Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Myth of the Welfare Queen | 1997 | David Zucchino | Buy |
| 2 | Thunder Run | 2004 | David Zucchino | Buy |
| 3 | Wilmington’s Lie | 2020 | David Zucchino | Buy |
David Zucchino’s three non-fiction books span more than two decades and cover distinct subjects, but all reflect his background as an investigative journalist focused on injustice and conflict. The Myth of the Welfare Queen (1997) was based on his extended reporting on a single welfare recipient in Philadelphia and challenged media stereotypes about poverty and race in America.
Thunder Run (2004) documents the US Army’s 2003 armored assault on Baghdad, reconstructing the three-day battle from extensive interviews with the soldiers involved. It is a close-up account of modern armored warfare and was praised for its ground-level detail and narrative pacing.
Wilmington’s Lie (2020) is the book that brought Zucchino his widest audience. It recovers the story of the 1898 Wilmington coup, in which white supremacists seized control of North Carolina’s largest city, overthrew its elected government, and massacred Black residents in the streets. The event was suppressed in public memory for over a century. The book won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.