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The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation
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$ 17.56
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| Retail Value |
$ 19.95 |
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$ 2.39 (12%) |
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| Item Number |
139079 |
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Item Description...
Book Description
The scene outside Waco, Texas, on February 28, 1993 - when dozens of federal law enforcement agents in full combat gear stormed the Branch Davidian compound - could have been cast in England before the Quakers and Pilgrims fled to America, or in the colonies at Salem, or in the new Republic during the nineteenth century, when descendants of the Quakers and Pilgrims turned their suspicions on the early Mormons. The elements that these very American crusades had in common were, on one hand, a group of people with beliefs incomprehensible to the majority of the population, and on the other, police agencies whose operatives could not distinguish custom from law, idiosyncrasy from threat. The line between churches, which Americans believe should be protected from government interference, and cults, which most Americans hold in disdain, has nothing to do with the Constitution-the First Amendment in theory shields both-and everything to do with the prejudices of a nation that has grown fearful of the diversity that made it unique. The residents of Mt. Carmel were instantly convicted of sin and lawbreaking by the kind of gossip that unites remote hamlets and electronic villages alike. This is the story the daily press didn't give us, the definitive book about what happened at Mt. Carmel, near Waco, Texas, examined from both sides-the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the FBI on one hand, and David Koresh and his followers on the other. Dick J. Reavis points out that the government had little reason to investigate Koresh and even less to raid the compound at Mt. Carmel. The government lied to the public about most of what happened - about who fired the first shots, about drug allegations, about child abuse. The FBI was duplicitous and negligent in gassing Mt. Cannel - and that alone could have started the fire that killed seventy-six people. The press only made things worse. The feds said that Koresh and his cult held dangerous beliefs as well as dangerous guns, and the press passed on the charge without criticism or independent judgment. Its stories set up a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy in which the accusation - heresy - both predicted and justified the sect's demise, as if every Jeremiah were a Jim Jones, every Mt. Carmel inevitably a Jonestown. Drawing on interviews with survivors of Koresh's movement (which dates back to 1935, long before Koresh was born), on published accounts, on trial transcripts, on esoteric religious tracts and audiotapes that tell us who Koresh was and why people followed him, and most of all on secret documents that the government has not released to the public yet, Reavis has uncovered the real story from beginning to end, including the trial that followed. It is a story about the very American, nineteenth-century roots of Koresh's theology, and it includes previously unpublished biographical details. Reavis quotes from Koresh himself at great length to create an extraordinary portrait of a movement, an assault, and an avoidable tragedy.
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Item Specifications...
Pages 320
Dimensions: Length: 0.75" Width: 6.25" Height: 9.25"
Weight: 1 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Publisher Syracuse University Press
ISBN 0815605021
EAN 9780815605027
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Availability 8 units.
Availability accurate as of May 25, 2012 09:32.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Momence, IL.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Bible babble from the author Apr 24, 2008 |
| The author tried to be fair and balanced but he failed miserably. He quoted too much of the Bible babble to sort of justify the actions of David Koresh and his followers at Mt. Carmel. The goverment is at fault too, but that doesn't vindicate the Branch Davidians in any way. They were given 51 days to come out and instead they chose to die along with many children in there. | | |  | WACO; a travesty Dec 21, 2007 |
Dick Reavis makes his case that the government had little reason to investigate Koresh and even less to raid the compound at Mount Carmel. The government lied to the public about most of what happened, about who fired the first shots, about drug allegations, about child abuse. The FBI was duplicitous and negligent in gassing Mount Carmel and that alone could have started the fire that killed 76 people.
I would also recommend looking into the video evidence (FLIR) that shows gunfire from the federal agents.
| | |  | Good insight on what really happened Nov 27, 2007 |
| Before reading this book, all I had to go off of was media reports about what happened in Waco, Texas. After reading this book, I know I have a better understanding about what really happened, but what the people at Mt. Carmel actually believed in, and how their religious beliefs all started. The book is a little heavy on the religion side, as far as explaining what the Branch Davidians believed in, and why, and how it came to be, but the author does a great job of using this to explain what happened. Just a little FYI if you don't want to read a lot about religion. But overall, a great book, and a very good read about the truth about what happened. | | |  | You think you know, but you have no idea Dec 3, 2004 |
Before reading this book, I was only aware of the vague details of the Waco incident. I knew who, I knew when, I knew where, and I had a synopsis of what happened. I found the entire happening rather disturbing and creepy. Yet, upon seeing this book I thought to myself, this might be interesting, and it truly was. The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation opened up the entire event to a new level. I feel it was a good book for me to start with. It was fairly short, only about 300 pages, and it was easy writing. Therefore, it was easy for me to follow and I now know at least more than the basics.
Throughout the book it was revealed that the other was moderately biased against the government, but I found the bias to be rather enlightening. It was good to read the other side of the story as opposed to just hearing what the government had to say about the entire situation. This book addressed many debatable issues involving Waco, and I thought it was an enjoyable read. This is the kind of book for beginners on this subject, like me, who are interested in finding out what people besides the government have to say.
| | | | Koresh Had Enough Illegal Weapons For Kosovo's Next Revolution!!! Jul 28, 2004 |
| It is always amusing for me to come across yet another attempt at 'Rewriting Koresh History'. The author conveniently overlooks THE FACT that David Koresh used women and innocent children as 'Human Shields' from the proper authorities. He also neglects to mention that keeping children locked up for 51 days without any decent food, running water , heat or electricity was CHILD ABUSE on a Grand Scale.I also thought his profile of Marc Breault was most misleading when Mr. Beault accomplished more in saving Koresh's followers than anybody else involved in this scenario. I do believe that this book should be sold in the 'Fiction 'section of any bookstore. | | | Write your own review about The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation
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