Mention “Waco” and most people won’t think about the small central Texas city along the Brazos River that is the home of Dr. Pepper, a handful of colleges, several museums and plenty of historical houses. Instead, what comes to mind is the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound that resulted in the tragic deaths of four ATF agents and nearly 80 congregants of the church led by David Koresh.

The broad outlines of this horrific event are fairly well known. But what really led to the 51-day standoff? What was the history and beliefs of the church? How could the investigation and attempted arrest of the Branch Davidians turn so deadly? In WACO, Jeff Guinn skillfully examines this complex and terrible moment in American history.

"Full of interviews and insights, this book is balanced and objective --- a fantastic account that is deeply researched, well written and very interesting."

The man known as David Koresh was born Vernon Wayne Howell in 1959. His early life was hard; his stepfather was unkind, and he struggled in school. But when his family moved to a Dallas suburb and enrolled him in a Seventh-day Adventist school, things seemed to improve. He was an eager Bible student who claimed to feel the presence of God. Still, he also enjoyed physical pleasures and found himself father to his first child when he was just 19.

Yet church life and biblical study remained Howell’s passion. He was especially compelled by the Book of Revelation and beliefs about the End of Days. Howell, who eventually would come to be called David Koresh (the meaning of which Guinn lays out for readers), believed that the world would come to a radical end or change after a battle with authoritarian forces, denoted as “Babylon,” leaving a righteous remnant to enjoy a heavenly reward. The righteous, it seems, would be led by Koresh himself.

After assuming leadership of a congregation with its roots in Seventh-day Adventism, Koresh’s prophecies and biblical interpretations repelled some but attracted others. His small but faithful community believed him to be, if not an incarnation of the Christ, then a Christ. He was seen as the Lamb of God by his followers, and under his guidance the strict Bible-centered group grew to over 100 people, often living together full-time in Waco. Using materials from several smaller homes, they built one house in which to live and pray.

However, there were things going on inside that large communal home that made authorities nervous --- sometimes rightfully so. Koresh “married” and impregnated several women, including some teenage girls, and younger children were hit as punishments. This caught the attention of Child Protective Services, which monitored the Branch Davidians for years. But it was weapons-dealing --- the purchasing, rebuilding and selling of guns and hand grenades --- that made the ATF take notice.

As the ATF worked to distinguish itself from other federal agencies and recover from the Ruby Ridge debacle, the Branch Davidians seemed like an easy win. The ATF would take them down, removing what they (and almost no one else) saw as a security threat in Waco. The religious beliefs of Koresh’s church were totally misunderstood and their willingness to die for their values misjudged. Thus began a bloody massacre that seemed to be one miscalculation, misunderstanding and mistake after another, all broadcast for the nation to see.

Guinn does a masterful job connecting Koresh’s group to the churches they were related to, laying out the trajectory of his life, detailing the government’s blunders, and honoring those who lost their lives without romanticizing either side of the conflict. Full of interviews and insights, this book is balanced and objective --- a fantastic account that is deeply researched, well written and very interesting. Waco’s legacy is with us today, in ways that Koresh himself never could have imagined. WACO is a great addition to Guinn’s accomplishments and a revealing look at a seminal moment.