Customer Reviews

Patriots, Politics, and the Oklahoma City Bombing (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

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After researching and skimming through other books written about the Oklahoma City bombing and Timothy McVeigh, this book by far takes the cake. I started reading the first chapter and before I knew it I was half way into the book! Author does a great job laying out the timeline, facts, and events that lead up to the Oklahoma City bombing- even after the event! Anoter recommendation would be "American Terrorist" by Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck.

In the rush to keep America safe, this book reminds us that the country inadvertently nurtures terrorism amongst 'all-American' types.

Both McVeigh and Nichols never would have fit the profile of a 'suspected terrorist'. This is because they were military veterans without prior arrest records who lived in middle America.

But Middle America feels alienated from its government. Come to think of it, they ultimately don't trust the government at all. Coming back after a military service, they were drawn into a gun show underground where restrictions on weapons are conveniently unenforced.

The going mantra at such events appears to be "If you want it, there is somebody who is just as willing to sell it to you". And coupled with the presence of equally chilling materials, this ultimately spelled out a recipe for disaster.

Serving as a consultant to Timothy McVeigh's defense team, Stuart Wright did not actually come across as somebody championing his client. Rather, I came away with an objective account of the tragedy.

I also compared his thoughtful examination against our ongoing public paranoia against 'outsiders' particularly those with certain-sounding names. The former seems like it offers the more reasonable strategy for effectively addressing and then winning the war against terrorism--international AND domestic.

Justification of the government version of the facts. It resembles the presentation of the government case at the McVeigh trial. To get the truth, readers are better off with The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Politics of Terror by David Hoffman. If you want to read Hoffman's book, you best get your copy quickly. Hoffman's book is mysteriously going ex library and off the shelves.