Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

by Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry

On August 9th 1969, seven people were found shot, stabbed and bludgeoned to death in Los Angeles. The nation watched in fascinated horror as the killers were tried and convicted. But the real questions went unanswered. How did Manson make his "family" kill for him? How could these young men and women kill again and again without remorse? And did the murders go on even after Manson was in jail? Here Vincent Bugliosi, D.A. on the case, reveals the true story behind the most famous mass murder case ever - the orgies, the willing murders, the brainwashing and the retaliation slayings.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Horror, Biography, Audiobook

682 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and his followers for the murder of Sharon Tate and others.

In his books he claimed that O.J Simpson and Lee Harvey Oswald were guilty of the crimes they were accused of.

In his latest book he states that George W. Bush should be prosecuted for murder.

Bugliosi lived in Pasadena, CA.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 5 out of 5]

***DISCLAIMER: I READ THIS BOOK UNDER THE CONSTANT INFLUENCE OF THE WHITE ALBUM BY THE BEATLES.***


Hello Charlie! You crazy F (expletive has been deleted because for some crazy reason I’ve got a bunch of kids following my reviews) R!!!

”’How are you going to get the establishment? You can’t sing to them. I tried that. I tried to save them, but they wouldn’t listen. Now we got to destroy them.”’
---Charlie Manson to a friend in the summer of 1969

The number of people killed by the Manson family in the 1960s and 1970s could be as many as 35. There are still bodies missing and murders that fit the profile of The Family that were never proven for lack of evidence. For the prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi, the goal was to get Charlie Manson, along with his most fervent followers, out of circulation for a long, long time. From moment one he felt the strain of making a misstep that would give the judge or jury reasonable doubt. The most famous of these murders were the five people killed in, what is referred to as, The Tate Murders. The murder case was named for the wife of famed director Roman Polanski. Sharon Tate was not only brutally murdered, but was also eight months pregnant.

It changes the score, right? When you ruthlessly kill a pregnant woman, it isn’t just murder any more; it is a heinous crime against humanity.

Bugliosi, who wrote this book, does a wonderful job laying out the evidence and also explaining our legal system pitfalls. The crimes themselves, though interesting in a ghoulish, shiver inducing way, are in a sense immaterial when compared to the feral genius of Charlie Manson.

He wasn’t book smart, but he had his own brilliant way of discovering the weaknesses of most people he met and turning them into brainwashed zombie followers. He was a career inmate. He purposely committed crimes with the highest federal punishment (for instance like stealing the US Mail which has mandatory sentencing much higher than say stealing cars) to make sure he stayed in jail longer. When he was released from the prison for the last time, he begged the warden to let him stay. He understood prison, but he couldn’t understand the real world.

It only makes sense that he would create his own reality.

”I may have implied on several occasions to several different people that I may have been Jesus Christ, but I haven’t decided yet what I am or who I am.”

Most of the people he brought into The Family were between the ages of 17 to 27, with a heavy emphasis on 17. He had a man by the name of Paul Watkins, who was a good looking lad, who would hang around areas where high school girls would be and recruit them into The Family. There was no end of young women from middle class families who had runaway from their families or wanted to. Manson offered them a haven in the desert.


Paul Watkins, the pretty boy girl recruiter. Charlie would say, “Paul I’m horny. Go get me a new girl,” and Paul would go get one.

He would interview them, discovering that generally they had Daddy issues, and exploit their resentments against their parents. All he was offering was freedom and free love and plenty of drugs, but in reality he was breaking them down so that they would do what he wanted without question. He would first have sex with them. Then, have them have sex with a woman. (Don’t be uptight, girl. It is all part of being free.) Then, they would over time have sex with all the men in the group. He would organize orgies in which they had to participate or face excommunication from the group. By this time, he had shattered the pillar of their moral compass and now had fresh clay to build them back up into who he needed them to be. The transformation from who they were to who he made them was truly disheartening and frightening to witness.


The Manson girls look just like the girls we all went to highschool with. So the question is, how did he turn them into killers?

These girls came from very sheltered existences. They were angry at their parents for a whole host of reasons, but probably the unifying theme was that they didn’t want to be told what to do. Manson offered a delusional freedom that wasn’t free at all, but actually shackled them to him and his demented visions of chaos. One of the girls said, “I’ve finally reached the point where I can kill my parents.”

Manson became completely enamored with The White Album by The Beatles. He thought The Beatles were giving him specific instructions of what had to go down. Helter Skelter, which is the name of one of the songs on the album, became the defining words of the new world he hoped to create.

When he sent his minions out to kill the people at the Tate residency, he was hoping to start a war. He wanted to leave evidence that black people were killing white people, and then they would kill each other. The Black connections they were hoping to make were pathetically attempted, and at no time did the police think the Black Panthers or some other armed black resistance were behind the murders. The only whites who were going to survive this racial war were those living in the desert with Charlie Manson.

How do you get people to believe this stuff?

”Charlie was always preaching love. Charlie had no idea what love was. Charlie was so far from love it wasn’t even funny. Death is Charlie’s trip. It really is.”

He had his own agenda to get even with everyone. He wanted to instill fear. He wanted to destroy the world. He wanted people to pay for the shambles of his own life.

People have made comparisons between the mesmerizing abilities of Adolf Hitler and Charlie Manson. They were both small men with large ideas about who they should be. They could both convince people to do things that any rational person should reject. Neither one of them respected life. I usually don’t like comparisons to Hitler because he is often evoked in modern politics erroneously, but there are certainly some aspects about their characters and their power over people that makes the comparisons, unfortunately, very valid. At times Manson had hundreds of followers, a small army of potential assassins. All he had to do was say the word. They all wanted to make Charlie happy, and underlying all the love they felt for him was a real fear of the consequences of disappointing him.



It is scary to think about how easily Manson gained control of these young people. I’m sure there were people who spent five minutes in his presence who started looking for the nearest exit, but his ability to convince people of his own importance and power is fortunately a very unusual trait among madmen. Could another Manson come along? Absolutely! Will they find followers? Absolutely! This book was thoughtful and well researched and certainly proved to be a page turner for me, sometimes deep into the heart of darkness.

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
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[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

1969 was the end of an era, and the beginning of another. Post-WWII America up against Vietnam America as society rolls over from clean cut, white picket fences to long hair and free love. While every decade ends differently than it began, the 60s might be even more so than others when it comes to society, pop culture, and government. While 1969 stands out in my mind as one of the most important years of our time, it wasn’t until I read Helter Skelter that I realized how much happened at the end of that summer:

• Woodstock – August 15th-17th
• Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the Moon – July 20th
• Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick – July 18th
• Beatles crossing Abbey Road photo taken – August 8th
• Tate-LaBianca (Manson Family) Murders – August 8th-9th

While humanity had proven its ability to produce madness, one of the most insane and well publicized is the Manson Family and their reign of terror in Southern California in the late 1960s and the legacy that still haunts us today. While I was somewhat familiar with Manson and the crimes committed by his followers, It was not until I read Helter Skelter that I realized all the facts. Believe me, if you think what you know already is horrifying, just wait until you get the whole story.

