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Columbine

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Columbine

By: Dave Cullen
Narrated by: Don Leslie
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Summary

 **THE GROUNDBREAKING BESTSELLER AND CLASSIC**

'Excellent . . . amazing how much still comes as a surprise' New York Times Book Review

'Like Capote's In Cold Blood, this tour de force gets below the who and the what of a horrifying incident to lay bare the devastating why' People

'A staggering work of journalism' Washington Post

'The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror...' So begins the epilogue, illustrating how Columbine has become the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It makes the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this flame more urgent than ever.

What really happened on April 20th, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we thought we knew was wrong. It wasn't about jocks, Goths or the Trench Coast Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on the scene, and he spent ten years on this book, 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. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers. They contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors.

(P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc©2019 Dave Cullen Freedom & Security Politics & Government War & Crisis Crime Inspiring Scary Thought-Provoking Emotionally Gripping Resilience
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I found the voice actors voice a little strange at first, but got used to it. The book was beautifully written, equal parts horrifying and fascinating.

Wonderfully written

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Well read, well researched, a very enjoyable listen to a very harrowing event. I would recommend this book.

Excellent!

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Reminded me a little bit of Blake Morrison's As If... a left realist approach looking at the complex causes and context for this shocking event, rather than a right realist reading of the effects only.
These massacres seem to repeat with pathetic regularity, and I am happy to see that somewhere in the pendulum swing between the death penalty and the gun culture in America, there is a deeper and more sensitive narrative which can only gain in momentum.
As a confirmed catastrophe tourist, watching everything from bear attacks to tsunami footage and car accidents on YouTube I sometimes find it hard to separate the 'entertainment' elements of an event from the reality of being caught up in it. The Columbine shooting is interwoven in my mind with Gus Van Sant's Elephant and cold CCTV footage from inside the school, this went some way towards re-education for me.
Challenging but exciting. Loved it.

Totally Engrossing

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Obviously this is a tough subject, but the every detail included is jawdropping and fascinating. Whilst there is a major tragedy, it highlights every story involved, including some genuinely heartwarming moments from survivors. Incredible

Gripping storytelling

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Loved this audio version. Brilliantly read and thoroughly engaging. Definitive telling of the history of the tragedy.

thorough and engaging

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