Columbine by Dave Cullen presents a factual breakdown of the events that took place on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. I lived down the road in Colorado Springs when this shooting happened.
I followed the aftermath of the Columbine shooting very closely—it was hard not to given it happened so close to home, and during the year after I graduated high school. All the facts in this book are garnered from real, concrete evidence. The author reveals his sources up front in the book’s preface, which is awesome, because there was a lot of fabricated nonsense floating around for years before this book came out.
I appreciate how Cullen discusses the phrase, “Trench-coat Mafia.” He says many people thought shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were gang members in an alleged Trench-coat Mafia. But in reality, the only reason they wore trench coats was to conceal their weapons.
It’s not difficult to understand why so much evidence was jumbled and misconstrued after Columbine. This massacre involved hundreds of people and witnesses, if not thousands. Published 10 years after the shooting, Columbine is a great source of education for those who want to know how this incident really played out.
This book would be perfect for discussions and book groups. Cullen’s writing style is fresh, engaging, and highly readable. There are no boring lulls, and definitely worth your time.
I featured this book in my post called, Like True Crime Books? Try These Vintage Picks. Dave Cullen has also written Parkland: Birth of a Movement (2019).
Did you read Columbine by Dave Cullen? What are your thoughts?
Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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