Bugliosi is one of the most famous attorneys and true crime authors of our time. The fact that he was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial gave him a first hand view of the proceedings. Because of this, Helter Skelter is probably the most well researched and presented true crime stories I have ever read. It even sounds like Manson was more impressed with Bugliosi than his own defense attorneys!

Now, a caveat here – if you like your true crime to be more of a retelling and less of a deep dive into the details or if you prefer a lighter/abridged story (something that might fit into an hour long show on the Investigation Discovery Channel), then this may not be the book for you. While the crimes are discussed, the majority of the book is the trial, the evidence, and interviews with the witnesses. Truly, this is not a book for the casual True Crime fan; this is only for the hardcore. I have seen some abridged copies of this book out there, perhaps they are best suited if you are not ready to commit to something this intense.

If you are ready for music, madness, and murder and want ALL the details – you must check this book out!

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the simple fact is: this man is crazier than a sh•t house rat!



He's disturbing and sick.



And is his 80 + year old nasty self still married to some 20 something year old? I'm not showing pictures. I don't even want to do a review thinking some freaks are still out there and will come for us all!

And don't get me started on those crazy girls of his, well the whole crew, but still!

We are off to be charged with murder, and we don't care at all. <--- like my little jingle.



The book is filled with pictures of all kinds of things, some disturbing. Lets just call this disturbing and call it a day! No, I want to add some excerpts of one of the crazy heads! She was like telling all of her stuff to a lady in jail. Of course if freaked the lady prisoner out but that goes without saying.

Virginia asked her, "Well, did you do it?"

Susan looked at her and smiled and said, "Sure." Just like that.

Only the police had it wrong, she said. They had her holding the man while the boy stabbed him, which was silly, because she couldn't hold a big man like that. It was the other way round; the boy held him and she had stabbed him, four or five times.

What stunned Virginia, she would later say, was that Susan described it "just like it was a perfectly natural thing to do every day of the week."

Susan's conversations were not limited to murder. Subjects ranged from psychic phenomena to her experiences as a topless dancer in San Francisco. It was while there, she told Virginia, that she met "a man, this Charlie." He was the strongest man alive. He had been in prison but had never been broken. Susan said she followed his orders without question--they all did, all the kids who lived with him. He was their father, their leader, their love.

It was Charlie, she said, who had given her the name Sadie Mae Glutz.

•••••••

"You know, there's a case right now, they are so far off track they don't even know what's happening."
Virginia asked, "What are you talking about?"
"That one on Benedict Canyon."
"Benedict Canyon? You don't mean Sharon Tate?"
"Yeah." With this Susan seemed to get very excited. The words came out in a rush. "You know who did it, don't you?"
"No."
"Well, you're looking at her."
Virginia gasped, "You've got to be kidding!"
Susan just smiled and said, "Huh-uh."

She asked the big question first: Why, Sadie, why? Because, Susan replied, we "wanted to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice." But why the Tate house? Susan's answer was chilling in its simplicity: "It is isolated." The place had been picked at random.

I mean seriously?

The book tells in detail about the day the people were found, all of the records that could be told, how they found the freaks and arrested them, how things were done to different people. It's pretty graphic and then we go through the court cases.

Anyway, if you wanted to know more about what all went down then this is the book.

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My father is the jailhouse. My father is your system…I am only what you made me. I am only a reflection of you.”
- Testimony of Charles Manson, November 20, 1970 (given outside the presence of the jury)

When I started Helter Skelter, it did not have an ending; by the time I finished, by an odd quirk of timing, it did. On November 19, 2017, with about a hundred pages left in my paperback chronicle of his infamous deeds, Charles Manson – cult leader, convicted murderer, synonym of charismatic depravity – died of “natural causes” at the age of 83. A mundane end to a homicidally tumultuous life.

To be sure, other members of the “Manson Family” remain behind bars, serving out multiple life sentences (though with the possibility of parole). But the end of Manson feels like the closing of a final chapter. The end of something. Though he never took part in the brutal slayings that killed seven people at two different crime scenes, he is the one that will be remembered for it.

Part of the reason is Helter Skelter, written by Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, with help from Curt Gentry. Originally published in 1974, Helter Skelter is said to be the number one selling true crime book in history. Certainly it stands alongside Capote’s In Cold Blood as the most famous true crime writing. It casts a long shadow, which is why – spurred on by Netflix’s serial-killer exploration Mindhunter – I finally got around to reading it.

It almost goes without saying, but Helter Skelter tells the well-known story of the so-called Tate-LaBianca murders committed by members of Manson’s Spahn Ranch cult in August 1969. Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate (who was pregnant) and coffee heiress Abigail Folger. Manson acolytes Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Houten were eventually convicted for committing the murders. Manson was convicted for orchestrating them. All were sentenced to die, but had their sentences commuted to life when the California Supreme Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional.

Bugliosi & Gentry begin their tale with the discovery of the murders at two separate crime scenes. This, to me, is probably the strongest part of Helter Skelter. The opening line – “It was so quiet, one of the killers would later say, you could almost hear the sound of ice rattling in cocktail shakers in the homes way down the canyon” – is a classic hook. This section is detailed, objective, and presented in the third-person.

After setting the gruesome scene, Bugliosi & Gentry take us into the investigative phase. This includes the troubled biography of Charles Manson, who spent most of his pre-Tate-LaBianca life in jail (of course, he spent all of his post-Tate-LaBianca life there as well). At this point, Bugliosi begins to appear more often, and the style turns to the first-person, as he shares his knowledge, insights, and opinions. And he has plenty of opinions. He does not blunt his judgment that LAPD nearly made a botch of the investigation. It’s unusual to see a prosecutor say anything negative towards law enforcement, at least in public, so Bugliosi’s take was rather refreshing. Of course, based on a history of racism, corruption, and incompetence, maybe he’s just going after the low-hanging fruit.

Unsurprisingly, based on Bugliosi’s central involvement, the trial itself is dealt with extensively. All the ins-and-outs are covered, from pretrial motions and jury selection to witness examinations and the sentencing phase. Bugliosi & Gentry often quote the trial transcript, so that you get to see the exact interactions recorded by the court reporter. This is a thorough book. My 20th anniversary paperback weighs in at over 600 pages of text. You really feel the length during certain trial sections. The level of detail is exacting, at times witness by witness, meaning there is a lot of repetition. At times, tedium set in, as I imagine it must have set in for the actual jurors on the seven-month trial. (Bugliosi claims in Helter Skelter that this was the longest criminal trial in U.S. history. It might have been the true then; it certainly isn’t now. In any event, it was lengthy).

My general rule, though, is that too much information is better than too little. I appreciated Bugliosi’s unwillingness to skimp or summarize, even when that came at the expense of the pacing. What did irritate me, however, is Bugliosi & Gentry’s portrayal of the central character: Bugliosi himself.

