LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Originally known as Vernon Howell, David Koresh was the son of a teenage mother And was allegedly a victim of sexual abuse himself. Having joined with a group of religious enthusiasts led by an elderly woman called Lois Reden, 20 year-old Koresh had an affair with her and, following her death, became involved in a gunfight with her son. He was arrested, acquitted, and soon afterwards announced himself as the group's new leader. They became The Davidians.
Drawing on contributions from victims, survivors, investigators and others, Koresh tells the story of the Davidian leader, the growth of the cult he led and of their eventual violent destruction at the Mount Carmel Centre in Texas. In 1993, the world watched as negotiators attempted to secure the surrender of the heavily-armed Davidians and the release of a number of people, including children, they were suspected of holding hostage. The resulting siege and gunfight lasted 51 days and resulted in the deaths of 86 people.
A tragic story, well told and well researched Koresh is made all the more interesting thanks to the personal contributions of those who were there, had a connection to the Davidians and who were able to introduce a more personal perspective than might ordinarily be achieved through investigative journalism.
An engaging read, Koresh offers the UK reader a real insight into the relationship between the US establishment and its citizens and how, when things go wrong, they do so in a big way.
Matt Johnson
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Koresh The True Story of David Koresh, the FBI and the Tragedy at Waco Synopsis
In the Spring of 1993, federal agents raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. A 51-day standoff ensued. Known as the Waco Siege, it has become a founding myth of the extreme wing of American conservatism, invoked by militiamen, gun rights advocates, and the alt-right.
The leader of the evangelical sect, an extreme form of Seventh-Day Adventism, was David Koresh. Born Vernon Howell, he was a preacher, interpreter of the Bible, and obsessed with the coming of the Apocalypse. A charismatic but highly volatile man, he was a former victim of sexual abuse who himself became a sexual predator on a large scale, exploiting many of the women in his compound.
Koresh is Stephan Talty's extraordinary, meticulous narration of the events that led up to the Waco Siege. Drawing on new sources, FBI negotiation tapes, and interviews with family and friends, this definitive biography explores how Koresh grew from a young man to a cult leader, and investigates why the siege has become an enduring symbol for radical opponents of the democratic state.
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Press Reviews
Stephan Talty Press Reviews
PRAISE FOR STEPHAN TALTY: 'Gripping... A valuable recounting of a lurid and little-known episode in American history' Washington Post.
'Part Holocaust history, part detective case, part spy operation, The Good Assassin is an enthralling book... Stephan Talty paints vivid, often chilling, portraits of its vengeful hero, Mossad agent Jacob Medad' Neal Bascomb.
'Compelling... Talty remains true to his technique, delivering thoroughly researched, engrossing non-fiction in a thriller-like narrative style' Kirkus.
'Talty captures the chilling realities of bloody battlefields, tense war rooms and besieged London... Elegantly crafted' Wall Street Journal.
'Thrilling... An extraordinary crime story with a genuine American hero too long forgotten' - Dallas Morning News
Author
About Stephan Talty
Stephan Talty was born in Buffalo, New York, to parents who had emigrated from County Clare, Ireland. He is a New York Times bestselling author of six non-fiction books, as well as two crime novels, and as a journalist has written for publications including the New York Times Magazine, Irish Times, Chicago Review and GQ. His books have been made into two films, the Oscar-winning Captain Phillips and Only the Brave.
stephantalty.com
Twitter: @stephantalty
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