On 19 April 1993 the world was shocked when a compound in the little-known Texas town of Waco was engulfed in flames. Inside were 87 members of the Branch Davidians, an offshoot cult of the Seventh Day Adventists, and their charismatic and fanatical leader, David Koresh, who had survived a 51-day siege by federal agents. All of them men, women and children - died horribly. This book analyzes this siege, a siege that dominated the headlines for weeks and had the world breathlessly watching and waiting for an outcome. The book is an inside story of the deadly raid and tense stand-off between an elite US government SWAT team and a heavily armed cult - and gives a startling insight into the bizarre world of a religious fanatic and his disciples.