EXPANDED WITH A NEW EPILOGUE “The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . .” So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of “spectacle murders.” It is a false script, seized upon by a generation of new killers. In the wake of Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this plague … crime that sparked this plague grows more urgent every year.
What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we “know” is wrong. It wasn’t about jocks, Goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this book-widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, he draws on mountains of evidence, insight from the world’s leading forensic psychologists, and the killers’ own words and drawings-several reproduced in a new appendix. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers. They contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors.more
BookBub’s question of the week is “What book did you enjoy that took you out of your comfort zone?” For me I would say it’s Columbine. This is a powerful, riveting and detailed account of the mass shooting that took place at Columbine High School in 1999. David Cullen covers the events that led up to and followed the shootings, including analysis and criticism of the media coverage and the fates of some of the victims. He also delves deep into the family life and psyches of the two young killers and the role that their parents played in their lives. I found David Cullen’s voice throughout the book to be an intelligent and compassionate one. It’s a fairly good sized volume but a fast and hard-to-put down read. I don’t usually read about crime but I felt this book was much more than that – more of a psychological and sociological study that left me feeling empathic and yes, frustrated, as opposed to judgmental and fearful. Definitely one of the most powerful, well-written and eye-opening books I have read.
Provides some understanding of what lay behind this tragedy and also of the mythology that has grown around it.
This is the story written from the point of view of the author – who was a journalist on the scene the day the shooters attacked Columbine high school. He spent 10 years going through 1000’s of pages of notes, interviews, videos, and talking with the families and victims. He spoke to the families of the killers. He wanted to bring out the truth and debunk some of the mysteries behind “why” the boys killed their classmates, and what happened to the victims who survived.
This was a great story. For me – I remember the shooting – it was the worse school shooting in history at the time. Now, 18 years later, you mention Columbine and everyone knows what you mean. There were things that I believe about the stories the media told that were not true. It was well worth the read. I learned a lot about the killers and their motives and it opened my eyes to how easily warning signs can be missed or overlooked when they are spread out to lots of people. It made me angry that a family that reported the criminal behaviors of one of the killers no less than 14 times to the police and they were almost always ignored. You wonder if the whole tragedy could have been avoided if the police would have followed up and put the killers in juvenile hall.
Check out the book. I guarantee you will learn things that you thought you knew about the situation were not what they seemed.
This is a very well written and thought out account of not only the evidence gathered after the massacre, but tearing down the tenants of what most people assumed about the shooters. While they are obviously featured heavily here, this book isn’t about them. it’s about the survivors and the victims and the impact still being felt to this day. I’m glad it does a lot to put to rest the belief that they were “misfits” or that music and video games contributed to this. I’m also very impressed about how it handled the way the authorities and the media handled April 1999 and the months and years after. (less)
stockpile of weapons, they forced the small Colorado city of Columbine onto the world stage as they reigned death and destruction down upon their fellow students at the city’s high school. The media flocked to Columbine, and amidst the carnage, provided a unprecedented coverage, allowing the world to see the horror almost as it happened.
As with so many rapidly developing tragedies, every rumor and innuendo gets reported, whether it has any basis in fact or not. And, in the end, many of them are accepted as truth for years to come, even if they were ultimately found to be false. The Columbine tragedy is no stranger to the concept of “rumor becoming fact”. Many fictions still exist today that were otherwise proven incorrect, yet have remained a part of the “Columbine” mythos.
That is where the book “Columbine” by Dave Cullen comes in. Cullen was one of the first journalists at the scene, and spent weeks reporting on the tragedy. I first picked up this book a few years ago in Washington, DC while waiting for my train home. I was looking for something to read during my journey, and thought the book looked interesting. I had no idea how interesting the book was going to turn out to be, and how it changed my beliefs about the Columbine tragedy and the two young killers.
While researching the book, Cullen gained unprecedented access to police files, news reports, witness interviews, and even the journals of the two young killers themselves. He dug through thousands of pages of material in order to provide as true an account as possible about what lead up to that fateful April day. The result is an astonishing recounting of the tragedy with incredible insight into the state of mind of Harris and Klebold. Using their own words, Cullen is able to paint a detailed picture of the brutality of one, and the love obsessed, suicidal nature of the other.
Columbine also provides a in-depth account of those that were directly impacted by the tragedy, including the victims, victims’ families, and even the first responders, who were the first to see the carnage left behind by Harris and Klebold. Cullen goes to great length to ensure that the account he presents in complete and accurate. It is a masterful piece of journalism that doesn’t sugar-coat what happened, but also doesn’t seem to have a specific agenda in mind. Cullen was not trying to make any points, just report the truth.
If you are sensitive to this type of topic, this book may not be for you. However, I found Columbine to be an opening experience that dispelled many misconceptions about the tragedy, and was well worth the time I invested in reading it. It was so good, that I have read it twice. If you are looking for something you can really sink your teeth into, I’d highly recommend Columbine by Dave Cullen.
What a devastating time in history. I could never imagine going through something like this or losing a child to it.
I remember when I first heard of this and all the reports on what may or may not have happened. When I saw this audio I was curious to see if what I remember is what actually transpired.
It’s amazing how vast the differences from what was portrayed in the media and what happened behind the scenes (so-to-speak). There were so many preludes to this that should have been seen and attended to but we’re completely ignored.
If only they weren’t…this may never have occurred. This is definitely worth listening to (or reading).
Chilling
Columbine reads like it is a well researched and thought out analysis of the tragic school shooting at Columbine High School. The majority of the book has been debunked and you can read the JeffCo’s 11K to see for yourself. Was Eric Harris a psychopath and a ladies man? Was Dylan Klebold a sad, depressed teen easily led on by Eric? The school shooting was Dylan’s idea/fantasy and that is as per the journal entries that were released by JeffCo/FBI. How can Cullen say that bullying was not a factor in what led up to the shooting when it was corroborated by people that actually knew them and other students who admitted to their own bullying behavior? Dave Cullen has embellished the truth to the point that this book should be labeled as historical fiction.
This the most informative and well written book on this subject. Huge amount of detail and extremely well written. Definitely a recommendation
So informative, revealing layers of the community and varied forces that impacted the shooters.
This is an excellent read. Columbine happened the year after I graduated from high school and I remember the reports vividly. At the time, people were saying that it must have been the parents fault, but I assure you they only played a minor role. A must read.
Very informative, sad book.
In light of yet TWO MORE mass shootings, just the latest in what has become an absurd and tragic by-product of modern life in the U.S., I thought I’d offer a review of a true crime book about one of the first: the Columbine High School killings. Author Dave Cullen provides an in-depth account of the notorious event, including much background and insight about the shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, while also giving the reader an up close view of the victims and the community. A bonus is the extensive Notes section.
The heartache will stay with me forever.
Interesting read!
Excellent research, writing, very serious subject.
Took my breath away. Well researched and written.
Extremely well-written and eye-opening. Most of what the public was told about Columbine was either exaggerated or flat-out false. This sets the record straight. Columbine and the aftermath may be where the media first became untrustworthy. This is actual reporting and fact-gathering weaved into a narrative. Brilliant.
There was so much media misinformation during and after this I was surprised at how wrong some of my memories of it were. It’s a well put together read of a horrific day that I never thought (at the time) I would ever have to experience again.
Every teacher and school administrator should read this