The Waco Siege: An American Tragedy

by Jack Rosewood, Dwayne Walker

During fifty one days in early 1993 one of the most tragic events in American crime history unfolded on the plains outside Waco, Texas. An obscure and heavily armed religious sect called the Branch Davidians was barricaded inside their commune and outside were hundreds of law enforcement angry because the former had killed four ATF agents in a botched raid. Open the pages of this book and go on an engaging and captivating ride to examine one of the most important true crime stories in recent decades. Read the shocking true story of how a man the government considered a psychopath, but whose followers believed to be a prophet, led a breakaway sect of the Seventh Day Adventist Church into infamy.

You will follow the meteoric rise of the Branch Davidians’ charismatic leader, David Koresh, as he went from an awkward kid in remedial classes to one of the most infamous cult leaders in world history. But the story of the Waco Siege begins long before the events of 1993. At the core of the conflict between the Branch Davidians and the United States government were ideas and interpretations of religious freedom and gun ownership, which as will be revealed in the pages of this book, a considerable philosophical gulf existed between the two sides. David Koresh and the Branch Davidians carried on a long tradition in American and Texas history of religious dissent, but in 1993 that dissent turned tragically violent.

You will find that beyond the standard media portrayals of the Waco Siege was an event comprised of complex human characters on both sides of the firing line and that perhaps the most tragic aspect of the event was that the extreme bloodshed could have been avoided.

The pages of this book will make you angry, sad, and bewildered; but no matter the emotions evoke, you will be truly moved by the events of the Waco Siege.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Cults, Audiobook, Crime, Religion

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2015

About the author

I live in one of the most beautiful places in Florida, Jupiter, with my wife, two kids and our golden retriever, Vincent. I've been a full time author for the last 15 years and I wouldn't trade it against anything in the world!

My father was a journalist and wrote about some of the worst crimes you could ever imagine, and that's where my big interest from serial killers and other horrible crimes comes from. Just to hear my father talk about the evil acts of Ted Bundy as we were out fishing as a kid are some of my best memories.

Reviews

[Maede · Rating 2 out of 5]

کشتار وِیکو یک اتفاق تاریخی مهم در دهه‌ی نود آمریکاست. محاصره‌ی طولانی مدت دیوید کورش رهبر یک فرقه‌ی دینی و دنبال‌کنندگانش به مدت ۵۱ روز در مقر زندگیشون که در نهایت منجر به مرگ ۸۲ نفر میشه،‌ طرز تفکر مردم آمریکا رو در مورد دولت برای همیشه تغییر میده

چیزی که در مورد ویکو جالبه اینه که چقدر احمقانه‌ست! نیروهای فدرال در ابتدا به بهانه‌ی اینکه کورش و گروهش فعالیت‌های غیرقانونی در رابطه با اسلحه دارند وارد عمل می‌شن و بعد از کشتار اولیه و دو ماه مذاکره، همه چیز به خاطر آتش‌سوزی به دلیل استفاده از گازی مثل گاز اشک‌آور تمام میشه. کورش و تمام فرقه‌ش به همراه بچه‌هاشون در آتشی می‌سوزند که اصلا نباید اتفاق می‌افتاده

این کتاب خیلی کوتاهه و زیاد وارد جزئیات فعالیت‌های کورش نمیشه. فقط در این حد مسئله باز میشه که با زنان زیادی که بسیاریشون هم زیر سن قانونی بودن رابطه داشته و در واقع برای خودش حرم‌سرا درست کرده بوده. خودش رو به نحوی مسیح یا پیامبر می‌دونسته و از انجیل برداشت ویژه‌ی خودش رو داشته. همچنین، تفکر آخر زمانیش باعث می‌شده که اسلحه و مهمات جمع کنه و با فرقه‌اش در کوه‌ها زندگی کنه. تلخه که بسیاری از کارهاش برای ما که در اینجا بزرگ شدیم چنان هم عجیب نیست و البته که برای خود مردم آمریکا هم پدیده‌ی نوظهوری نبوده

کشتار ویکو به بمب‌گذاران ساختمان فدرال در اکلاهما منجر میشه و زنجیره از وقایع رو دومینو وار رقم می‌زنه. این سوال از همیشه مهم‌تر میشه که در یک کشور مردم تا چه اندازه حق آزادی دینی دارند؟ سوالی که این روزها در بحبوحه‌ی آبان ۱۴۰۱ خیلی بهش فکر می‌کنم

شاید یک کتاب دیگه هم در این مورد بخونم که تصویر بهتری از این ماجرا داشته باشم

۱۴۰۱/۸/۲۴

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoping History Doesn't Repeat! The Waco Siege: An American Tragedy could not be anymore relevant to public discussion than it is right now, what with the current occupation of a Federal property in Oregon by an armed militia. The author does an excellent job of describing what happened at the Branch Davidian's complex. He does an adequate description of David Koresh, his beliefs and actions. I wish that he would have covered more thoroughly the law enforcement agencies side; rather than concentrating on his perceived schism between two factions of the FBI. That being said, the book does a good job of pointing out that mistakes were made on both sides, that of Koresh and of the government. And that the tragedy might have been avoided with taking more time to try to reach a resolution. Finally, the author does a great job of connecting the Waco tragedy with the rise of today's militias. And that a more open process of releasing information by the government might lead to a lessening of the paranoia of today's militia groups. This is a very quick read, coming in at about 20,000 words. The pacing is smooth, the writing style good. Let's hope that we have all learned from what occurred in Waco, and that the current occupation will end peacefully, with no loss of life.

[Lalo Dagach]

I wanted to read a book about the Waco siege so I could have some basis of knowledge before watching a new televised dramatization called "Waco." Waco is one of the events I knew well enough by name, and vaguely what had happened, but never dug deep enough to get a clear picture. This book is a short read and gives an excellent short history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and theological beliefs and practices of the Branch Davidians, as well as useful unbiased details about the siege.

One part I found to particularly noteworthy, is when the author describes a series of articles from 1993 published soon after the siege in the Waco Tribune-Herald, called "The Sinful Messiah." The author, Jack Rosewood, is very critical of these articles for various reasons, but one criticism in particular was that the journalists described the residents of Mount Carmel, Waco as white, backwards, uneducated, rednecks. He corrects this by pointing out that many of the residents were not local, sometimes from abroad. Also, that many were non-white, ethnically asian, black, hispanic, etc., and that many held higher-education degrees.

This reminded me of the common prejudice that Islamic terrorists are likely to be uneducated, backwards, poor cave-dwellers. When in fact, multiple studies have discovered this to be false. There are an equal amount of examples of well-educated and upper-middle class terrorists, many originating from wealthy countries. It was interesting to see an example within the USA, of a Christian-based militia that also did not fit a similar preconception, and the public assumptions were similar to today.

I recommend the book for those wishing to familiarize themselves with the Waco siege, but prefer a short read. I also look forward to watching the TV show.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came up in my review list at a really unique time. As the Oregon standoff is taking place, I read the story of Waco. I agree that Koresch and what was going on- especially with underage girls- was not something that most any of us would agree with. But even people that left the compound saying that "nothing happened without the parents permission", I do not understand why ATF or the FBI felt the need to even get involved. The further I read into this, the more I wondered WHAT our government was thinking. I was given a copy of this book for my honest review. If you read this and have been watching what as been going on in Oregon, you may have a few questions of your own. Obviously the government has not learned anything in 50+ years.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Koresh (Vernon Wayne Howell, dyslexia) & his followers Branch Davidians (Seventh Day Adventists), stand-off (2/28-4/19/1993) at Mount Carmel, Waco, TX.

Warning: This book contains graphic adult content, extreme violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, animated cartoon, college PP presentation, mini TV series or documentary (True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery). Not enough information for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading about The Waco Siege at the time it happened, but this book helped me understand parts of it much better. For me, this book explains it in a well written and informative manner. David Koresh was the leader of the Branch Davidians at the time of the siege by the FBI, (he was at times compared to Jim Jones of People's Temple). The outcome was awful, with plenty of blame seeming to be had, to go around on both sides.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done and fairly unbiased facts

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐'s

[Kees Paalvast · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star
Short and factual account of what happened in Waco in 1993. I understand it now more than at the time. I had hoped for a more thorough non-fictional account, but it works as an introduction to the tragic history. But it is not one-sided (What I feared).

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how easy this short book was to read and the concise way that it presented all of the information leading up to and surrounding the Waco Siege. It definitely left me wanting to read even more on this subject.

[Alicia Groscost · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third read regarding the situation in Waco. While this one is short it provided some new information not depicted in other readings and/or the show. Highly recommend!

[Ashley Hedden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Waco Siege: An American Tragedy by Jack Rosewood and Dwayne Walker was a great read. It follows what lead up to the most tragic fifty one days in the early months of 1993 in Waco, Texas. The Branch Davidians were barricaded inside their commune with law enforcement outside. This was a great book that told of the events of the siege.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very long book 105 pages but it does go through quite a lot of detail on the start of the davidians and their beliefs plus history of Koresh and his early life and how he became their leader ,this book mainly goes into more depth about Koresh's life than into depth of the siege itself.

[Arabella Everitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

the author took something so interesting:
-cults
-waco
-sieges
and made it mind numbingly dull

[lefttoread · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been struggling to concentrate on reading these last couple of days, honestly. I think I'm just exhausted, but I've also been wanting to read absolutely everything so I decided to try and find something that I could just listen to as if it were a podcast & non fiction / true crime was where I ended up.

I watched the Waco documentary on Netflix a while ago, and that started something inside of me, I've been wanting to read something on the event too and honestly I think The Waco Siege was a great place to start, it gives you the basic run down of what happened and even points out a couple of other events that I'm now interested in reading about too..

It's not the best, most informative book and I'm sure there's better, I do have more on my TBR but they're a little longer and I just wanted to read something on the lighter side for now to get myself back into reading mode, so it did the job and I'd recommend if you know absolutely nothing about the case and just want to see what it's about.

