Lawrence Wright

Well, the only other what I would call a cult that I spent time on was the Jonestown cult, Jim Jones. And that was the hardest story and the most wrenching story I ever did.

Well, the only other what I would call a cult that I spent time on was the Jonestown cult, Jim Jones. And that was the hardest story and the most wrenching story I ever did.

Well, the only other what I would call a cult that I spent time on was the Jonestown cult, Jim Jones. And that was the hardest story and the most wrenching story I ever did.

Yeah, but it was, excuse me, my story was apropos of the Branch Davidians. Oh, yeah. And when the Branch Davidian, just before the apocalypse happened, My editor then was Tina Brown, and she asked me to go to Waco and cover it. And I said, Tina, there are more reporters than Branch Davidians in Waco now, and I just don't see joining the pack.

Yeah, but it was, excuse me, my story was apropos of the Branch Davidians. Oh, yeah. And when the Branch Davidian, just before the apocalypse happened, My editor then was Tina Brown, and she asked me to go to Waco and cover it. And I said, Tina, there are more reporters than Branch Davidians in Waco now, and I just don't see joining the pack.

Yeah, but it was, excuse me, my story was apropos of the Branch Davidians. Oh, yeah. And when the Branch Davidian, just before the apocalypse happened, My editor then was Tina Brown, and she asked me to go to Waco and cover it. And I said, Tina, there are more reporters than Branch Davidians in Waco now, and I just don't see joining the pack.

I don't know if you would remember this, but there was a moment before the tanks started poking holes in the building and sending in tear gas and so on. David Koresh sent out a lot of the children. And there were, I don't know, just one or two vans with these kids who went through the military line, the ATF, the FBI, the press, and then out of the property into a world They didn't know.

I don't know if you would remember this, but there was a moment before the tanks started poking holes in the building and sending in tear gas and so on. David Koresh sent out a lot of the children. And there were, I don't know, just one or two vans with these kids who went through the military line, the ATF, the FBI, the press, and then out of the property into a world They didn't know.

I don't know if you would remember this, but there was a moment before the tanks started poking holes in the building and sending in tear gas and so on. David Koresh sent out a lot of the children. And there were, I don't know, just one or two vans with these kids who went through the military line, the ATF, the FBI, the press, and then out of the property into a world They didn't know.

And they were leaving behind everybody they knew. And their faces were so forlorn. You know, I just remember, you know, they were passing the news cameras and they just lost little kids. And I thought, well, that must have happened before. And so I started researching. And it turned out that... There were survivors of the Jim Jones suicide massacre. Three of them.

And they were leaving behind everybody they knew. And their faces were so forlorn. You know, I just remember, you know, they were passing the news cameras and they just lost little kids. And I thought, well, that must have happened before. And so I started researching. And it turned out that... There were survivors of the Jim Jones suicide massacre. Three of them.

And they were leaving behind everybody they knew. And their faces were so forlorn. You know, I just remember, you know, they were passing the news cameras and they just lost little kids. And I thought, well, that must have happened before. And so I started researching. And it turned out that... There were survivors of the Jim Jones suicide massacre. Three of them.

Well, there were more than that, but there were three who were the sons of Jim Jones. Two of them were adopted, and one, Stephen Jones, was his natural son. And they happened to have been in Georgetown, Guyana, playing basketball with the national team and leaving their families in the jungle in Jonestown, in the Guyanan jungles.

Well, there were more than that, but there were three who were the sons of Jim Jones. Two of them were adopted, and one, Stephen Jones, was his natural son. And they happened to have been in Georgetown, Guyana, playing basketball with the national team and leaving their families in the jungle in Jonestown, in the Guyanan jungles.

Well, there were more than that, but there were three who were the sons of Jim Jones. Two of them were adopted, and one, Stephen Jones, was his natural son. And they happened to have been in Georgetown, Guyana, playing basketball with the national team and leaving their families in the jungle in Jonestown, in the Guyanan jungles.

And so I got in touch with Stephen, and they had never talked about it. It had been 15 years since the Jonestown debacle. But this business in Waco brought it all back for them. So I went to – all three boys lived in the Bay Area. And I had these intense conversations with them. One of them, Tim, he was a big guy. He could curl 100 pounds in either arm.

And so I got in touch with Stephen, and they had never talked about it. It had been 15 years since the Jonestown debacle. But this business in Waco brought it all back for them. So I went to – all three boys lived in the Bay Area. And I had these intense conversations with them. One of them, Tim, he was a big guy. He could curl 100 pounds in either arm.

And so I got in touch with Stephen, and they had never talked about it. It had been 15 years since the Jonestown debacle. But this business in Waco brought it all back for them. So I went to – all three boys lived in the Bay Area. And I had these intense conversations with them. One of them, Tim, he was a big guy. He could curl 100 pounds in either arm.

And he was, you know, very obviously tough guy. But he hadn't – since Jonestown, he hadn't been able to get on an elevator. He had tried to get on a plane, but he made it turn around, which, you know, it never happens unless Godzilla tells you. Right. But – so he was wounded. And – And he agreed to talk, but he wanted to do it in a public place so he wouldn't cry.

And he was, you know, very obviously tough guy. But he hadn't – since Jonestown, he hadn't been able to get on an elevator. He had tried to get on a plane, but he made it turn around, which, you know, it never happens unless Godzilla tells you. Right. But – so he was wounded. And – And he agreed to talk, but he wanted to do it in a public place so he wouldn't cry.