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The Killing of Sharon Tate : The Exclusive Story by Susan Atkins
The bizarre slaying of actress Sharon Tate and four others stunned the nation. Even more shocking, however, is the slowly unfolding story behind the murders--a true horror tale of cold-blooded killers--of a hippie commune that preached love and practiced murder--of the satanic leader who ruled his subjects like a god and sent them out to commit unspeakable crimes...
Here, for the first time, is the complete, exclusive story behind the Tate killings--told in the words of the pretty 21-year old who calmly confessed to the most hideous crime of the decade.
Here, for the first time, is the complete, exclusive story behind the Tate killings--told in the words of the pretty 21-year old who calmly confessed to the most hideous crime of the decade.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
Lawrence Schiller
41 books22 followersThe ubiquitous Lawrence Schiller was born in 1936 in Brooklyn, and grew up in San Diego. After graduating from Pepperdine College, he went to work for Life magazine and the Saturday Evening Post as a photojournalist. His photographic abilities, both technical and artistic, laid the foundation for what has become nothing less than an astonishing career.
Schiller first made his name by photographing popular culture icons such as Sophia Loren, Richard Nixon, Timothy Leary, O.J. Simpson, James Earl Jones, Barbara Streisand, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Joe DiMaggio, and Clint Eastwood, just to name a few.
He moved easily through contrasting public worlds, developing stories for Life magazine while shooting nude photographs for Hugh Heffner and Playboy magazine. Schiller was always at the forefront, and always at the right place at the right time, experiencing historical events and developing relationships that would launch his career onto a path of success in a variety of mediums.
He published his first book, LSD, in 1966. Since then he has published eleven books, including W. Eugene Smith's Minamata and Norman Mailer's Marilyn. He collaborated with Albert Goldman on Ladies and Gentleman, Lenny Bruce and with Norman Mailer on The Executioner's Song and Oswald's Tale. He has directed seven motion pictures and mini-series for television.
From 1996 through 2002, Mr. Schiller published four books that became national bestsellers: American Tragedy, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Into the Mirror, and Cape May Court House. All made the New York Times Bestseller List. American Tragedy, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town and Into the Mirror were made into television mini-series for CBS. Mr. Schiller produced and directed each of the motion pictures.
Other motion picture credits are: Double Jeopardy, The Plot to Kill Hitler, The Executioner's Song, Peter the Great, Murder: By Reason of Insanity, Her Life As a Man, The Patricia Neal Story, Child Bride of Short Creek, Marilyn, The Untold Story, The Winds of Kitty Hawk, Hey, I'm Alive, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, and The Man Who Skied Down Everest.
Lawrence Schiller's projects have won countless awards, including seven Emmys and an Oscar for his work over the years. He is a consultant to NBC News and has recently written for The New Yorker and George magazines.
Schiller's haunting and beautiful portfolio of photographs of Marilyn Monroe is from the last professional photo session of the sex goddess, while making Something's Got to Give in 1962. She was fired from the movie and was dead two months later. Almost a half a century has passed since May 1962, and still these astonishing, daring, and beautifully crafted photographs—never available as limited editions, until now—continue to captivate and enthrall us.
His collection of images chronicling America in the 1960s is an important document of our time. With daring forthrightness, a decade of turmoil, creativity and entertainment is unrolled before our eyes. Schiller's uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time, affords us the privilege of surveying all of this history, captured with succinct and powerful images that have defined and continue to define the national conversation.
Schiller first made his name by photographing popular culture icons such as Sophia Loren, Richard Nixon, Timothy Leary, O.J. Simpson, James Earl Jones, Barbara Streisand, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Joe DiMaggio, and Clint Eastwood, just to name a few.
He moved easily through contrasting public worlds, developing stories for Life magazine while shooting nude photographs for Hugh Heffner and Playboy magazine. Schiller was always at the forefront, and always at the right place at the right time, experiencing historical events and developing relationships that would launch his career onto a path of success in a variety of mediums.
