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Sandy Hook
- An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Elizabeth Williamson
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Slate, "25 Best Crime Books, Podcasts, and Documentaries of All Time"
Vanity Fair’s “Books We Can't Stop Thinking About”
Carnegie Medal Nonfiction Longlist 2023
The Washington Post Best Non-Fiction Books of 2022
Publishers Weekly Best Books 2022
Kirkus Best Non-Fiction Books of 2022
Slate Best Books 2022
Chicago Tribune Best Books 2022
Los Angeles Times Best Books 2022
Based on hundreds of hours of research, interviews, and access to exclusive sources and materials, Sandy Hook is Elizabeth Williamson’s landmark investigation of the aftermath of a school shooting, the work of Sandy Hook parents who fought to defend themselves, and the truth of their children’s fate against the frenzied distortions of online deniers and conspiracy theorists.
On December 14, 2012, a gunman killed twenty first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Ten years later, Sandy Hook has become a foundational story of how false conspiracy narratives and malicious misinformation have gained traction in society.
One of the nation’s most devastating mass shootings, Sandy Hook was used to create destructive and painful myths. Driven by ideology or profit, or for no sound reason at all, some people insisted it never occurred, or was staged by the federal government as a pretext for seizing Americans’ firearms. They tormented the victims’ relatives online, accosted them on the street and at memorial events, accusing them of faking their loved ones’ murders. Some family members have been stalked and forced into hiding. A gun was fired into the home of one parent.
Present at the creation of this terrible crusade was Alex Jones’s Infowars, a far-right outlet that aired noxious Sandy Hook theories to millions and raised money for the conspiracy theorists’ quest to “prove” the shooting didn’t happen. Enabled by Facebook, YouTube, and other social media companies’ failure to curb harmful content, the conspiracists’ questions grew into suspicion, suspicion grew into demands for more proof, and unanswered demands turned into rage. This pattern of denial and attack would come to characterize some Americans’ response to almost every major event, from mass shootings to the coronavirus pandemic to the 2020 presidential election, in which President Trump’s false claims of a rigged result prompted the January 6, 2021, assault on a bastion of democracy, the U.S. Capitol.
The Sandy Hook families, led by the father of the youngest victim, refused to accept this. Sandy Hook is the story of their battle to preserve their loved ones’ legacies even in the face of threats to their own lives. Through exhaustive reporting, narrative storytelling, and intimate portraits, Sandy Hook is the definitive book on one of the most shocking cultural ruptures of the internet era.
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What the critics say
"Disturbing and important . . . A feature writer at The New York Times, Williamson is a compassionate storyteller and a thorough reporter who never loses sight of the larger issues Newtown presents."—NPR
“New York Times reporter Williamson’s searing debut demonstrates that the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol had its roots in the deeply troubling efforts to claim that the 2012 massacre of twenty-six first-graders and staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was a hoax. . . . Williamson’s years of research includes interviews with survivors of the school shooting, parents, and first responders, as well as analysis of court documents and other records. She has produced the definitive account of this dark chapter of American history.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"It is obvious that Williamson began this book as an act of restitution for the families of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, subject to the despicable lies and attacks by Alex Jones and Infowars. But in recounting in agonizing detail the lies and their viral spread — the kind of online-driven misinformation that would fuel the rise of Donald Trump and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — “Sandy Hook” becomes much more than a book about gun violence. It is an essential read about this country’s terrifying free-fall into fascism." —Los Angeles Times
What listeners say about Sandy Hook
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Brit
- 2023-04-05
Hard, but necessary read
This book is really hard to read, because it covers an awful tragedy explicitly and with immense, real emotion. It is really well researched and covers many different perspectives while also providing the truth of what happened on that day, as well as the long term aftermath of the tragedy.
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- Robert N.
- 2022-03-09
An unforgettable tragedy
An unforgivable series of actions committed by today's worst group of people, Conspiracy Theorists.
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- Kimberley Clark
- 2023-06-17
Powerful and Sad
This was an incredible story. It was definitely hard to listen to and not because of the sad and tragic deaths of those beautiful children but, because of the despicable behaviour of individuals who actually believe that Sandy Hook was a hoax. I refuse to dignify their pathetic behaviour however I will say that I am in awe of those parents who somehow found the strength to put one foot in front of the other and move forward.
I am a bereaved mother myself and while my child was 20 years old when he died and, did not die as a result of someone else's actions, I can't even begin to imagine their pain and anguish. This is a story that needs to be told and this should NEVER EVER happen again.
My heart goes out to all of the families who live each day without their child. Who live each day remembering the last day they spent with their child and will forever have a hole in their heart. Thank you for sharing your story.
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- Shannon Ouellette
- 2023-12-05
Required reading for anyone using the internet
This was a challenging listen but such an important one. I was incredibly horrified by the tragedy when it occurred and then in listening to this story, rehorrified by what was done next to the families and survivors. It is so important for us to understand, witness, and challenge and deconstruct the evil that others do. We all need to participate and share the responsibility of corralling the worst of humanity especially those intent on attacking the most vulnerable. This story deconstructs mass social atrocities perpetrated on victims in a way that is well researched and presented with clarity on the causes and effects. There is no happy ending for anyone, just teachings for us all.
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- Susan Ray
- 2023-09-18
Disappointed
If I had wanted to hear about Alex Jones I would have bought a book about him.
I was looking forward to hearing about the children, their lives, loves, families.
Nope. All Alex and his cronies all the time. All the conspiracies and the terror they put the lived overs through. I'm certain it was devastating for the parents to have to deal with him but it's not what I thought it would be
Very disappointed in the content. Was hoping for a loving portrayal and insight into their lives in the aftermath of this horrific tragedy.
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