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Bezig met laden... Waco: David Koresh, The Branch Davidians, and a Legacy of Ragedoor Jeff Guinn
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. First sentence: Just before dawn on Sunday, February 28, 1993, an eighty-vehicle caravan departed Fort Hood Army base outside Killeen, Texas, heading northeast toward Waco, sixty-five miles away. Premise/plot: Nonfiction book...about...you guessed it: Waco, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. (Also the ATF, FBI, law enforcement, CPS, and "government" in general). The story isn't simple nor straightforward. (Perhaps it was naive of me to expect it to be.) The prologue starts moments before the initial raid in late February 1993. The prologue ends on a cliffhanger. It takes hundreds--literally--of pages to get back to that point in time. (That may annoy some readers.) So this book seeks to provide context, context, and more context. Context on the Seventh Day Adventists. Context on the Davidians. Context on the Branch Davidians. Context on when this sect of a sect of a sect moves to Texas, just outside Waco. Context on about eighty plus years of leadership and ministry of the Branch Davidians. Context on Vernon Wayne Howell (who changed his name to David Koresh). Context on his joining the Branch Davidians in the late 70s/early 80s. His becoming 'the Lamb' and re-visioning things in the 80s and 90s. But also context/history of the ATF and other cooperating government forces. Journalists covering this story over the year. So I'd say about 85% of this one is all background context. Covering decades of history. Is it all necessary to have a basic understanding of the raid????? (I don't know. Some context, for sure, is helpful. This is extreme, in my opinion). My thoughts: This book is SLOW. Slower than I thought it would be. I expected a bit more action and drama. It's not that action and drama weren't there. It's just that the action-y bits come very late in the game after a lot of history. I almost think I'd be more interested--maintained interest/engagement--if it was a documentary. A documentary with a narrator would be a good fit for me. All things considered, this one does have a lot of information. I expected it to have a position, to take a side. It presents both sides. It doesn't take sides. It purposefully doesn't take sides. Even when one of the sides features very disturbing, incredibly disturbing, how can you not be seriously disturbed information. (I will NOT spell out the specifics.) So it was odd that this one went out of its way to stay neutral. To say maybe the government was 100% wrong. Maybe the Branch Davidians were 100% right. Maybe the world would be a better place if the government hadn't decided to interfere. Maybe Waco was the start of a terrible trend of terrorism. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Waco by Jeff Guinn is a 2023 Simon & Schuster publication. There have been other books published on this subject, and I have been tempted to read one or the other of them over the years but could never decide how trustworthy they might be- so I passed over them. But when I saw Jeff Guinn had been brave enough to tackle this highly volatile topic, I knew I’d be in good hands. After twenty years, and many attempts to manage my own emotions about the ‘legacy of rage’, (which I am in full agreement with the author about that), I had forgotten how chaotic the situation was back then. I had forgotten just what it was the Branch Davidians believed and how Koresh touted himself as Christ. The portrait of him painted here is disgusting, vile and beyond chilling. The first- hand accounts from all angles- surviving Brand Davidians, ATF agents, FBI, and deep research into David Koresh’s life and his psychological make up, the powerful influence he had over his followers, and the mounting tension that culminated in the fiery climax of a seven week siege is riveting, but extremely disturbing on many levels. Guinn’s deep dive is well organized and as always, he sticks to facts, not opinions. My only quibble is that the segments on how Waco is linked to current day cult behavior and certain hardcore cultures, didn’t get the same in-depth attention as the other portions of the book did. It was a connection I wish more people could see and understand. Overall, I think this must have been a challenging book for Guinn, as even today, there is a murkiness surrounding all that really happened in April 1993, and there will never be any pat answers to those remaining questions. But, Guinn’s experience in the study of cult leaders is evident as he gives us a much clearer image of Koresh, the mindset of the government agencies involved, and lays out all the various blunders that helped to create a long lasting distrust and paranoia, giving rise to influential conspiracy theorists, and helping to escalate a dangerous culture that has imbedded itself into our country in truly terrifying ways, and shows no signs of slowing down. 4 stars geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
The definitive account of the disastrous siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, featuring never-before-seen documents, photographs, and interviews, from former investigative reporter Jeff Guinn, bestselling author of Manson and The Road to Jonestown. For the first time in thirty years, more than a dozen former ATF agents who participated in the initial February 28, 1993, raid speak on the record about the poor decisions of their commanders that led to this deadly confrontation. Revelations in this book include why the FBI chose to end the siege with the use of CS gas; how both ATF and FBI officials tried and failed to cover up their agencies' mistakes; where David Koresh plagiarized his infamous prophecies; and direct links between the Branch Davidian tragedy and the modern militia movement in America. Notorious conspiracist Alex Jones is a part of the Waco story. So much is new, and stunning. Guinn puts you alongside the ATF agents as they embarked on the disastrous initial assault, unaware that the Davidians knew they were coming and were armed and prepared to resist. Drawing on this new information, including several eyewitness accounts, Guinn again does what he did with his bestselling books about Charles Manson and Jim Jones, shedding new light on a story that we thought we knew.-- Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)976.4284063History and Geography North America South Central U.S. Texas Dallas area and East-Central Texas Counties from Dallas to Georgetown McLennan CountyLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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One question that I had in the past was answered for me. After reading this book, I 100% believe that Koresh wasn't a con man, but that he believed everything that came out of his mouth. On the other hand, he was also a disgusting pervert who sexually abused young girls so there's that. ( )