I don’t like reading first-person accounts for the reason that they inherently lack objectivity. That’s the case here. The underlying theme of Helter Skelter – frankly, “underlying” is putting it mildly – is that Bugliosi was always right, and everyone else was either wrong, or getting in the way. He criticizes the LAPD, the LASO, his own DA’s office, the judge (at times, even though he got just about every ruling he requested), and – most of all – the defense attorneys. Bugliosi may be right in some of his judgments, but he’s certainly wrong in others; of course, since he is the one telling the story, you won’t see that mentioned. For instance, Bugliosi (who is generally extremely negative towards the defense attorneys) directs a lot of ire at Patricia Krenwinkel’s attorney Paul Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, who was called “legendary” by the Los Angeles Times, left his job at the Public Defender’s Office in order to keep Krenwinkel as a client. Bugliosi continually criticizes Fitzgerald as ineffective, and even intimates that Krenwinkel would’ve walked on the LaBianca slayings had Fitzgerald done a better job. This opinion is not shared by others who watched the trial, including a member of the DA’s office. You don’t read any dissenting views in Helter Skelter; instead, Bugliosi & Gentry tell the story from Bugliosi’s point-of-view, discounting even the possibility that there might be any other worth noting.

(In the 20th anniversary afterword, Bugliosi pulls back from his criticism of Fitzgerald, perhaps mellowed by time and reflection).

Another example of the singularity of viewpoint comes from the fact that Stephen Kay, who assisted Bugliosi, rates only six mentions, even though Kay eventually had to retry Krenwinkel, whose Bugliosi-conviction was overturned.

I read more than my share of true crime, while acknowledging that it can be a sordid genre. When done right, true crime provides a fascinating insight into the darkness and fragility of the human condition. At its worse it is simply gratuitous. There is nothing gratuitous or exploitative about Helter Skelter. It is written in a matter-of-fact style. It never rises to the level of artistry, but makes its points in the manner of a prosecutor’s brief. There are times when Bugliosi, who has already proven his case to the jury, seems intent on proving his case to the reader as well. This does him credit. He does not shy away from explaining what he thought the holes in his own case were. Of course, he never lets even a smidgen of human doubt creep onto these pages, or ever acknowledges that he might have made a mistake. (In my own career doing criminal defense, the certainty of prosecutors has never ceased to amaze me).

When Manson finally died, it was front page news. It begs the question why. Why do we remember Charles Manson and his deeds? It’s a tough question to answer. This wasn’t an epoch-turning crime, where America “lost her innocence” (as though we ever had it). To the contrary, this took place at the height of the Vietnam war; My Lai had already occurred. No, there was no innocence to be lost. Further, despite Bugliosi’s claim to the contrary, these slayings were not sui generis in their horrors. Rather, the annals of American crime are filled with equally brutal slaughters, such as the ax murders of eight people (including 6 kids) in Villisca, Iowa, in 1912.

Today, the Tate-LaBianca murders seem – in a terrible way – almost quaint. How do they compare, after all, to what has happened since? Two high schoolers go into a library and begin methodically executing their fellow students. A young man takes a high-powered rifle into an elementary school and riddles 20 children and six adults with bullets. Fifty-eight people die at a concert in Vegas; twenty-six more are murdered at a Texas church. As Tommy Lee Jones says at the start of No Country For Old Men: “The crime you see now, it’s hard to even take its measure.”

It’s a questions Bugliosi tries to answer, a bit defensively, in the 20th anniversary afterward. His explanations, though, are not satisfactory.

The reason, I think, is that Bugliosi is the one at fault. Bugliosi created Manson the celebrity, the magnetic “Maharaja” who need only part his lips to will murder be done. This happened in two stages: at trial, and with this book.

Bugliosi the prosecutor never needed to prove “motive” in his case. Motive is not an element of murder. Nevertheless, he made it a central feature. He highlighted for the jury Manson’s charm, his powers of control, and his loony ideas about a coming race war, all to prove that Manson’s followers were under his sway. In doing so, he gave credence to Manson’s delusions. People v. Manson became a perverse kind of show trial, in which the defendant, rather than the State, was given an extraordinary platform.

Helter Skelter continued this trend. A good story needs conflict between a protagonist and an antagonist. Bugliosi, of course, cast himself as the dragon-slaying hero. He needed a foil worthy of being conquered. Enter Manson. Bugliosi takes great delight in the narrative in showing himself verbally sparring with Manson, even daring him to take the stand. One of the results is that Manson grew in outsize proportion to his worth.

The world is full of terrible people, and Charles Manson used to be one of them. He was a bad man, and nothing more than that. Bugliosi turned him into an enduring monster. Helter Skelter is a classic, in its fashion. But it also demands of us that we look at Manson and see something more, to learn a lesson that does not exist.

Instead, we should probably think of looking away.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We're not in Wonderland anymore Alice." - Charles Manson

Wasn't that the truth. Vincent Bugliosi (btw, isn't that the best name?) is not only a gifted author he was also the Prosecuting attorney in the Mason trail. What better person to write this book! Plus, he put Manson away for good.

“These children that come at you with knives--they are your children. You taught them. I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up.” -Charles Manson

How could someone who preached love, said he was Jesus get so many to kill (possibly as many as 35 murders) for him? He knew how to pick them. He was a master manipulator, con artist who preyed upon the weak, the lost, the drug addicted, mainly the young. He knew how to suck them in, keep others out, isolate them while indoctrinating in them his beliefs and "mission". Sex, drugs, rock and roll and Manson.

This is a HUGE book which contains a LOT of information. Vincent Bugliosi lived and breathed this case. He provided detail after detail. This is a great book for True Crime fans, those interested in investigations, trials and this case. The Author even asks the question about society being interested in this case, while other serial killers have killed more on the streets of Los Angeles. Is it because of the ties with Hollywood? Was it because of the famous victims? Was it because Sharon Tate was pregnant? Was it because the world could not wrap their minds around the fact that Mason had others kill for him? Either way, Manson and his cult are intriguing and continue to interest people worldwide. But let's not forget the innocent victims robbed of their lives, the families left to grieve, the pain that was left behind. Their deaths are a tragedy.

“Since we place so much value on human life, why do we glorify, in a perverse sort of way, the extinguishment of life? The answer to that question, whatever it is, is at least a partial answer to why people continue to be fascinated by Hitler, Jack the Ripper—Manson.”
― Vincent Bugliosi,

This book is shocking on many levels. Having worked in the forensic field, my mind was reeling at the mistakes made during the investigation. Hmmm...there is a bloody thumbprint on the gate, that must be how the killer(s) got out, maybe I want to preserve this print, nah, I need out of the gate, I think I'll touch the gate too -oops... how about not collecting all the blood samples, so many people who walked through the scene, etc. Thankfully, over time, things have gotten better...

This book takes the reader through the killings, the investigation, the trial. This is a heavily dense book. Again, a lot of information and detail.

For those interested, here is the Trial Summation of Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi taken from "famous Trials" website of Professor Douglass O. Linder : https://www.famous-trials.com/manson/...

[Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, what a way to start 2021 lol. First read of the year and a 5 star read at that! Also based on the...mess, let's say...that was 2020—what better way to start this year than to read about the Manson Murders??

