... a fast, taut read ... Cook... ably [links] 1993 to today when it comes to the rise of the far right, but I was left wishing [he] had pulled harder on some remaining threads ... Cook... [takes] care to portray Koresh’s followers with humanity and empathy while not ignoring the uglinesses of life in the community.
... impressively researched and written with storytelling verve ... Mr. Cook tells the story mostly from the Davidians’ viewpoint ... [notes] the rise of militia movements in the years after Waco.
... engrossing and original ... Waco Rising poses vital and urgent questions about state power and the role of violence and warmaking in the contemporary United States ... meticulously catalogs the misdeeds and missteps that precipitated the carnage ... While Waco Rising draws a clear link between the Mount Carmel siege and the right-wing movements of today, it doesn’t explore, in any meaningful depth, how whiteness has shaped the right’s responses to government “overreach.”
... fast-paced, vivid retelling ... Cook excoriates the government’s handling of the situation but also leaves no doubt about the toxicity of the sect and its leader ... Squeezed into a couple of final chapters, this analysis of Waco’s ramifications deserves a whole book unto itself ... Thrilling, evenhanded, and liable to resonate with readers drawn to true crime and current events.
In chilling detail, Cook describes Koresh’s descent into religious paranoia ... Cook does a good job explaining how Koresh’s sad saga unfolded, though the mystery of the why of Koresh remains elusive.
A fresh, powerful account ... In this engrossing resurrection... Cook digs deep to uncover the forgotten human side of these terrible events, and he offers a painstaking reconstruction of leader David Koresh’s life and ascent ... In describing the standoff with exquisite detail and care, Cook masterfully portrays the scope of the violence and heartbreak on all sides ... A thorough, engaging work that reminds us of the humanity behind tragedy.
... a fast-paced if sketchy account ... Drawing from extensive interviews with surviving group members, Cook is at his strongest when discussing the day-to-day life of the Davidians ... But the book’s account of the standoff... lacks some critical perspective ... Though Cook does reveal inconsistencies and misrepresentations in government accounts, this rehash sacrifices nuance for drama.
