An OKBOMB Syllabus

All of the Books You Need to Learn the Most

People frequently ask me what book they should read about the OKC bombing, with new and curious students ready to learn but not quite sure where to begin.

There are not a great deal of books on the OKC bombing—if anything the subject is woefully lacking when you compare it to other historical events. That said, there are a few good books that most students should begin with. I’ve reproduced here a list of books that are mostly available online: you can read almost all of these for free on openlibrary.com which I’ve linked to directly.

I consider all of these books to be must-read titles for any serious student. Note that this list is in descending order from most recent to oldest:

• Aberration in the Heartland of the Real by Wendy Painting (2016)

• Oklahoma City--What the Investigation Missed and Why It Still Matters by Roger Charles and Andrew Gumbel (2012)

• The Final Report by OKBOMB Investigative Committee & Charles Key (2001)

• American Terrorist by Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck (2001)

• In Bad Company by Mark Hamm (2001)

• The Secret Life of Bill Clinton by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (1997)

• The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Politics of Terror by David Hoffman (1997)

Below are some “optional” titles that may provide an additional layer of detail, but are not necessarily required reading.

• Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America by Katherine Belew (2018)

• Others Unknown by Stephen Jones (1998, 2001)

• All-American Monster by Brandon Stickney (1996)

• By Blood Betrayed by Lana Padilla and Ron Delpit (1995)

Meanwhile, here is a list of OKC-adjacent books that a student would benefit greatly from reading. These titles may not touch directly upon the bombing, however most of the titles here consist of subject(s) that are related in one way or another.

This list is in order from oldest to most recent:

• Armed and Dangerous by James Coates (1987)

• The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn (1989)

• Bitter Harvest: Gordon Kahl and the Posse Comitatus Murder in the Heartland by James Corcoran (1991)

• Committee of the States by Cheri Seymour (1991)

• Gathering Storm: America’s Militia Threat by Morris Dees (1996)

• Harvest of Rage by Joel Dyer (1997)

• No Heroes: Inside the FBI's Secret Counter-Terror Force by Danny Coulson (1999)

• On-Scene Commander by Weldon Kennedy (2007)