Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives on the Branch Davidian Conflict

Book Overview

On February 28, 1993, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) launched the largest assault in its history against a small religious community in central Texas. One hundred agents armed with automatic and semi automatic weapons invaded the compound, purportedly to execute a single search and arrest warrant. The raid went badly; four agents were killed, and by the end of the day the settlement was surrounded by armored tanks and combat helicopters. After a fifty-one day standoff, the United States Justice Department approved a plan to use CS gas against those barricaded inside. Whether by accident or plan, tanks carrying the CS gas caused the compound to explode in fire, killing all seventy-four men, women, and children inside.

Could the tragedy have been prevented? Was it necesary for the BATF agents to do what they did? What could have been done differently? Armageddon in Waco offers the most detailed, wide-ranging analysis of events surrounding Waco. Leading scholars in sociology, history, law, and religion explore all facets of the confrontation in an attempt to understand one of the most confusing government actions in American history.

The book begins with the history of the Branch Davidians and the story of its leader, David Koresh. Chapters show how the Davidians came to trouble authorities, why the group was labeled a "cult," and how authorities used unsubstantiated allegations of child abuse to strengthen their case against the sect.

The media's role is examined next in essays that considering the effect on coverage of lack of time and resources, the orchestration of public relations by government officials, the restricted access to the site or to countervailing evidence, and the ideologies of the journalists themselves. Several contributors then explore the relation of violence to religion, comparing Waco to Jonestown.

Finally, the role played by "experts" and "consultants" in defining such conflicts is explored by two contributors who had active roles as scholarly experts during and after the siege The legal and consitutional implications of the government's actions are also analyzed in balanced, clearly written detail.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226908453
• ISBN13: 9780226908458
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 421 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Wow...

This was a really good book. I had to read it in college and It blew my mind. The things you can learn from books like this. It was just an all around good ( gut wrenching ) read. I highly recommend it.

This is it!

This is the ultimate treatise on the Waco "incident," the massacre that at rock bottom informs us of the limitations of our government's ability to "uphold the Constitution" of the United States of America. Whether deliberately or by tom foolery, men, women and children were burned to death because the BATF and the FBI failed in their mission to inform themselves of what was at stake. The authors of the various essays in the book are well-informed, articulate and thoughtful souls who have given great care in crafting their words. They have brought forth many of the troubling aspects of the Branch Davidian conflict that the mainstream media did not even have the capacity to approach. Do not be simple-minded about this issue. It is the seed from which there has been much trouble since (think Oklahoma City). It is important to understand Waco as much as is humanly possible in order for this country to get past it. Of all the books I have read so far on the subject, this one is by far the best.

Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives

Dr. Stuart Wright brings together experts in sociology, psychology, criminal justice, constitutional law, and the media to analyze data collected, witness testimony, and survivor accounts of a tragedy in Texas. For anyone wanting the truth of what really happened in Waco, this is a good start. The authors present a sociologically sound study of many of the dynamics affecting the events in Waco. The Branch Davidian's orgin and what ultimately happened in Waco are also clearly detailed.