any true crime vid and you'd get way more information

[Rydon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers a range of cults and an interesting read but not my preferred style as very commentatory

[Freya Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this while I was on holiday and OMG it is actually one of my favourite books of all time

[Callum Bates · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a bit naff

[Abby Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting. Great read.

[rachel ann Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting read .. very informative.. the amount of different cults throughout the ages . very good 👍

[Eve Bryans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some were definitely more interesting than others but id say a good surface level insight

[Jade Belcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to pick up for short busts of reading. Some super interesting facts. Sometimes felt like the sections ended a bit abruptly

[Soph Thurlby · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable whistle-stop tour of cults across the world from past to present. Learnt some things I didn’t know so a bonus for me.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

many I had not previously heard about, but the chapters are so short and provide little to no details.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in a way that it wasn't enticing