Customer Reviews

Inside the Cult

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book, while not a literary masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, tells my story as it happened. I was a member of the Branch Davidians from 1986 to 1990 and Koresh, who was then Vernon Howell, was a very good friend of mine. After all the publicity, including the siege, fire, and trial, there have been may documentaries and publications claiming to tell the truth about the Branch Davidians. This book pulls no punches. It tells of life in the cult exactly as it was. If you want information about the FBI during the siege, you can get some from this publication, but there have been more thorough works written since then. This book is probably best read in conjunction with one of the more reputable books on the subject.

"Inside the Cult" is told from the inside. It also tells of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms investigation as it unfolded. I kept a rather extensive diary from the beginning of my association with Koresh, to his firey end in April 1993. In addition to the facts, this book also gives the thoughts, perceptions and consequences of various events as they took place. If you want the truth about what the Branch Davidians were really like under Koresh's rule, then this book will give you that information.

I have tried to be objective and accurate. An appendix at the end gives a more thological history of the book. I rate the book 8/10 because it does not include detailed theological information about the group. Why? At the time, I did not thing anyone would be interested. The theology is very complex and detailed. So the book isn't perfect. But I'm on-line, I'm here, and I usually answer whatever questions people have.

Marc Breault, author of Inside the Cult

One question that isn't answered is why -- if the Feds wanted David Koresh so much, and if they wanted to "protect the children" as they have claimed ad nauseum -- they didn't arrest Koresh when he was in Waco relatively alone, as he traveled there quite often (and without a lot of people with him).

Doesn't make any sense to me . . . If I was going to stop someone that was allegedly as depraved and as dangerous as he is now made out to be, then I would wait for him to leave the "compound." The Sheriff of Waco, among many others, have said that Koresh had traveled into town quite frequently (and no, he didn't surround himself with human shields). He would have been easy to arrest without fanfare.

The Feds instead chose to bring in a whole "battalion" of folks and create a big media event.

Personally, I wouldn't trust what this guy says in the book.

One of many of the publications I have researched on the topic of Koresh and Branch Davidians, Included are many questionable allegations, and what I find to be at least one very blatent example of the author's having fabricated a story to cause David Koresh legal problems. It is clear that this book would not have been published as is, were David Koresh alive and able to sue Mr. Breault over several, if not all of Mr. Breault's slanderous and defamatory statements. This book should be read with a BIG grain of salt, if read at all. This book is for those who are hungry for sensationalistic gossip that only a non thinker will blindly accept without question. I found it insulting that Mr. Breault seems to expect that we accept his claims with no proof to back them up, as there is no proof to back his claims. I question his intent, especially regarding a letter the book includes, that Mr. Breault had written from Australia, and had sent to a Texas congressman in 1992. In it, he alleged that the Davidians were a Jonestown type group about to commit suicide on a date Mr. Breault included in the message. The date was a full year before the botched raid in 1993. Now we know who was the first to coin the Jonestown comparison, though in reality there is no justification for this comparison. On the day Mr. Breault claimed this was to happen, the Davidians were engaged in a game of football and were also enjoying go-cart rides. When they heard about Marc's claims they laughed. Mr. Breault has admitted in a court of law that he had a personal vendetta against David Koresh, and also fails to include in his book that he was kicked out of the group for misconduct. Clearly a bias and disgruntled ex-member who cannot be relied upon as a credible witness. There are MUCH better sources for researchers looking into this matter.

Will we ever really know exactly everything that went on there? I don't know for sure. One of the writers is an ex-cult member. I believe Vernon Howell was an absolutely evil man. Mark Breault's side of the story could certainly be skewed. I don't know how objective he was. There are certainly reasons why his testimony could be less pointed in one direction. The other real problem with our society and journalism is the fact that it is a money making business. The more sensational a story is, the higher your market share, which could mean more copies sold, or higher profits on commercial endorsements.

This story tells the story of one man's rise to a self proclaimed 'god', and the sheep that he led to the slaughter. It is a very interesting read. There were countless other folks in this book, who rather than reading the Bible themselves and making certain their leader was following what the Bible said just gave him "blind faith". Many paid for that mistake with their lives. The book painted Howell as an extremely abusive man, both to children and adults. Why these folks turned their children and wives over to him, without ever reading their Bible looking to find out if that was the right thing to do is a mystery to me.

The ones that I really felt sorry for were the children. I have no clue how someone could abuse a child like that. They had their innocence taken from them by both their parents, and this monster.

It seems as though there are still Branch Davidians out there today. They were expecting this sinful man to rise from the dead and what, rape their children's children? The book was a good read, and should point out the need to challenge what your preacher etc says by checking the Bible to make sure it conforms to that.

