From a Taller Tower: The Rise of the American Mass Shooter

by Seamus McGraw

A history of the American mass shooter since 1966, and an analysis of how the nation makes sense of the senseless violence.We, as a nation, have become desensitized to the shock and pain in the wake of mass shootings. In the bottomless silence between gunshots, as political stalemate ensures inaction, the killing continues; the dying continues. From a Taller Tower attends to the silence that has left us empty in the aftermath of these atrocities. Veteran journalist Seamus McGraw chronicles the rise of the mass shooter to dismantle the myths we have constructed around the murderers and ourselves.In 1966, America’s first mass shooter, from atop the University of Texas tower, unleashed a new the fear that any of us may be targeted by a killer, and the complicity we bear in granting these murderers the fame or infamy they crave. Addressing individual cases in the epidemic that began in Austin, From a Taller Tower bluntly confronts our obsession with the shooters?and explores the isolation, narcissism, and sense of victimhood that fan their obsessions. Drawing on the experiences of survivors and first responders as well as the knowledge of mental health experts, McGraw challenges the notion of the “good guy with a gun,” the idolization of guns (including his own), and the reliability of traumatized memory. Yet in this terrible history, McGraw reminds us of the humanity that can stop the killing and the dying.“An important and extraordinary book that takes us into the mind of the mass shooter and also explores our own complicity in the numbing tragedies that have become far too routine in America. Still, Seamus McGraw manages to leave us with hope that there’s a way out of the despair.” —Perri Pelitz, director and producer, Axios on HBO“A meditative history of mass murder by gunfire. . . . A memorable, necessary contribution to the national conversation on gun violence.” —Kirkus Reviews“[From a Taller Tower] traces the history of the American mass shooter and the troubling ways we make sense of senseless violence . . . There’s a tragic timeliness to McGraw’s book.” —InsideHook“One of the most important books you can read this or any year. It’s impossible to read this work without nodding or wincing or even crying.” —Patrick Skinner, detective, Savannah, Georgia“From a Taller Tower is a careful, even cathartic, look at mass shooters and the culture that ushers them forth. McGraw dispels the myths “forged in gunfire” with a riveting examination of the before, during, and after of mass shootings.” —Amye Archer, co-editor, If I Don’t Make It, I Love Survivors in the Aftermath of School Shootings

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Politics, Audiobook, Sociology, American History

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2021

Reviews

[Traci Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was easy to read (style not the content). The thesis wasn’t clear to me and often felt like a rehashing of many mass shootings. The author said he didn’t want to sensationalize the events but without a clear thesis that’s sort of what he did. This book also seemed scared to real delve into the racism and bigotry at the root of lots of the killings mentioned. It’s too bad. I wanted to like the book more but the complexity and depth wasn’t there. I’m also not sure I understood the why behind writing it.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, audiobook. I got halfway through it but couldn’t take the macho writing style—I get it, you think these shooters are all losers. There was no argument, just a bunch of getting mad about… stuff? And being way too enamored of his own writing. If I had to hear tHe SiLeNcE bEtWeEn GuNsHoTs one more time I was going to scream.

[Michael Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timely and important book that will, sadly, preach to the choir

It's easy to lose track of all these horrors, especially at the time I'm writing this review, but the author does a remarkable job of putting theses shootings in context and highlighting the similarities and differences. Well worth the read.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's not much insight here just situation reports that don't go into any meaningful detail.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

McGraw does important work here unpacking the particular American phenomena of gun violence and the rise of the mass shooter. With chapters from the Lancaster school shooting to the synagogue shootings in New Zealand, he untwists our many myths abt mass shooters as mentally ill and our over reliance on the “good guy with a gun” mantra (spoiler alert: the good guy with a gun does fuck all as most weaponry used does its damage in seconds). He speaks with one mass shooter abt his motive, revealing how easy it was for him to get and deploy a fire arm with no previous background. Everyone should read this. Every parent whose kid does active shooter drills in school should absolutely read this. Everyone who votes should read this. Everyone who polices should read this.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about mass shootings since1966. There’s no perfect way to identify them. They are almost 100% male but not necessarily White. They have certain behavioral traits but that’s looking at hindsight. May don’t even indicate what they plant to do. Many don’t purchase the guns and ammunition until just before they commit the act. Good guys with guns rarely stop a mass shooter. Good guys without guns have double the success. There are certain guns that shooters like to use, AK-47s and Bushmasters. What sets the US off from other countries is our government’s willingness to allow such guns to be purchased without a trace. Laws against them from 1994-2004 lower the mass shooting rate substantially. Weaker laws allowed more shootings to happen. Great book. Very thoughtful.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insightful, but terribly messy too. Could have done with some more editing -- there is only so much I can read about "the silence between gunshots" and "the fog of war in peacetime" before it starts to grate on my nerves. The first few chapters are the most interesting ones, as the rest of the book seems to run around in circles and repeat the same points over and over again.

[Cat Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure I felt comfortable with this - seemingly gave a voice to the perpetrator..

Although interesting, basically felt he made an 'educated guess' and told a tale.

[Tiffany]

Definitely going to have to take breaks while reading this

[Ruth York · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not quite what I expected, I did enjoy this book, in as much as a person can "like" any book on this subject. It is less about the evolution of the mass shooter, and more about the history of various such atrocities. Sad to say, some I hadn't heard of, and some, I was like, "Oh yeah, I think I remember that one." Ironic, that yet another happened while I was listening to this - Michigan State University. A woman who I am in a group with on Facebook was texting her daughter during this latest event. Her daughter, who was hiding on campus. I have no idea when enough will be enough. Something must be done.

[Jason Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and researched, but brings up a dichotomy of thought/philosophy with no clear solutions or conclusions. Didn’t appear to be the authors intention, but the book basically just gives situational facts about the tragedies themselves. I don’t have any more understanding of the US infatuation with guns as I did before, only more befuddled sadness, confusion, and frankly fear of most of my fellow citizens including many family and friends.

[Mitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is meandering, very unlearn in it's points--fair enough, no one has come up w a solid diagnosis for what causes mass shootings. I have no issue w McGraw's stance either, to each their own. But he is no where near as good of a writer as he very obviously thinks he is, and that combined with his jingoism just had me asking "why am I doing this to myself?" For reading it.

[Jack Varley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so riddled with elementary factual errors that it would be unethical for me to give it anything besides a negative rating. To cite just one example, the author claims that George Hennard used his pick-up truck to “barricade the door” of the Luby’s cafeteria he targeted in 1991. This is not what happened, as a simple Google search will tell you. Hennard drove his truck through the window of the restaurant – at no point did he use it to block the door.

This is the only mention in the entire book that this massacre merits, despite it being America’s deadliest mass shooting for more than a decade. I could make this review an exhaustive catalogue of the litany of factual errors in the book, but that would accomplish nothing. It might even be forgivable if it had something worthwhile to say, but it doesn’t. There is little of value (if anything) here that you couldn’t rind in an angry, ranting thread on Twitter.

In reading a book on mass murder, the typical readership will extend courtesy to the author that there is a contract between them: both you and I believe that mass murder is bad. It is a hallmark of the very worst books about mass shootings that the authors fill space with interminable reminders about how bad mass shooters are and how terrible the act is. It adds nothing, makes no contribution. Le killing people is...le bad? Say it ain’t so! The author is patronising in expressing a point that is basic fact to most people.

Countless shootings are cited, often with no rhyme or rhythm. Shooters are castigated, then the intimacies of their lives are examined without their names being mentioned. If you’re telling the life story of Wayne Lo, then why not just say his name? All this clumsy tactic of name suppression accomplishes is causing the average reader to have to look up who it is on Google, since the implications are so unmistakable. In not one of the many cases brought up does the author manage to contribute anything worthwhile.

