April 19 marks the 30^th anniversary of the Waco, Texas, massacre. The horrific 51-day siege, which began on Feb. 28 when federal authorities sought to execute a search warrant for illegal weapons, pitted David Koresh and his Branch Davidian cult against the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. After the final attack on April 19, more than 80 people had been killed in the fighting.

The events served as a catalyst for both the Oklahoma City bombings two years later and the continued proliferation of radical militia groups across the U.S. Three recent books provide indelible portraits of all aspects of the tragedy, including Koresh’s life, the formation of the Branch Davidians, the standoff and siege, and the aftermath.

First up is Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and a Legacy of Rage (Simon & Schuster, Jan. 24), by Jeff Guinn, who brings the same psychoanalytical skills that made The Road to Jonestown and Manson such memorable biographical portraits. Digging into the history of the fascinatingly dark character of David Koresh, the author presents a “vivid combination of well-researched facts, personal testimonials, and controversial perspectives,” noted our reviewer. In addition to providing background on Koresh’s life and leadership of the Branch Davidians, as well as narrating the siege and aftermath, Guinn draws a clear line from Waco through the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings and up through the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ultimately, the author creates “an engrossing report on David Koresh and the endurance of cult culture.”

In Waco Rising: David Koresh, the FBI, and the Birth of America’s Modern Militias (Henry Holt, Jan. 23), Kevin Cook delves even further into the motivations of Koresh and his followers and how their thoughts and actions have influenced militia culture to this day. “In the aftermath,” wrote our reviewer, “certain elements of the story were distorted and misrepresented, and this controversial attention caused the true humanity behind the narrative to get lost. In this engrossing resurrection, prolific journalist and author 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 to leader.” Cook, the author of The Burning Blue, Kitty Genovese, and Titanic Thompson, among other books, is a diligent researcher, and his “meticulous history and character portraits also serve as timely reminders of the danger of homegrown militias and the cultlike figures who often lead them.” Sadly, the topic of militias and mob violence seems to be evergreen, but Cook is a capable guide to one of the signal events of late-20^th-century American history.

Maintaining a tighter focus on the troubling life of the Branch Davidian leader, Stephen Talty’s Koresh: The True Story of David Koresh and the Tragedy at Waco (Mariner Books, April 11) is a vividly detailed chronicle of a madman’s assumption of power. In what our reviewer describes as a “dark chronicle of hubris and violence,” Talty, the author of The Good Assassin, The Black Hand, and Agent Garbo, examines Koresh’s “rise among unquestioning followers; his apocalyptic prophecy that led them to amass weapons; and the ill-conceived government surveillance that ended in a deadly raid.” Throughout this riveting historical biography, Talty is relentless in his investigation of Koresh’s character. It’s an often distressing read, but it’s also necessary reading for anyone seeking to better understand how cult leaders are able to persuade people to do their bidding, which, more often than not, results in widespread violence and suffering.

Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor.