Mad Man in Waco

by Brad Bailey, Bob Darden

Traces the history of the Branch Davidians, tells how David Koresh became leader of the group, and describes the events that led to the tragic fire

Genres: True Crime

284 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explained so much that I never knew about this situation that is actually quite close to my personal history. I remember some of these events happening just outside my hometown, but as a child, I never really knew the whole story. I found it fascinating and shocking. I enjoyed the historical parts because they explained how this group ended up on land that eventually became the grounds of my high school and my childhood home. I would have appreciated reading less of the authors' opinions about certain people and incidents, especially since I read this book in order to get some of the facts straight and to get thorough background on the Branch Davidians. Sometimes it seemed the authors expected me as a reader to already know everything that happened.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good book to gain an understanding of the history of Davidian Cult and David Koresh. I felt like there were way too many exclamation points in the book, at least 1 per chapter.

[Dee6265 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really just wanted to read about David Koresh and the siege at Waco. Instead I got several chapters of Davidian History, that I didn't care about and really it ruined this read for me.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting subject matter, however I didn't appreciate the sarcastic tone the authors used. It seemed inappropriate.

[Brenna A · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Mad Man in Waco" by Brad Bailey covers the complete story of the Waco Massacre, introducing many key people and explaining in great detail the role of each person. The book is especially centered around the creator of the Davadian Cult, David Koresh. As a child, Koresh was abused and antisocial. As an adult, Koresh claimed he was God and convinced many people to follow him and join his cult. However, much of what Koresh believes is not from God, but instead his own thinking, which does not produce pleasant results.
Personally, I thought this book was quite interesting. It described the actions of David Koresh in great detail, which drove me to read deeper into the book. However, I found the book to be slightly confusing in some cases, as I had no previous knowledge of the Davadian Cult. This book is definitely something one should look forward to reading, especially if the reader is seeking a thrill.