He provides a facile examination of politically/religiously motivated mass shootings, demeaning white men before (at another point) clarifying that the races of mass shooters in America more or less pertain to the racial demography of the country at large. Then you look at the author photo...isn’t this a white dude himself? It’s just so meandering and then at the end you’re not even rewarded with a coherent point. There is no braver thesis to this book than ‘I think murderers are bad’. Wow. Where’s the Pulitzer for this guy?

This is an emotional outpouring from the author who clearly has no understanding of the subject matters he purports to examine. He frequently cites far better books that you should read instead (such as Gary Lavergne’s ‘A Sniper in the Tower’ about Charles Joseph Whitman). The author is fond of invoking Shakespeare, so I will meet him at that, and declaim him as being full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. This book is a waste of your time and money.

[Craig Amason · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves almost as a composite of the American mass shooter, taking a close look at the worst of them and drawing some conclusions about most of the rest of them. McGraw makes it clear that there are no clear similarities among these murderers and no easy way to identify who the next killer will be. In the epilogue, he does suggest that the "red flag" protocol could work, which would involve keeping weapons out of the hands of people who have a history of mental health issues that are more common among mass shooters: extreme narcissism, obsessive compulsive behavior, severe anxiety, etc. But he demonstrates how such an approach is far from perfect when he describes how normal Stephen Paddock was, the 64-year-old guy who murdered 61 people from a hotel room in Las Vegas in 2017.

Readers looking for a strong indictment on gun culture in America will be disappointed. McGraw certainly recognizes how deeply ingrained that culture is here, but he doesn't advocate for strict controls on weapons. He is critical of the disinformation produced by the NRA, but he is also "takes aim" at mass media and politicians for fueling myths about guns and mass shootings. There is a sense of fatalism in his message, almost as if he knows that the gun saturation in this country is so deep that it is practically impossible to solve the problem with traditional ideas of gun control. So many of the knee-jerk solutions simply won't work, and he explains why.

One of the best takeaways from the book is McGraw's lengthy discussion about the "good guy with a gun" myth, which he thoroughly and methodically debunks with statistical data and real-world examples. Obviously, he considers it his job in this book to lay out the problem of mass shootings, with an appropriate amount of historical context, but he doesn't spend much time offering solutions. Better to be honest with nothing solid to deliver than fabricate a bunch of suggestions that you know won't fix the problem.

One little pet peeve that I noticed other readers have pointed out. Repeating a phrase for emphasis is a common journalistic tool, but McGraw goes a bit overboard with this practice. It becomes predictable thus ineffective. Be that as it may, this is a well-researched book packed with information about a topic that nobody in this country can ignore. McGraw recognizes that we have almost become numb to mass shootings, but our complacency does nothing to stop the killing. In fact, it may just be perpetuating it.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

FROM A TALLER TOWER is a unique sort of book. It is not a true crime account—not exactly—nor is it a partisan political argument on the subject of gun ownership in America. Instead, it is more of a meditation on the culture that produces so many mass shooters each year and our response, or more accurately, lack thereof.

It is true that the author has a few phrases that he seems overly pleased with and uses throughout the text, which some readers may find grating. Those looking for easy answers won’t find them here, but they will find accomplished, and at times darkly poetic, words for the senseless horror our society has seemingly just accepted as part of modern life.

Perhaps to reassure readers that he is not anti-gun, late in the book McGraw talks about his own enjoyment of hunting deer using old-fashioned, single-shot firearms.

Yet despite his romanticized talk, animals don’t enjoy being killed any more than we do. They don’t “sacrifice” themselves for us. Every healthy being struggles to remain alive—each body fights the imposition of killing. Even McGraw himself has acknowledged this in his writing, telling his audience that he hates the act of killing and admitting to causing a deer undue suffering after shooting her with his preferred “primitive” hunting weapon. I would say that this is conscience tapping him on the shoulder, reminding him that as human beings in the industrialized world, we do not have to live this way. We can choose compassion; can choose not to slaughter animals for either recreation or sustenance.

It is my hope that the author takes what he gleaned from writing this anti-violence treatise and is inspired to extend this to something he has definite control of—choosing not to directly cause pain and death to other sentient beings. Instead of taking his muzzleloader, it is my hope that he will take binoculars, a camera, or simply his walking stick instead on his next visit to his beloved woods. Being randomly hit by gunfire as we go about our daily lives isn’t something that we—or other sentient beings—should have to experience. Our species has a choice in both.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gah, I’ve been duped again! This is another book that pretends to be a serious analysis but is actually just a sensational true crime book. Replacing all the perpetrators names with “the killer” doesn’t give you a pass to wallow in the graphic details of these crimes, it just makes the book harder to follow (and it is still glorifying, what’s wrong with just saying “the perpetrator”?).

Aside from the tragedy porn, this book was the musings of some random guy with no relevant expertise. There was no cogent message and he frequently contradicted the few arguments he did make. The arguments were made based on vibes, social prejudices, and at times were weirdly christian. Perhaps this explains why the book was so internally inconsistent.

The book was deeply repetitive, it would describe a tragedy in gory, glorifying detail, and then the author would wax on about his favorite hobby horses: “narcissism,” “victimhood,” and how much better he handles this topic than other journalists. I only finished this book so I could feel justified in writing a review.

Also, “the silence between gunshots” isn’t nearly as profound as he thinks it is.

[Mary Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Depressing read about the rise of mass murders in the U.S.

Can shooters be profiled ahead of time? No. Beyond the common thread of 'narcissistic male', there is no real pattern of killer or motive.

Will gun laws change enough to make any difference? No. Would arming EVERYBODY make any difference? No (besides being unrealistic).

Is there something about American culture that gives birth to mass shooters? Yes. A toxic mix of strident defense of personal gun ownership and the easy access to automatic weapons, the appeal of violence (aided and abetted by film/games/video), internet access for research/interconnectedness with like-minded individuals, interpersonal isolation, desire for amoral notoriety, cultural embrace of (perceived) victimhood and grievances [society owes me...], etc.

The book could use a little editing--occasional non-intentional repetitions, and a somewhat meandering structure. But it's a worthy read. Just don't expect any solutions.

[Brian Elswick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a merciless and damning book. To say nothing of his style and prose (which is masterful), this book is gutting. He wrote of the silence between gunshots. I was left sitting alone in the silence. In tears. Angry. Broken. He offers no real solutions. He certainly offers no peace or consolation. He leaves the weight of death and silence resting upon you as if a challenge, like a defeaning, "so what?" He nearly dares you to harden yourself against the pain and just move on as we all too often do. Another mass shooting. Another day. Life goes on (for most of us). Certainly not an anti-gun book, only an anti-mass-murder book. "Triggering," seems like a poorly placed pun but nonetheless, this book is certainly that. "Traumatic" may be more appropriate but I hate to cheapen the word, especially in light of the subject matter. The weight of the topic demands a careful, honest and raw telling, all of which the author achieved.

[Caroline Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to shed some light on the details surrounding many American mass shooting specifically related to the killers’ motives (or lack there of). Two biggest takeaways for me were that:
a) it’s hard to identify who may become mass murderers - traits vary, though narcissistic personality traits and a “victim mentality” seem to be common ones exhibited
b) these murderers often seem to in some way be motivated by the game they will receive from there deeds (ex. killing more than the last famous murderer, etc.)
The author can’t offer solutions or explanations that would help decrease these horrible events, but he does include though provoking aspects of our society that don’t seem to help subdue these killings (ex. he talks about how by and large society tends to think that victimhood grants status aka we long to be victims and think that if we are then that is what makes us special)

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve been a lifelong lover of true crime and am very interested in psychology and what makes people tick. I learned almost nothing from this book and gave up about halfway through when it became clear the writer tended to blame, if anything, white supremacy and certain websites he wouldn’t name as pushing already disturbed people over the edge for many of these crimes. His refusal to name the killers while writing about well known cases was also irritating. For example, most people know who Adam Lanza is, but throughout his background story he was referred to as “ the future murderer.” This gets old in every other sentence for several pages. Refusing to say their names is not noble, but irritating and confusing. The gist of the book seemed to be, maybe the reasons for these shootings is this or maybe it’s that. Who knows.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful book on US mass shootings. Mr. McGraw takes readers thru the major shooting events from the sniper in tower at the University of Texas to the Las Vegas sniper in the Mandalay Bay Resort. His concentration is not some much on the events, but on aftermath. How these killings effected survivors and our collective psyche. He explores the how and whys these events happen, As well as different perspectives to view them. I would not consider this antigun book. Mr. McGraw explains the limits of key gun legislation efforts. Yet, he argues against maintaining the status quo. Oh, and man, can this guy write!

My reason for giving four stars is the book is too short.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relentlessly grim history of the appalling rise of mass shootings in America (and the influence of such crimes on monsters in New Zealand and Norway) since 1966, there's some fascinating detail in this book. However, the writing style, with its endless repetition of catchphrases (beyond irritating) and the author's refusal to use the murderers' names makes for an often clumsy and cumbersome read. McGraw makes some excellent points on the 'good guy with a gun' myth and the foundational religious zealotry behind America's deeply weird fascination with guns but he never really pushes for the obvious solutions.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

at times it was difficult to discern what the main point of the book was. was it a historical retelling of mass shootings? was it an analysis on the background of these shooters? an opinion piece? research based? this felt more like a commentary without a strong stance - while not necessarily pro-2nd amendment, there wasn’t an overly strong stance on gun reform either although that’s the direction the author leans. there is brief discussion on the relationship between evangelicalism and guns, but lacks depth. i did enjoy the challenge on the “good guy with guns” theory.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

No easy answers. Challenges/interrogates common narratives about mass shooters and shootings that are “as durable as diamonds” but may not be very accurate to the data around these atrocities.

McGraw’s use of the narrative image of the silence between gunshots throughout was poignant and helpful as an umbrella for a thesis that doesn’t fit in any neat categories, which is emblematic of the endeavor to make sense of evil.

Worried this really only preaches to the choir.

[Tiffany Roosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent book. My one issue with it, which was minor, was the overuse of certain phrases. I get that some phrases sound really good (i.e., “the silence between gun shots”), but it really lessens their effect when they’re repeated so often, in my opinion. It’s like a really funny joke-it’s funny the first time you hear it, but not so much when it’s the tenth time you hear it.

[Lorraine Larocque · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful read to process so many horrific mass shootings including facts and data as to how they occurred and the very few controls we have in place to prevent them. We are pessimistic that our nation’s officials will do anything to protect us. This is a difficult and necessary read for all Americans - no matter what side of the divide you are on.

[Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It isn't a bad book, but I went in hoping for it to be more of a history, and in the end it is more of a meditation on the subject, using a few examples to guide that thought process. Well done for what it is, but not what I went in looking for.

Also the casual, offhand citation of LTC Dave Grossman is annoying. That guy sucks.

[Austin Wrathall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the history of America’s mass shooting crisis. Don’t expect the author to propose many solutions, though. On the plus side, the book treats the problem of mass shootings as the complex issue it is. On the down side, the book is mostly the author’s musings on the problem. At least they’re informed, well-researched musings.

[Kristin Tholkappian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an unresearched read on a road trip. The details and outlining of various atrocities over the past few decades was interesting and helpful as we learn more about the topic.

I couldn't follow the authors train of thought through trying to tie certain events together.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is sad how many more mass shootings have occurred since he wrote this book. I kept thinking of Uvalde, especially when he mentioned every second of response time counting. I also appreciated that names of the killers were only eve mentioned twice in this book.