But in all seriousness, this book is excellent. It's iconic, at this point, and honestly a historical document. Vincent Bugliosi details the murders, the investigation, the trial and the societal impact that these terrible Murders inflicted on America in the late 60's/early 70's.

So who is this book for?
If you're like me and you knew about the Manson Murders—or maybe you are just familiar with Manson and his 'family' by name or association with 60's 'hippie' culture (which interestingly, hippies reject due to their non-violence!)—and you want to know more, this is the book for you. The reader of this book has to like detail, because Bugliosi gives a LOT of it. He was, after all, the prosecuting attorney for the People vs Charles Manson. So his writing is very much from the lawyer's perspective, giving descriptions like they are legal documents and describing what happened, rather than speculation or personal feelings. From time to time he does slip in his personal impressions but very carefully so as not to persuade the reader—much like we are the jury to whom he is speaking in the trial.

What I enjoyed about this book was how meticulous Bugliosi gets. I think this will turn many people away. And honestly I was surprised that this nearly 700-page book touts that it's "The #1 True Crime Bestseller of All Time" with more than 7 million copies sold. Because it's not necessarily a light or easy read, and I don't just mean because of some of the brutal subject matter. It's a dense book with a lot of information. I imagine many of those 7 million readers got part of the way through and gave up because they didn't care enough to read that much detail. I don't blame them. But I loved it.

If you only need ONE single source for the Manson Murders - this is it. However, if you've read other books about Manson, maybe watched a miniseries, documentary or listened to a podcast about it, and you feel like you know a good portion of the story, then you might find this boring. I knew just enough about it to be intrigued and want to know more, but I was by no means an expert or able to recall more than Manson's name from the 'family.' After, however, I feel like I have a super solid grasp on the what, where, how, and why of the case, and honestly don't feel the need to read or watch anything else about it.

Basically, I really enjoyed this because it's so well structured, very informative but still easy to follow, comprehensive, exciting and a good summary of what you need to know re: The Manson Murders. I also really appreciated and respected that Bugliosi took time to provide information about each of the victims of the case, not just Sharon Tate who usually gets all of the limelight. He equally weighs each victim in his story, giving no one person more page-time than the others.

It's pretty despicable and shocking what Manson and his followers did. But perhaps the most compelling paragraph in this book is one that I will leave you with below. As it's been almost 52 years since these murders occurred, we have, unfortunately, seen a lot of carnage by the hands of everyday people in our nation. Bugliosi writes in the 1994 afterword to the book:

In the twenty-five years that have elapsed since the atrocities which Charles Manson ordered and masterminded occurred, mass murder, as never before, has almost become a staple in our society. Disgruntled or demented killers flip out, go into a former place of employment, fast-food establishment, law firm, etc., and murder five to ten people or more. Such carnage no longer shocks a desensitized public when report on the evening news. But fortunately, as of this date, the singularity of Manson's evil and the particular brand of demonic murders he authored have not again been inflicted upon our nation. We can only hope that the ensuring years will be the same.

[Arah-Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so quiet, one of the killers would later say, you could almost hear the sound of ice rattling in cocktail shakers in the homes way down in the canyon.
The canyons above Hollywood and Beverly Hills play tricks with sounds.  A noise clearly audible a mile away may be indistinguishable at a few hundred feet.
It was hot that night.

Before the sun rose on August 9, 1969 in Bel Air at 10050 Cielo Drive five people lay horrifically and brutally slain.  Some would say that since one of the victims was in the final stages of pregnancy  that the actual count was six.  What was not in doubt was that 10050 Cielo Drive looked like a human slaughterhouse.  On the front door, written in the blood of one of the victims ( later determined to be that of Sharon Tate) was the word “Pig”.  The Los Angeles Police Department found no evidence of sexual molestation or mutilation. There were no indications of ransacking or robbery.  No apparent motive could be found.

The following night of August 10,1969 two more victims were found at 3301 Waverly Drive, both brutally slaughtered.  Writing in blood appeared in three places; on the living room wall were the words “Death to Pigs”, to the left of the front door was the single word “Rise” and on the refrigerator were the two words “Healter Skelter”, the first of which was clearly misspelled.  No obvious motive presented itself to detectives.

There had been a previous single victim of a similar vicious attack on July 31, 1969 on 964 Old Topanga Road in Malibu.  One Gary Hinman, a thirty-four year old music teacher had been found stabbed to death.  On the wall in the living room, not far from Hinman’s body, were the words “Political Piggy” printed in the victim’s blood.  In this case, officers from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office,  had a suspect in custody.  One Bobby Beausoleil, a young hippie musician, had been caught driving a car belonging to Hinman with blood on his shirt and trousers.  Since this arrest had occurred on August 6,1969 he was in custody during the perpetration of the other two crimes, however it was possible that he had not acted alone.  He had been living at an old movie ranch with a bunch of other hippies.  Their leader, a guy named Charlie had apparently convinced them all that he was Jesus Christ.

Despite the obvious similarities in these crimes it would be months before the LAPD acknowledged there was a connection.

On November 18, 1969 Vincent Bugliosi, age thirty-five was handed the job of prosecuting the perpetrators of  the slayings at Cielo and Waverly Drive.

During the course of his investigation and preparation for the trial  Vincent Bugliosi came to believe that Charles Manson was as responsible for the killings as the people who had actually done the slaying.  In fact Bugliosi was convinced that the only reason the killings had happened at all was because Manson had commanded it. Now he had to prove it.

Among the many barriers that Bugliosi had to overcome in order for justice to be served were:

Very little tangible evidence had been recovered from the crime scenes.

Statements made by “family” members who were involved in the slaying had to be handled with tender gloves due to Aranda, which basically says that the prosecution may not admit into evidence any statement made by a defendant that would indict a co-defendant.  Therefore any intelligence garnered through these means had to be independently corroborated in some other way before it could be introduced into evidence.

The bumblings, mishandling, lack of follow up and general apathy of the LAPD.

Absence of an obvious, believable motive.  Bugliosi was certain he knew what it was but who was going to believe that Manson thought the Beatles were talking specifically to him through the lyrics of their White Album  or that Helter Skelter was in essence the time when the the black people would rise up in rage against the whites and that he, Manson was the catalyst of that event.

Lack of sleep and exhaustion.  There was simply not enough time to achieve everything that had to be done.

A widespread pervasive atmosphere of fear that enveloped everyone even remotely connected to this case. Not as it turned out entirely unfounded.

Witnesses, people of interest and even released suspects who fled L.A. and could either not be located or proved difficult to have returned.

Even though Charles Manson did not get his own hands dirty Bugliosi still needed to prove that the actual killers had acted on his command.  

The outrageous courtroom antics of Manson, his “family” . and his attorney, all aimed at disrupting proceedings and ultimately causing a mistrial.


Lest we forget, the victims:
Sharon Tate
Her unborn, yet fully formed baby
Jay Sebring
Voytek Frykowski
Abigail Folger
Steve Parent
Leno LaBianca
Rosemary LaBianca
Gary Hinman


The bulk of this book is all about the investigation and preparation for the trials of Charles Manson and his "family" as well as the trials themselves.  As such it is full of detail and as repetitious as the circumstances dictate.  

