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What is Dave Cullen?

Dave Cullen is an American nonfiction author best known for writing about mass shootings, trauma and gay lives in the military. His website, Dave Cullen, author, presents him as a New York Times bestselling author with two major strands of work.

True crime and reporting

His best-known book, Columbine, is a deeply reported account of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and its aftermath. He also wrote Parkland, about the 2018 Florida school shooting and the student-led activism that followed. These books suit readers interested in long-form journalism, the psychology of perpetrators, and how communities respond to violence.

LGBT and military history

A forthcoming book, Don't Fall in Love, examines the secret lives of two gay soldiers serving under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It reflects Cullen's broader interest in LGBT history, including figures and organizations from the early gay rights movement.

Who it is for

The site is aimed at general readers of narrative nonfiction rather than academics. It is useful for anyone seeking background on Cullen's books, his reporting subjects and related themes such as gun violence, military policy and gay history.

What is Dave Cullen's book Columbine about?

Dave Cullen, author is the official site for journalist Dave Cullen, best known for his nonfiction books on American violence and, more recently, LGBTQ lives.

What Columbine covers

Columbine is a work of narrative nonfiction about the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Cullen reported on the attack from the start and spent years examining what actually happened, building the book around the two killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, and the people around them.

Rather than treating the attack as a simple story of bullied outcasts, the book argues that the common explanations were largely myths. It examines Harris's and Klebold's planning, their diaries and videos, their personalities, and the warning signs that were misread. It also follows survivors, families and the community through the aftermath, including the question of why the killers' motives were so widely misunderstood.

The book is suited to readers of true crime and long-form journalism who want a deeply reported account of a case that shaped later school-shooting coverage, rather than a quick overview. Its length and detail mean it may feel heavy for casual readers, but that depth is the point.

Cullen has since written Parkland, about the 2018 shooting and the student activism that followed, and his site lists an upcoming book, Don't Fall in Love, about two gay soldiers.

What is Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight about?

Dave Cullen, author presents Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight as a work of narrative nonfiction by Dave Cullen, previously the author of Columbine and Parkland. The book is described as a New York Times bestseller and as 27 years in the making, with a listed release of May 4, 2027.

Its subject is two gay soldiers and, by extension, the lives of gay service members and spouses under the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The title's "hiding in plain sight" signals the central tension: men serving openly as soldiers while concealing a relationship that could have ended their careers. The listed themes also point to the broader history around gay military service, including figures and organizations such as Frank Kameny and the Mattachine Society.

Readers drawn to Cullen's earlier books on Columbine High School and Parkland may find a similar approach here: deeply reported, character-driven true storytelling rather than policy analysis alone. It is suited to readers interested in LGBTQ history, military life, and the personal costs of institutional secrecy. Those seeking a tactical or legal manual on Don't Ask Don't Tell would likely want a different kind of source.

What other books has Dave Cullen written?

Dave Cullen is best known for Columbine, his account of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. The site also highlights Parkland, his later book about the 2018 school shooting in Florida and the student-led activism that followed.

His forthcoming book is Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight, described as twenty-seven years in the making and scheduled for release on May 4, 2027. It focuses on gay service members, spouses and military life, including the era of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

At a glance

Readers interested in true crime, school shootings or LGBT military history are the likely audience. The books differ in scope: Columbine is a deep investigation of one attack, Parkland blends reporting with the voices of survivors and activists, and the upcoming title turns to hidden lives within the armed forces. More detail is available at Dave Cullen, author.

What is Dave Cullen's connection to the Parkland shooting and March for Our Lives?

Dave Cullen is a journalist and author whose work focuses on mass shootings and their aftermath. He wrote Columbine, a widely read account of the 1999 school shooting, and later turned his attention to the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

His Parkland-related reporting and book examine the shooting itself and, importantly, the survivor-led response that followed. That response became the March for Our Lives movement, which students organized to demand action on gun violence. Cullen’s connection is therefore primarily as a chronicler and analyst: he interviewed survivors, followed the activism, and documented how a group of teenagers moved from grief to national organizing.

Readers interested in Cullen’s work can find it at Dave Cullen, author. His site covers his books and reporting, including Columbine and Parkland, alongside his newer projects.

Who it suits

• Readers of narrative nonfiction and true crime who want context beyond a single event.
• People studying gun violence, school safety, or youth activism.
• Journalists and students examining how survivor movements form and communicate.

Trade-offs

Cullen writes as a journalist rather than an activist, so readers seeking an organizing manual may find the work more explanatory than tactical. Those looking for a purely personal survivor account would be better served by memoirs from Parkland students themselves. His approach is typically valued for depth and narrative clarity rather than advocacy.

What themes of LGBT and military life does Dave Cullen explore in his work?

Dave Cullen's site presents him primarily as a nonfiction author whose books examine violence, trauma and identity in American life. Two strands stand out for readers interested in LGBT and military themes.

Military life and LGBT identity

His forthcoming book, Don't Fall in Love: The Secret Lives of Two Gay Soldiers Hiding in Plain Sight, is described as the product of 27 years of work. The subject matter concerns gay service members and spouses, and the era of Don't Ask, Don't Tell — a policy that required concealment. The framing suggests themes of secrecy, risk and the strain of divided identity, alongside love and partnership sustained under pressure.

Violence, community and aftermath

Columbine and Parkland address school shootings and their aftermath, including how communities, families and survivors respond. These are not LGBT-focused books, but they show Cullen's broader interest in how public events reshape private lives.

Who it suits

• Readers of narrative nonfiction and true crime.
• Those interested in LGBT military history and policy.
• Readers following coverage of mass shootings and their legacies.

The trade-off is focus: the site serves as an author hub rather than a deep archive, so readers wanting primary documents or academic analysis may need other sources. For related LGBT history, Library of Congress holds relevant collections.