The Weaver family took to the woods to escape what they believed was a sinful world on the brink of Armageddon. But Weaver's indictment on a firearms violation escalated into a deadly shoot-out at his Northern Idaho cabin. Before it was over, a federal marshal, Weaver's wife, and his only son were dead.

Now, featuring exclusive interviews with key figures on both sides, Pulitzer finalist Jess Walter objectively reconstructs all the riveting events on this controversial case:

What went wrong at Ruby Ridge?; How did the Weavers evolve from fundamentalist Christians to paranoid isolationists?; Why was Randy Weaver's only son fatally shot in the back?; How could the FBI justify killing a mother as she held her infant daughter in her arms?; Why were the Weavers given a $3.1 million settlement by the U.S. government?; Was there an FBI cover-up and how high did it go?; And many more startling and scandalous revelations.