The reviews of this book are quite devisive. The fact is that nobody really came out of Waco looking good. Neither the government, the Branch Davidians, nor the former members. Some of what is said by Marc Breault probably needs to be taken with a grain of sand. There are always three sides to a story: mine, yours and the truth. However, I really believe that some of the bashing of this book is unnecessary. Yes it is written at about a third grade reading level, but that does not discredit the facts of what happened in Waco, Texas.

Vernon Howell was a nobody. He came into religion when he could not fit in with the rest of the world. After wrestling a religious establishment away from another corrupt religious leader, Koresh's (formerly Vernon Howell) teachings became more and more outlandish until he eventually claimed to be the Son of God. What is most sad about this story is the multitudes of people that believed him despite his flagrant sinning. The vulgar nature of one's sins tends to discredit their divine claims. Knowing what Koresh did with children makes this a sick and sad chapter in American history.

Neither of the co-authors are accomplished writers. However I do not suspect people will buy this book for its literary prose. What this book does is to give you an inside look at the evolution of David Koresh. Maybe Breault skews the story in his favor. If so, I suspect the government is guilty of the same.

I have nothing but admiration for Mr. Breault and his courage from stepping out and telling the truth. His book is honest as well as compassionate, and, unlike Koresh, he shows true love and regard for those trapped in Koresh's dictatorship. Although it is not politically correct for anyone to accept responsibility today for their own actions but rather blame anyone else, especially the government, Mr. Breault places the blame for the mass suicide right where it belongs; David Koresh and his followers.

I have had the extreme pleasure of getting to know the survivors over the last couple of years. I have to say I've never met a better bunch of people. My journey to Waco and the road that led me there was bumpy at best, but more importantly it began with Mark Breault.

I started corresponding to him after reading this book and very quickly things began to add up. But not in the way I expected them to. Having detectives in my family and blood, I dug deeper into the events in Waco and found Mark flat wrong and misleading on many occasions. Since then I have dug deeper than most people have and I've seen and heard most all the evidence.

Those people were murdered! I dont care how you want to butter the whole story up. Nothing anyone can say or point out, can justify the slaughter of those beautiful infants and toddlers. Nothing Koresh or the others did, justified the atrocities they were all subjected to. I dont believe Mark even realized what would happen because of his and others actions.

I pray for justice, and I will continue loving the souls left who are STILL being wrongfully demonized by Mark and people of his ilk. Please read Davidian Massacre by Carol Moore and watch Rules of Engagement and Waco A New Revelation... God Bless

For anyone that thinks they know all about this incident, I urge you to read this book. Mark gives plain and clear unfettered looks into the mind and actions of David Koresh! This book not only made me grieve for those that lost their lives, but also aware of the evil that mankind can go to. As a Christain, the ultimate end of this story is bitter-sweet. It not only shows of one mans crusade and desires, but also the power of God to use all things to His good and Glory. This is a must read for all who study Theology and Christianity, in that, The sinfulness of man becomes so clear and real, and God's soverignty is made a reality! I read this book in a few days, which is rare for me. I found myself locked into the knowledge that this was from one who had lived this, not just reported it. Believe me, you want to keep it on your case after you've read it!
Bruce

It reads well, but 99.9% of the "facts" which are presented in this highly biased peice of FICTION can be easily discredited with the GOVERNMENT'S OWN REPORTS (and those are far from "fair" so that says a lot)!

I would urge anyone interested in knowing the TRUTH about what happened in Waco to read this book... and then read the OTHER side. You can't know the facts unless you sort them out for yourself. This book attempts to decieve you.

I could argue the other side, but the review is not the place for it. Search for your own knowledge (blindly following others is, after all, what the book does validly warn against).

It took a lot of courage for my Brother-In-Law Marc to write this book and tell the world the Truth about David Koresh . In this book Marc details how no female between the ages of 10 and 68 was safe from David Koresh's unwanted sexual attentions. Marc was not kicked out of the Cult. He left willingly after he discovered that David Koresh was committing Statutory Rape with girls as young as 10 and Koresh was the Biological Father of 17 children from mothers as young as 14 which was proved conclusiely from DNA tests conducted after the fire.It was all a case of 'David, take my wife, daughter and Bank Account but show me the way to Heaven because I don't want to think for myself anymore".It is also most amusing to me that people still insist David Koresh had a valid "Message From God" whereas his Theology consisted of "Biblical Word Salad " which varied from day to day according to whatever (usually lustful) desire he had any any given moment.