Even though I thought that I possessed a good understanding of this crime prior to reading this, I was wrong.  My mind is still swimming with all the things that I either misunderstood or had no knowledge of at all.  I am glad therefore that the record has been set straight.

I have avoided going into the grizzly details of these horrific crimes but be forewarned that the book makes no such claim.  The brutality visited upon every victim is laid out before you in graphic detail.

Sadly the world lost Vincent Bugliosi in June of last year.  May he forever rest in peace.

4  horror and contrarily respect filled stars

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. although I have heard about Charles Manson and his "Family" (who hasn't?) as well as the movie Helter Skelter, I don't remember if I've ever watched it, so when I read GR friend Joey's review, I was very interested in refreshing my memory about this horrific event by adding it to my WTR list;
2. the abridged audiobook (5 hr. 34 min.) was readily available via Overdrive; and,
3. August is my self-declared "As the Spirit Moves Me Month".

Praises:
1. written and narrated by Vincent Bugliosi himself, the prosecutor who successfully handled this particular case, he has taken great care to be thorough in relaying all the facts in this book (without sounding dry), including:
- the murder scenes;
- the police investigation into the murder of nine people during two separate events, and the lack of communication and bungling between the police forces involved;
- Charles Manson's upbringing, behaviors and eventual motivations for killing these innocent people;
- members of "The Family" and all of the people directly and indirectly involved in this case; and,
- the trial itself (sometimes a real sh*tshow!) I'm amazed how Bugliosi could get convictions! and,
2. the inclusion of TONS of black/white photos with very informative captions is another reason why I wanted to check out the print copy.

Interesting Tidbits:
1. who knew the TV series Dragnet would be so educational when 10-year-old Steven Weiss, a fan of the show, found a gun lying near a broken sprinkler (which turned out to be one of the murder weapons). He picked it up properly so as not to leave prints. Later, a police officer would use both hands while handling the gun (Bugliosi states, "So much for Dragnet."); and,
2. Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme's name sounded so familiar to me! I recall a woman by this name who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford (I was correct - this occurred in 1975, a year after this book was published). Ms. Fromme played a huge role in Manson's "Family" - she was its acting head during Manson's absence.

Overall Thoughts:
Because of the myriad of names (and aliases!) of everyone involved: Charles Manson; several members of his "Family"; police officers; murder victims; witnesses; informants; etc., I decided to borrow a library copy of this book to sort out this information in print.
Along with The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story and Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, this book is now a new favorite of mine in the true crime genre.

Recommendation?
If you are a true crime fan, then this book is a must read! Although the audiobook is well-narrated by Bugliosi, if you're like me when it comes to nonfiction (I'm more of a visual than an auditory learner), I highly recommend reading the print copy. Not only does Bugliosi include a "Cast of Characters" (with aliases), but the photos really are a must to see.

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My high school US history class textbook was Bloodletters and Badmen: A Narrative Encyclopedia of American Criminals from the Pilgrims to the Present. It was an interesting, yet very enlightening, way to study the development of the US. Think about it. I also attribute this one course for my insatiable desire to read crime novels - fiction or non. For our final grade we had to read Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi. It's banned in many high schools now but we were, hmmmm, tougher back them.

Bugliosi was the Deputy DA in charge of prosecuting the Manson clan for the Tate murders. He wrote the book shortly afterward and goes into vivid, graphic detail of the crimes, the scene, the testimony, the police background information. It is incredible stuff. The fact that Bugliosi was able to get a lifetime conviction for Manson, who wasn't there and never actually committed a crime, says a lot about Bugliosi's skill, the fear in America at the time and the nature of the US court system.

This is a fascinating read anytime - as relevant today as it was then - but is exceptionally good at Halloween!!

[Paul Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting news - we're joining the Manson Family!

Today is a very big day for all of us at P Bryant Reviews Inc. As you may have seen on our blog, we are joining the Manson family.

I wanted to take this opportunity to say that we always appreciate your feedback here at P Bryant Reviews. Thank you for caring enough about us to tell us what you think!

Also, I wanted to assure you that P Bryant Reviews Inc and the team behind it are not going away. We have no plans to change the P Bryant Review experience and we will continue to be the wonderful community we all cherish. Partnering with the Manson Family will help us focus on making our reviews an even better experience for readers.

We greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and passion for P Bryant Reviews. This is a big step for us, and we’re excited to have you be a part of it! Our new parent company chairman has issued a press release from Corcoran State Prison welcoming P Bryant Reviews Inc into his family. In the press release he also explains his Aryan philosophy and why there should be a lot fewer people on the planet and how to achieve that goal. We believe this meshes completely with our own goals and will help provide an even more fun experience for review readers and book lovers moving forward.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me want to yell at SOOOOO many people for their complete ineptitude and lack of communication. The utter lack of situational awareness and following through with the protocols of duty were frustrating to read.

There were so many missed opportunities to capture the Manson cult. They even openly confessed to murders multiple times before anyone took real notice.

Besides the frustration, Vincent Bugliosi did a superb job compiling the facts and first-hand accounts of what occurred from as many angles as possible.

Sometimes, it may be a bit slower if you aren't as vested in the lead-up to the crimes and surrounding events, but this is a well-laid-out account of the entirety of the murders and is easy to read from front to back covers.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good grief! Helter Skelter shocked me in many ways! I had no idea that so many people were murdered or how batshit crazy and evil the Family was.



Charles Manson was not only an evil, little man but was extremely manipulative and cunning. He was a con man, a racist and a misogynist. He had the ability to read others from being in the prison system for years before he started the Family at Spahn Ranch which is located in the South Los Angeles area.

He would figure out the weaknesses and issues with a person and manipulate that into controlling and isolating them. He took these skills along with drugs and sex to influence and control women and men coming into the Family.

I do believe that some of the women and men that came into the family were already foul to begin with and Manson just pushed them over the edge.

"You can convince anybody of anything if you just push it at them all of the time. They may not believe it 100 percent, but they will still draw opinions from it, especially if they have no other information to draw their opinions from." - Charles Manson

Was this the best true crime book that I’ve read? No, it’s not.
Helter Skelter is not light reading nor does it lack in details. There are so many details in the investigation and trial.
I just took my time with the book. Know this going in if you decide to read this book.

I still enjoyed all of the investigation details and the prosecution’s case against Manson and the Family. I was amazed at how lazy and imcompetant the LAPD was back in 1969. I'm glad they've gotten a bit better!

I’m glad I finally read Helter Skelter since it’s fascinating and creepy read. I've always wanted to read this retelling of a brutal, historical period in America during the 1960s.

"Whenever people unquestioningly turn over their minds to authoritarian figures to do with as the please-whether it be in a satanic cult or some of the more fanatic offshoots of the Jesus Movement, in the right wing or the far left, or in the mind-bending cults of the new sensitivity-those potentials exist. One hopes that none of these groups will spawn other Charles Mansons. But it would be naïve to suggest that that chilling possibility does not exist." - Vincent Bugliosi

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic in the true crime genre, this is a fascinating account of the Charles Manson family and the murders they committed in the summer of 1969.