He published his first book, LSD, in 1966. Since then he has published eleven books, including W. Eugene Smith's Minamata and Norman Mailer's Marilyn. He collaborated with Albert Goldman on Ladies and Gentleman, Lenny Bruce and with Norman Mailer on The Executioner's Song and Oswald's Tale. He has directed seven motion pictures and mini-series for television.
From 1996 through 2002, Mr. Schiller published four books that became national bestsellers: American Tragedy, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Into the Mirror, and Cape May Court House. All made the New York Times Bestseller List. American Tragedy, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town and Into the Mirror were made into television mini-series for CBS. Mr. Schiller produced and directed each of the motion pictures.
Other motion picture credits are: Double Jeopardy, The Plot to Kill Hitler, The Executioner's Song, Peter the Great, Murder: By Reason of Insanity, Her Life As a Man, The Patricia Neal Story, Child Bride of Short Creek, Marilyn, The Untold Story, The Winds of Kitty Hawk, Hey, I'm Alive, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, and The Man Who Skied Down Everest.
Lawrence Schiller's projects have won countless awards, including seven Emmys and an Oscar for his work over the years. He is a consultant to NBC News and has recently written for The New Yorker and George magazines.
Schiller's haunting and beautiful portfolio of photographs of Marilyn Monroe is from the last professional photo session of the sex goddess, while making Something's Got to Give in 1962. She was fired from the movie and was dead two months later. Almost a half a century has passed since May 1962, and still these astonishing, daring, and beautifully crafted photographs—never available as limited editions, until now—continue to captivate and enthrall us.
His collection of images chronicling America in the 1960s is an important document of our time. With daring forthrightness, a decade of turmoil, creativity and entertainment is unrolled before our eyes. Schiller's uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time, affords us the privilege of surveying all of this history, captured with succinct and powerful images that have defined and continue to define the national conversation.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 26, 2009
This contemporary recounting of Susan Atkins involvement with Charles Manson and the Tate and LaBianca murders is an obvious attempt to cash in on the notoriety of the Manson Family. This book was published in January 1970 (the murders happened in August of 1969), before the case went to trial. The book is divided into three sections -- a contextual chapter on the hippie movement, a description of Manson and his followers, and the "confession" of Susan Atkins. Atkins' section is supposed to be in her own words, and while it was probably based on interviews with her, it is pretty obviously written by the author. This book is a heavy-handed and goofy historical document, an extremely quick read, and totally worthwhile if you have any interest in true crime or the Manson Family.
August 8, 2022
This was a super quick read for me since it was so fast paced. Susan’s first hand account of the murders in part 3 really showed how brainwashed and corrupted she was from Charles Manson. As fascinating as it was to hear directly from the murderer, I feel like I would have enjoyed the book more if it also included the detective side of the case as well. There’s probs another book out there with that tho.
January 18, 2015
A quick read (when was the last time I read a book in a day?) of a quickie book: this was obviously published on the cheap and on the fly to capitalize on the notoriety of the crime. It's a pre-trial brief recap of the crime and the people involved (on both sides), and a prison interview with Susan Atkins in which she speaks in Charlie gibberish and recounts her "flashes" of the nights of murder. There are spelling errors (names, in particular) and errors in detail that any amateur Manson historian will pick out immediately, but I suppose in these early days, the facts were emerging on a daily basis.
Schiller, BTW, went on to co-author O.J. Simpson's I Want to Tell You.
Schiller, BTW, went on to co-author O.J. Simpson's I Want to Tell You.
June 3, 2022
2.5/5
Felt a little like reading clickbait but from the 70s lol
Mostly hearsay and makes a lot of assumptions about everything and doesn’t really have sources.
Although, I did like reading the interview with Susan because you get a glimpse into her super scattered state of mind and how brainwashed followers of Manson were. I’m even more pumped to read Helter Skelter next.
Felt a little like reading clickbait but from the 70s lol
Mostly hearsay and makes a lot of assumptions about everything and doesn’t really have sources.
Although, I did like reading the interview with Susan because you get a glimpse into her super scattered state of mind and how brainwashed followers of Manson were. I’m even more pumped to read Helter Skelter next.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews