Waco: A Survivor's Story

Description

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the siege at Waco, and a tie-in to the upcoming Spike TV mini-series, an updated reissue of the critically acclaimed A PLACE CALLED WACO by Branch Davidian survivor, David Thibodeau now titled WACO: A SURVIVOR'S STORY. For the first time ever, a survivor of the Waco massacre tells the inside story of Branch Davidians, David Koresh, and what really happened. When he first met the man who called himself David Koresh, David Thibodeau, who had never been religious in the slightest, was drumming for a rock band that was going nowhere fast. Intrigued and frustrated with a stalled music career, Thibodeau gradually became a follower and moved to the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. He remained there until April 19, 1993, when the compound was stormed and burnt to the ground. In this book, Thibodeau explores why so many people came to believe that Koresh was truly divinely inspired. We meet the men, women and children of Mt. Carmel. We get inside the day-to-day life of the community. Thibodeau is brutally honest about himself, Koresh and the other members and the result is a revelatory look at life inside a cult. But WACO is just as brutally honest when it comes to dissecting the actions of the United States government. Thibodeau marshals an array of evidence, some of it never previously revealed, and proves conclusively that it was our own government that caused the Waco tragedy, including the fires. The result is a memoir that reads like a thriller, with each page taking us closer to the eventual inferno.

David Thibodeau (Author) David Thibodeau was born and raised in Maine. He is one of only four Branch Davidians who survived the Waco, Texas massacre who was not sentenced to prison. Over the twenty-five years since, David has lived in Los Angeles, California; Austin, Texas; and currently lives in Bangor, Maine, where he continues his life as a drummer and entrepreneur. David is a life-long student of history and is always anxious to see where "my country is headed by not heeding the lessons of the past."

A disquieting portrait of a religious community and its enigmatic leader. --Kirkus Reviews An extraordinary account of one of the most shameful episodes in recent American history. I wish that everyone in the country could read this book. --Howard Zinn Honest... [about] whether the excessive force used by our government against American citizens was really necessary.--Lincoln Star Journal Thibodeau, one of only four Branch Davidians to live through the Waco disaster and not be sentenced to jail, has produced a surprisingly balanced and honest account of his time as a Branch Davidian. Neither sensationalist nor defensive, this will make satisfying reading for anyone interested in the April 1993 tragedy. --Kirkus Review This book gives a rare glimpse of life at Mount Carmel and an account of how that attack contrasts with the 'official' government version. With the renewed interest in this siege, this book is recommended for public libraries. --School Library Journal This narrative defies many of our media-mediated preconceptions of Koresh's followers. --Booklist