Written by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, the reader learns the details as the police detectives do. We watch them investigate the murders, interview witnesses and follow up on leads. Bugliosi also shares his perspective on the case, which was interesting. I listened to this on audio and was riveted throughout.

But when it came time to write this review, I couldn't summarize the story. Charles Manson's crimes were so heinous that I was revolted trying to find the words. My apologies, but if you want a recap of his evils, you'll have to look elsewhere.

This was my first time reading this book, and I picked it up as preparation for the novel The Girls by Emma Cline, which was inspired by the Manson family. However, I was so creeped out by the true story that I might need to wait a bit before I can read the fictional version.

Recommended for fans of true crime.

[Jay Schutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that only Bugliosi could write. Excellent.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! This is perhaps the king of true crime novels in one sense. Yet in another, it was hard to listen to the horrifying details of the crimes and the twisted philosophy of Charles Manson.

Meticulous. I don't think there is a better way to describe this book written from the viewpoint of D.A Vincent Bugliosi who headed up the legal team during the trial. This book encompassed most of my walks for August/September. Yes, as I am wishing other walkers a great morning/evening, I listened to this narrative. Yeah, I am definitely strange!

The book begins with the murders, then the investigation, no surprise that there are criticisms towards police officers, then there are the interviews, the backgrounds, the grand jury, the trial, the sentencing and finally in my Audiobook Bugliosi's reflection in 1994 about the continued appeal for the Manson family or more particularly it's creator, Charles Manson. As I mentioned earlier, there's a lot of content and some of its repetitive. I daresay that our narrator, Scott Brick, agrees with some of my fellow reviewers as there are times that V.B's arrogance does come across. There even times, there was an air of condescension, specifically, in terms of the legal system in California. However, I do have to admit, I am not a practicing legal expert and how could I possibly know that anyway.
I do also come away with the continued "shaking of the head" about how susceptible men-whether police officers or lawyers fell for the "girls", especially "Sexy" Sadie. Who I believe, Bugliosi was more than a bit enamored by, perhaps not during the trial, but perhaps at lady during their first encounters. Dude, women can be just as violent as men. Then again, it was the 70's! Weren't all women believed to be delicate little flowers.
Of course, the very centre of it all is Charles Manson. What a nut! I don't have much more to say than that.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Manson and "his family" reigned terror throughout an affluent LA community back in 1969 after the brutal mass murder of more than seven people....an unforgettable time if you grew up in the sixties. Prosecuting Attorney, Vincent Bugliosi gives the reader a technically detailed and vividly descriptive account of the true-crime murder trial, and the motivation (to instill fear in the establishment and cause paranoia) behind the mind of a killer.

And while all the murders were certainly atrocious and unforgivable, what the bloodthirsty animalistic Susan Atkins did, not only to an eight and a half month pregnant Sharon Tate, but the disgusting act thrust upon her own baby made me sick! (not to mention what she did on the landing inside a building)

One of my favorite BEATLE songs (I Will) is on their White Album, and after reading this unsettling story, I don't think I will ever listen to it again without thinking of the human monster who believed messages within the lyrics were being sent to him (via code) to start an inter-racial war.

It is not surprising that Helter Skelter won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best crime novel....it is truly a horror story....so read at your own risk!

Was startled and sorry to hear of Mr. Bugliosi's passing just a few days ago.....especially when CM is still above ground living off taxpayer dollars.

Vincent Bugliosi: August 18, 1934 - June 6, 1015.....A Brilliant and Brave Man! Rest in Peace.

(Thank you GR friend Susan for information regarding "Aquarius", a TV series on the Manson murders now showing On Demand)

Update: June 11, 2015

Had a marathon day of watching the entire first season of Aquarius......Yikes! Sadie (Susan Atkins) and CM were their despicable selves as depicted in the book, (although not quite as bad.....yet) and there are other characters who were disgustingly evil as well! I really did get a kick out of the vintage telephones, TV's, home decor and OMG the clothing and automobiles sure brought a smile to my face........but will there be a Season 2?

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has risen instantly to equal first of my favourite, all-time, true crime books. It shares the number one spot with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Whereas Capote's work is more like the literary telling of a horrendous crime, Bugliosi is all about facts, no matter how gruesome. It is worth noting before I go further that the author, Vincent Bugliosi, was the public prosecutor in the case against the Manson family so this is all straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

HELTER SKELTER - The 23rd track on The Beatles White Album, released November 22nd, 1968. To Charles Manson, Helter Skelter was the revolution, the uprising of the black man to slaughter the whites and take control. This was the reasoning behind the murders committed in 1969. Manson preached that Helter Skelter was the revolution that was about to begin. He was the second coming of Jesus and he would take his followers (known as the family) out to live in the desert while the blacks murdered the whites and assumed control in the belief that when they did the blacks would have no idea how to govern. They would then turn to him to show the way and thus he would-be ruler of the free world. Manson used these ideals to encourage members of the family to brutally murder white socialites, including Roman Polanski's then-wife Sharon Tate and her unborn child, and try to place the blame on the black man, in particular, a group called the Black Panthers, so that the whites would rise up and fight but be slaughtered. The revolution would then be complete.
Manson said that The Beatles were apostles sent to write lyrics that were messages to him, messages that told him of Helter Skelter. Other songs on The White Album that Manson drew from are Piggies, Revolution 1 and Revolution 9.

Vincent Bugliosi was the public prosecutor who went head to head with Manson and The Family. He was given the case some weeks after the murderous spree, and unfortunately, after some inept police work and several unfortunate unforeseen circumstances. This is Bugliosi's almost biographical account of the crimes and the court case and it is FASCINATING.

Charles Manson had a horrid upbringing with a Mother who couldn't care less and an unknown Father. As is so often the case with this type of offender, a trail of violence, petty crime, drugs and homelessness finally led Manson to juvenile court and later incarcerated in adult prisons. It was his last release from prison that saw one of the aforementioned unforeseen circumstances - he actually begged to be kept inside stating that prison was his life. IF ONLY!!

Making his way to California in the mid-1960s, Manson soon became a part of the drug-addled Hippie movement. Together with influences from cults and Scientology, Manson began to weave his own ideas that eventually led to the formation of The Family, with one Charles Manson as its leader, aka Jesus. What is paramount to brainwashing, Manson became loved, revered and feared by his followers. A cult based on copious amounts of sex and freedom attracted the disenchanted and as the cliche goes; Men wanted to be him and women wanted to bed him.

Nobody could have foreseen what the family would become.

Not only does Helter Skelter walk you through the bloody crimes and the court cases but it introduces so many things that most of us did not know. There were more murders than just Tate and her four friends, there were plots to kill others, crimes were committed even after the prosecutions and Manson's evil reach was astounding. This book would easily be the first true crime book that I would recommend to anyone.