[Stephen Heiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very average summary of the tragic events in the 1990s involving David Koresh and his group of Seventh-Day Adventists in Waco.

The reader for the audiobook is pretty dreadful but otherwise the information will be useful as a primer for those who do not really have a good sense of what happened. If your curiosity is stoked from there, I would recommend:

Waco: A Survivor's Story, by David Thibodeau https://amzn.to/3RWu9Au
the television series that was adapted from this book is also generally good

Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator, by Gary Noesner https://amzn.to/3S68JSD
Noesner led the "diplomacy" strategy at Waco that was finally subverted by the hotheads of the HRT of the FBI

Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver family, by Jess Walter https://amzn.to/41Or0qM
Want to know how we got to Waco? Understand Ruby Ridge first.

[Vivianne TM · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I knew basically nothing about the Waco Siege and I thought it would be a good book to learn about it.

I think I got a condensed version of events that seemed to be biased to one side. The book felt more like an overview I could have gotten from wikipedia instead of an in-depth story. Again, being quite ignorant of the subject, maybe there wasn't that much more to flesh out? I guess I feel kind of meh about it.

Also, I'm always curious about cults but I keep finding that be it in fiction or in accounts of real events, they are never as interesting as I'd thought.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Only a short book and basically an overview of the tragic event at Waco. Doesn't promise to be an indepth study, but found it to be pretty even handed. I remember when it happened and while it was incredibly sad - especially where the kids were involved - it also appeared to be the result of religious loonies blindly following a charlatan. However, as the book points out, there was a great deal of fault on both sides which ultimately led to further tragedy. Have we learned our lesson?

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember when this happened but actually didn't know very much abut it. so this was an interesting brief education.
It was interesting t o hear some of the Branch Davidians side of the story as all I remember was the news, which was somewhat slanted.
It has made me interested enough to want to read more about what happened - from both sides

What I found most disturbing, listening to it now in 2018 is how it seems to have had no effect on any policies or behaviour in America. I am constantly astounded by the lack of gun control, and controlled gun use, in that country.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the Netflix documentaries about Waco it really peaked my curiosity of the events that unfolded during the 50+ day stand off. I knew vague details about the situation that occurred about the event, however I did not know that much.

I chose the audiobook by Rosewood and it was a short two hour recount of the events leading up to Waco and during the Waco siege. It was an unbiased approached to story which I appreciated. It provided a few details I was not aware of. It was okay for me, nothing that made me really drop my jaw. Short. To the point. Done.

[Rachel Grepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew very little about this moment in our history before I opened this book. But throughout the pages, history came alive. In such a short and precise way, the authors unfolded this historical event from all sides. This really is a shocking moment that then led to other atrocities on our land. We all need to be aware of these events. While I highly disagree with the theology and faith of these people (the Branch Davidians), the siege was not the way to go. Both sides could have changed things. Such a sad story of our time.

[Line Gustavsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard this as an audiobook. First the narrator was monotone and didn't get me interested in the book, so that might have something with me not liking the book. After reading it I don't feel that I understand why this happend. The siege was only briefly described, and I feel the author didn't go in depth of the story. I won't recommend this book, because there must be better books about this incident.

[John C Covollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waco Siege.

At the time it happened I just passed it off as a bunch of losers dying because they let themselves be misled by Koresh.
I am very glad I took the time to read your book. Although I still feel they were misled, they should not have had to dye, since as you pointed out very clearly it could have ended peacefully.
It was well researched and impartially presented.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

It left me with more information than I had before and it caused me to change my mind to an extent. However, it was written like a long newspaper story (or editorial) and while it gave both sides, it didn't delve into the backstories and personalities of the participants like I would have preferred. It was rather bland.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good, brief overview of the cult and the 'Siege.' I learned a few new things.

(Note: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book. 3 = Very good; 4 = Outstanding {only about 5% of the books I read merit this}; 5 = All time favorites {one of these may come along every 400-500 books})

[Mark H Duprey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting book

The book made me realize that even though it was labeled a cult, it did not practice quite a few elements that cults do. I realize that the Koresh had a particular character to attract people. People were not held against their will. They could leave whenever they chose. It is a sad day in history.

[Emerson (Ariel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much this was what lead up to this, how it went down, and what the fallout was. The event was really just background noise in my busy, teenage life, but I wondered what all of the fuss was. It's a lot more interesting than I thought, and a lot more complex.

[Corina Cresswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting Read

As someone who lives in England, UK I had heard about Waco but wasn't au fait with the details. This book enlightened me to the True horror of the siege and the events leading up to it

[Jeff D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh - reads like a glorified book report. Did not realize was only 100 pages when I started so my expectations were probably set too high ( can't really cover a topic such as this in 100 pages but good enough to get the basics I guess)

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a pastor, this was so hard to read as was watching the recent documentaries. It’s mind blowing that people can have so much control over their church members and not let them survive. This book showed perspectives from all sides. For the most part it is well written.