One of Us audiobook cover - The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway

One of Us

The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway

Åsne Seierstad

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Society & CulturePoliticsBiography & Memoir

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Key Takeaways from One of Us

Learning Tools

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Mind Map

One of Us
Early Life & Social Rejection+
Online Radicalization+
The Manifesto (2083)+
Preparation & Attacks+
Systemic Police Failures+
Trial & Verdict+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
Why did psychologists recommend that four-year-old Breivik be removed from his family's care?
  • A. He exhibited early signs of violent psychopathy and posed a danger to his sister.
  • B. His father demanded full custody after discovering his ex-wife's living conditions.
  • C. The family was deeply affected by the mother's poor psychological functioning, making it impossible for him to develop properly.
  • D. He was caught repeatedly vandalizing neighborhood property and required state intervention.
Question 2 of 9
How did Breivik become a social outcast during his teenage years in the graffiti scene?
  • A. He informed the police about the identities of his fellow taggers after being arrested.
  • B. He broke an unwritten rule by tagging over the work of a top tagger, known as a 'king.'
  • C. He stole spray paint from his friends and refused to share his supplies.
  • D. He lacked the artistic skill required and was mocked by his peers.
Question 3 of 9
What caused Breivik to lose interest and eventually leave the right-wing Norwegian Progress Party?
  • A. He failed to receive a nomination for the city council elections.
  • B. He found the party's views too moderate and left-leaning for his taste.
  • C. He was expelled after publicly expressing extremist and racist views.
  • D. He decided to dedicate all his time to writing his 1,500-page manifesto.
Question 4 of 9
During his years of isolation, what discovery caused Breivik to stop playing World of Warcraft and shift his focus entirely?
  • A. A lucrative underground market for selling fake online diplomas.
  • B. An online militant organization that directly recruited him for a terror cell.
  • C. Far-right, Islamophobic websites and forums where he immersed himself in extremist ideologies.
  • D. A realization that he would never be ranked as the number one player on his server.
Question 5 of 9
According to his manifesto, what three factors did Breivik primarily blame for the moral deterioration of modern European society?
  • A. Economic inequality, globalization, and open-border policies.
  • B. 'Cultural Marxism,' feminism, and the Islamization of European countries.
  • C. The European Union, secularism, and the decline of traditional media.
  • D. Capitalism, socialist welfare states, and the loss of national identity.
Question 6 of 9
What cover story did Breivik use to justify renting a farm and purchasing large amounts of fertilizer?
  • A. He claimed he was starting a commercial organic dairy farm.
  • B. He pretended to be an agricultural researcher testing new crop yields.
  • C. He stated he was opening a rural hunting lodge and needed to maintain the grounds.
  • D. He claimed he was going to start sugar-beet production.
Question 7 of 9
Why was the immediate police manhunt delayed after a witness reported Breivik's suspicious van in Oslo?
  • A. The tip was written on a Post-it note that went unnoticed by a busy supervisor for 20 minutes.
  • B. The witness refused to give their name to the police operator, making the tip seem unreliable.
  • C. The police initially believed the explosion was a gas leak and ignored reports of suspicious vehicles.
  • D. The police station's tip line was completely down due to the physical impact of the explosion.
Question 8 of 9
What fatal mistake by the vanguard police forces further delayed their intervention on the island of Utøya?
  • A. They accidentally navigated to a completely different island three kilometers away.
  • B. They waited at the jetty for reinforcements instead of intervening immediately, violating official regulations.
  • C. They attempted to negotiate with Breivik over the phone before crossing the water.
  • D. They lacked the necessary ammunition and had to return to the mainland to resupply.
Question 9 of 9
Why did Breivik actively support the second psychiatric report that deemed him legally responsible for his actions, rather than the first one that deemed him insane?
  • A. He wanted to be placed in a maximum-security prison rather than a psychiatric ward.
  • B. He believed a sane diagnosis would allow him to appeal the conviction to a higher European court.
  • C. He wanted to prove that the first pair of psychiatrists were politically biased against him.
  • D. He feared his manifesto and extremist ideas would lose credibility if he were officially declared insane.

One of Us — Full Chapter Overview

One of Us Summary & Overview

One of Us (2015) tells the story of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian terrorist who killed 77 people on July 22, 2011. Beginning with Breivik’s personal life and detailing the development of his extremist political views and his planning of the massacre, these blinks give you an unflinching look into the mind of the man who carried out this devastating and senseless attack.

Who Should Listen to One of Us?

  • Those curious about the most tragic day in recent Norwegian history
  • People hoping to gain insight into the mind of a terrorist
  • Anyone interested in how dangerous poor police work can be

About the Author: Åsne Seierstad

Åsne Seierstad is a Norwegian journalist and writer best known for her work as a war correspondent. In addition to receiving the Peer Gynt and Den Store Journalistprisen, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a reporter in Norway, she is the author of The Bookseller of Kabul, A Hundred and One Days: A Baghdad Journal, and The Angel of Grozny: Orphans of a Forgotten War.

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