[Sioux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the scariest things I have ever read--it kept me up a few nights, to be sure. However, it was really cool (and oddly reassuring) reading how the prosecuting attorney helped the LAPD close in on these people and bring them to justice. After reading this I understand why people often say that the Manson killings for them represented the death of the hippie era of peace and love. Despite the fact that the Manson Family was not comprised of hippies, people were much more fearful and suspicious after August of 1969, and the fact that Manson bore even a passing resemblance to the long-haired vagabonds of Haight-ashbury (which by that time was in decline) didn't help.
I have to say I was severely disappointed in Trent Reznor after reading this book--the author mentions in his epilogue to the book (written much later than the original publication, in 1994) that Nine Inch Nails recorded their seminal album "The Downward Spiral" in the old Tate residence. When questioned about it, Reznor claimed that his real estate agent had failed to tell him that the house had been the site of the Manson murderers, but that smacks of dishonesty to me...especially because Reznor collaborated with Marilyn Manson on projects at that time, and shortly thereafter Marilyn Manson recorded "Portrait of an American Family" at the Tate residence as well! It's also sickening that despite his ludicrous, paranoid philosophy and blatant hatred for African Americans that Charles Manson is still widely regarded by young people in the United States and the UK as some kind of pop hero--or at least he was in the early 90s, as Bugliosi demonstrated through various examples. Apparently t-shirts with his image are still widely circulated, and he profits personally from their sale (only 10 cents a shirt, but I wouldn't give him a penny considering what he has done and convinced others to do!)
It's remarkable that a sketchy little guy like Charles Manson was (and probably still is) capable of. He believed women to be good for only two things--producing offspring and serving their men--and yet he managed to convince many young women (and some men) to do anything for him.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true crime classic has been on my to read list for awhile and I am glad that I finally got around to reading it. I had seen television documentaries of Manson and his family years ago. It was interesting to say the least, but watching them gave me worst nightmares than a horror fiction book. With that being said, I had some weird dreams reading this true crime novel and I would try not to read it at night as somehow or other the evil that I was reading went with me into my subconscious. Thankfully this kindle version did not have pictures as the author had edited them out to protect the victims families.

The murders committed by the Family/Manson were the most vicious and barbaric killings I have ever read. I didn't realize either that it seemed to take law enforcement a long time to figure out who committed the murders, but in an era (1969) where DNA/forensic science didn't even exist, it doesn't surprise me that they were not able to find out who did it so easily. Also VICAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) didn't exist either which if it had been around in 1969, Manson and his family would have been tracked down sooner.

Charles Manson was the worst of the worst kind of criminal and just seeing pictures of him, you can see the fruit loop craziness emanating towards you. He thought that the Beatles white album had hidden messages in their songs and that he was to obey them by killing people. His followers which were considered his family worshipped the ground he walked on and that anything he said they were to obey him immediately.

The author gives a very detailed account of the crimes that Manson and the Family committed and everything that law enforcement had to endure to bring this lunatic to justice. In my opinion, Manson sat on death row way too long and they should have sent him to the electric chair long time ago. Other known killers (Bundy, Ridgeway, etc.) did not sit on death row for a long time like Manson did, but thankfully he is no longer in this world. Giving this book four stars!

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The murders committed by the Manson Family at the Tate and LaBianca residences in 1969 are so horrific they make you want to weep. Vincent Bugliosi's true crime classic makes you feel such sorrow for the victims, more than any documentary or dramatization could.

At 650+ pages, embarking on this reading experience can be daunting. Obviously the topic is unpleasant, yet the story is so compelling that you never lose interest. Bugliosi has his critics, but I'm of the opinion that there was no one better to write the definitive literary record of these events.

Helter Skelter is a hard book to recommend, because there is no enjoyment to be found here. However, if you're interested in true crime, this period in history, or even just notorious nonfiction, it is a must read.

[Jonathan Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t understand the continued appeal of Charles Manson or his family, but I do understand the appeal of this book. It leads through the events as they are placed back together by the prosecution during the trial of Manson and his accomplices, and does so in an interesting way. Helter Skelter reads fast and kept my attention until the defendants are sentenced. At that point, I felt I knew everything I needed to know about Manson — he was a delusional racist who preyed on weak and needy souls and believed the Beatles music was created for him.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry is a compelling, detailed account of the infamous Manson Family murders. Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the case, offers an insider's perspective on the investigation and the courtroom proceedings. The book provides a look into the mind of Charles Manson and his followers, exploring the bizarre motives behind the killings.

The narrative is both engaging and disturbing, effectively capturing the horror and complexity of the case. Bugliosi's writing is clear and accessible, making the legal intricacies understandable for readers without a legal background. "Helter Skelter" is not just a true crime classic; it's a profound exploration of human nature and the darker aspects of society.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Sharon Tate, Manson's most sensational victim, in high school. She was a beautiful girl. My good friend Dougie and I had a double date--Dougie asked Sharon, and, as I remember it, I blind-dated one of her cousins from Louisiana. We went to the local drive-in theater in Pasadena, Texas. Sharon was a lot of fun, witty and interesting as was my date that night.

Much later, my wife and I had just settled into a new assignment deep in the bush of Zambia when I got news of Sharon's death at the hands of the Manson gang. I only understood from news reports what had happened, how goof-offs in Los Angeles had cruelly and in a cowardly fashion, slaughtered several innocent people in Los Angeles. I really understood what had happened after I read this book later.

Bugliosi and Gentry have written the best true crime I had ever read up to that point, and it's not just because Sharon was an acquaintance of mine. Bugliosi answered just about all of my questions. I think Helter Skelter should be read by anyone who wants to understand at least a portion of the dark underbelly of America. Nothing in Africa could have shocked me after the Manson murders.

[Krystin | TheF*ckingTwist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Blog | Bookstagram

“You can convince anybody of anything if you just push it at them all of the time. They may not believe it 100 percent, but they will still draw opinions from it, especially if they have no other information to draw their opinions from.”

Everyone knows the story of Charles Manson. The highlights of the wildest and most horrific moments - the bloody writing on the wall, the murder of a pregnant celebrity, the three happy girls singing on their way to their murder trial.

The famous imagines and soundbites are so sensational and seared into pop culture by our own doing, that it led me to believe that I knew basically everything there was to know about this case.

But I was wrong.

Like, did you know by the time Manson was 31 and forming his “family” in California, he’d already spent collectively, 17 years in prisons? That he was, at one point, married and had a baby? I guess I actually have never cared to know that much about him personally.

The book is told from the perspective of preparing for trial. Looking at the evidence and deciding how to use it in order to prove that Manson was guilty of murder even though he never actually physically killed anyone.



This book is very outdated and much has happened between when it was written and now. There is a 20th Century afterword by the author where he pulls back on some of his criticism in the book and seems to have opinions that are mellowed out over time.

That said, the only thing that I found to be negative about this book was Bugliosi’s attitude. Obviously, he was under a shit ton of pressure, but he went out of his way to caste everyone around him as being wrong and making mistakes, except for himself. He has something negative to say about the LAPD, his own DAs office and even the judge. I understand being a cocky attorney, but just the laws of averages tell me that Bugliosi couldn’t have been the only person on this case that was right or doing the right thing.

I do have to wonder what makes Manson still so worthy of ink and paper and resources and attention considering the kinds of evil that happen in the world today. He's dead, let's stop giving him attention.

