Sandy Hook

An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth

By: Elizabeth Williamson

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Elizabeth Williamson

Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins

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.

©2022 Dutton (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"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

Real truth

This book exposes the horrible nature of people who look to profit at the expense of truly virtuous and innocent people. A MUST READ FOR THOSE WHO SEEK TRUTH!!

Important Book!

If you are looking for gory details about how Adam Lanza slaughtered 20 beautiful kids at Sandy Hook Elementary School, look somewhere else. If you want a compassionate, factual, frightening story about a menacing conspiracy theorist named Alex Jones, who preys on our society every day, and how the amazing parents of Sandy Hook mustered the courage to stand up to his ugliness in the name of the truth and in the name of their children who died in such a cruel and needless tragedy, then this is your lucky day. Elizabeth Williamson has not only done her homework, she has become entrenched with these families and tells their story from the heart! Our Constitutional Rights are to be defended, but not abused!

Required reading for anyone who wants to understand mass killings and misinformation

The first few chapters are very emotionally difficult to get through, but the remaining content is enlightening and worth the trouble.

Thanks to the author, & the sources, from Bob

Gripping, I recommend this book, an overview of an horrific event and the continuing fallout

Gripping story, yet irritating voice artist.

I loved the narrative and empathy of the author. Despite the narrator, still a very worthwhile read.

A Deep Dive Into Conspiracy Formation and Consequences

As a law student, the litigation surrounding Alex Jones’ hoaxster claims about the Sandy Hook families has deeply intrigued me. I initially found this book as I was looking for more thorough research regarding the families’ experience after the murders to better understand how they might argue or defend those cases’ damage costs, and I cannot recommend this book enough to people trying to develop a better understanding of how harmful conspiracies form, are furthered, and affect the victims of our country’s most horrifying tragedies. Though there is extensive use of flowery language in Ms. Williamson’s vivid descriptions of the settings for her numerous interviews, the prose is well constructed. Overall, this is an excellently written and narrated piece that I would recommend to anyone either interested in learning more about the families’ stories, the modern media landscape, or the Sandy Hook conspiracy.

I have seen several reviews that dismissed this book because it was perceived as anti-conservative, with one reviewer even commenting that they refused to finish the book because of its perceived politics. I disagree. Repeatedly, across virtually every chapter, Ms. Williamson painstakingly points out that the spread of these fabricated theories are not motivated by political ideology, but rather by deeply-rooted individual beliefs and a tribal connection to (usually) online communities. Nothing about those things is inherently political. The fact that readers could somehow miss this glaringly obvious statement—despite its being repeated so often—is more of a reflection of the politicization of the issues in reader’s minds this book is intended to warn against. I would encourage anyone to pick up this book and to think critically about the meaning of the information it presents. After all, even the most conspiratorial thinkers would agree it’s best to “do your own research.”

This Was An Eye Opener..

4 Stars...I would not call myself a conspiracy theorist per se, but I am into the paranormal, true crime, and I do entertain some conspiracies. I have studied and read on school shootings and tragedies as early as the Bath incident. They have fascinated and intrigued me for a long time. Columbine is the one I have studied the most extensive. I have definitely heard of Sandy Hook being an event that was a cover-up or didn't happen at all, but I did not believe that personally. I do have a brain, and I usually can stiff out the bs. But I had no idea about how deep and dirty Alex Jones was into hurting the families of these tragic events. He is not someone that I have ever listened to, but I did know of him (I'm more of an Isaac Weishaupt kind of guy myself). But wow! He is a liar. Alex is more than just down the rabbit hole, he's a pure narcissist and evil guy. He's definitely in it to sell his product and damn the people that get in his way. But he is also a coward in many ways. But this book deals with more than Jones. In it we touch on many different school shootings, 9/11, January 6th, and even Oklahoma City Bombing. It encompasses how believing to hard or putting too much thought or entertainment into conspiracies like Sandy Hook that was an obvious real event can damage the fabric of our nation and cause hurt and suffering to people and families that are affected by these tragedies. This book made me aware of just how deep and stupid a conspiracy can be and to look out in the future for things that are just too far down the rabbit hole, and just how far and crazy people can get when they've been brainwashed and are following the crazy 'leader' of an idea or belief. I know what I'm trying to say here, I just hope I'm making it clear to you. You should definitely get this book if you are a conspiracy nerd or are into true crime. It's a must read for our time and culture right now.

Heartbreaking and enraging

A respectful and well explained account of the unique horrors online harassment and conspiracy theories inflict. My heart goes out to the families.

Loved it!

A must read to gain insight into conspiracy theories, grifters and the people who fall for their lies. The survivors of Sandy Hook are beautiful imperfect humans that deserve respect and their story told and the author and performer give their voice life.

Sad / Shocking

Great book.

Sad shocking look into America today. Some of the baddies remind me so much of things my family posts on social media. It’s hard to get through this book but well worth it. Interviews, conspiracy theories, and real life events are spin together to paint a dark picture of 12/14 and the decade since.

Narrator was pleasant. Handled the book with care and didn’t try to spice it up for flair. Would definitely listen to her narration again.