David Thibodeau was a young LA musician when a chance meeting with the charismatic David Koresh led to his involvement with the Branch Davidian community outside Waco, Texas.  This book is a well-written, articulate account of his life within that community and the events leading to the tragic 1993 inferno that claimed the lives of all but nine of the members. 

Thibodeau honors his community by putting a human face on a group of people who have been badly demonized by the media. The author does a decent job of explaining the group’s appeal, but he is also unflinchingly honest in his descriptions the darker sides of the group.  He appears, however, to remain a true believer in his path. While he does address the discomfort he felt that Koresh chose to engage in such behaviors as having sex with underage girls in the community, he falls short of asking the hard questions that observing such behavior in a spiritual leader should require someone to ask.

It’s easy to get distracted from those tougher questions, however, by the chilling depiction of the government siege against the Branch Davidians.  While it was clear that Koresh himself had broken some laws, it is equally clear from this account that the government’s heavy-handed approach to the situation contributed to the horrific deaths of many people who were entirely innocent of any crime other than believing in something unorthodox.  Thibodeau’s account of the facts surrounding the siege, the fire, and the resulting investigation is deeply, deeply disturbing, and is crucial reading for anyone who is concerned about the state of civil rights in the US.  Check out this book here