Crimes committed because “someone told me to” and I'm joining a cult and I believe things that make me sound mad - those kinds of people are endlessly fascinating to me from a psychological aspect and Manson is still one of the reigning kings of Cult Leaders, even after all these years.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars

[Laura Noggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid 5 Shiver-inducing Stars

The Tate-LaBianca murders occurred during the summer of '69, when Charles Manson's "family" snuck into two houses by the cover of night and gruesomely slaughtered everyone there.

This is the best true crime book I've read so far. Better than In Cold Blood and more exciting than The Devil in the White City (in my opinion).

It's hard not to find references to Charles Manson in popular culture, especially on screen (hello American Horror Story: Cult), so I had a general knowledge of the crime before I began. Bugliosi deftly fills in the details.

The information in this book is delivered in a very clear, concise, almost clinical presentation. Vincent Bugliosi is prime to tell this story as he was the prosecutor charged with presenting the evidence of the Manson murders, laying out the facts objectively.

I learned a lot in from this book, and had no idea The Beatles were so influential on Manson. I challenge you to read this book, and NOT listen to The White Album.

The audiobook is read by a man who sounds like an old-timey radio-newcaster, and his voice superbly matched the material. At one point I was taking a hot shower while listening to the book, and broke out in a full body chill.

Manson was a curious cat, to say the least. Life was not easy, or kind to him, but he remains on another level of human. There are interesting similarities with Hitler: both were small men (Manson was 5'2''), vegetarians, and were able to convince others to kill on their behalf. Although he did not physically commit the murders, Manson was the mastermind behind them and was sentenced to death. He served nine life terms in California prisons, dying while incarcerated in 2017.

In closing, there's not much else to leave you with, other than Manson's burning words after his conviction:

“Mr. and Mrs. America—you are wrong. I am not the King of the Jews nor am I a hippie cult leader, I am what you have made of me and the mad dog devil killer fiend leper is a reflection of your society. … Whatever the outcome of this madness that you call a fair trial or Christian justice, you can know this: In my mind's eye my thoughts light fires in your cities.”

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I may never recover from. A true life horror story worse than any fictional horror movie/book I’ve ever seen or read. The story of the Manson murders is the most bizarre, baffling story that literally left me speechless, a senseless and brutal killing spree that terrorised a city and the whole world and continues to haunt people today.

I can’t explain the affect this book had on me, I was completely transfixed and couldn’t think of much else while reading it but I also had many moments where I was so horrified I was scared to keep reading, this book chilled me to the bone. The author really shows his genius inside the courtroom as head prosecutor and in retelling the story of the infamous Tate/LaBianca murders. The background story is compelling stuff. Manson was a one of a kind evil mastermind and his kind of hold on young girls and his loyal followers was completely unnerving and disturbing. The idea that Manson is as much loathed as loved is even more unbelievable and the fact he has so many die hard admirers still to this day is concerning. I can somewhat understand the morbid fascination towards him as this book gave such a detailed insight into his brain. It’s one of those books you need to read it to believe it. It’s an incredible story and a masterpiece in true crime non fiction. A heavy read but absolutely riveting from start to finish.

[Vikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

So have you ever read a book where there is all this hype and everyone seems to like/have on their reading list and you read it and are like "It was okay, I guess?" That was this book to me. How the author made an interesting story and topic so boring is beyond me... The author was the persecutor for this case and I guess all the reading and writing of boring legal documents bled into his writing style for this book. He was repetitive at times which made it confusing and hard to follow at times. He also used this book to bad-mouth the LAPD and make him look good. The LAPD certainly screwed up this investigation but just the way he phrased things made me dislike him or get annoyed with him. If anyone has a suggestion for a book on the Manson Murders or The Family, please comment below because I would love to read an interesting, well-written book on the subject. I tried reading this book multiple times before just switching over to the audiobook which still put me to sleep at times and took forever to get through.

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

[Johann (jobis89) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"These children that come at you with knives--they are your children. You taught them. I didn't teach them. I just tried to help them stand up." - Charles Manson.

On 9 August 1969, seven people were found shot, stabbed and bludgeoned to death in Los Angeles. America watched in fascinated horror as the killers were tried and convicted. This book details the crimes and murders of the Manson Family, as well as the trial that followed.

This book was written by District Attorney for the Manson case, Vincent Bugliosi, which was one of my favourite aspects about this book. Every fact and detail of the trial is therefore more than likely accurate. The book is told chronologically beginning at the Tate murders, resulting in the trial and subsequent conviction of the Manson Family. This helped in keeping track of exactly what was going on, as there are so many key players within the Family.

Charles Manson has always fascinated me, and I found this to be a really interesting look into what he was really like, what motivated him, how he got others to do his killing for him, his beliefs surrounding Helter Skelter, how he manipulated people, how he built the Family. Given how there were so many other members of the Family involved in these crimes, it would be easy to get confused as to who was who, but Bugliosi does a really good job of reminding you as to who each person is and also develops them so well that it would almost be hard to forget!

The book is full of evidence that was found, excerpts from conversations/interviews that were taped, details of questions and answers given during the trial... the list goes on. Bugliosi also describes his trail of thought at each part, and this really gives a great insight into how lawyers think and present their case. I was literally in awe of how intelligent Bugliosi was and the skills needed to be an effective lawyer.

This was such an enjoyable reading experience, I almost didn't want it to end. Definitely one I will revisit in years to come.

[Steven Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly engrossing true-crime read, that easily surpassed my expectations. I thought with it being quite long that at some point it might start to dilly-dally or get side tracked by less important information, but not a page was wasted. (The book surely would have been shorter had it not been for the LAPD, but more on that in a minute).

This is everything you need to know about Manson & his family, their history, their crimes, arrest and subsequent trial. We get thrust straight into the Tate–LaBianca murders at 10050 Cielo Drive, and this is the only part of the Manson saga that I really knew anything about. Knowing the basic rundown of how it played out, but obviously this goes into way more details; specifically the crime scene on discovery of the bodies and the early police activity in regards getting the case of the ground. It was all incredible really—incredible in the sense of just how incredibly incompetent the detectives turned out to be.

This is the second time in a few weeks where I've found the LAPD to be something of a laughing stock—the other book being The Night Stalker; the hunt for Richard Ramirez. Errors were made there, but here was just beyond belief. I mean, was somebody spiking their coffee & donuts with horse tranquilizer? Even Roman Polanski discovered pieces of evidence that had been overlooked—one being right next to the front door.

Time and time again I was amazed with the detectives in charge. Someone would come forward with information regarding Manson as a suspect and we'd get answers like this —

"Ah, Charlie's a madman; we're not interested in all that"

When it comes to Manson—from what I gathered he was an attention seeking charlatan and one of the most contradictory people I've ever come across; yes, learning all his life was very interesting, but the real reason I wanted to read this book was my fascination with his clan; his family of followers—especially the young women and those who actually committed the Cielo Drive murders. This was the high point for me, learning more about Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel & others, and the main reason I'd give it give a 5/5.

Simply one of the true-crime greats.

[TXGAL1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling.