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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Staggering account of the horrendous brutality committed by a group of people in southern California alongside the mind-blowing negligence and utter incompetence of a police force. I'm honestly not sure which aspect baffled me more. Detailed, well-written, and intense.
I’m left without words after reading this. Vincent did an extraordinary job of laying out the case and the evidence while doing a play by play on he successfully convicted the Manson family include Charles Manson. The most chilling part was not only the reputation Manson left behind as probably one of the most infamous of all criminals, but that there were people out there (and still are today) who supported him. Truly chilling.
I think this is an excellent book for anyone interested on learning about Manson and his whole deal.
if you're like myself, and just know a tiny bit about the case, this is perfect to put you up to date. I thought the book was very complete and informative. while doing my research on what book about Manson to read, I saw some people discrediting this and calling it "full of lies" but every single thing said seemed very well proven and justified so I have actually no reason to doubt it.
some parts can be a tad boring, like the trial, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. it was well written and not only full of data, as it could easily be. I specially loved the epilogue and the afterword, where it's often reflected on why Manson is still such a cult figure even today.
fascinating read
if you're like myself, and just know a tiny bit about the case, this is perfect to put you up to date. I thought the book was very complete and informative. while doing my research on what book about Manson to read, I saw some people discrediting this and calling it "full of lies" but every single thing said seemed very well proven and justified so I have actually no reason to doubt it.
some parts can be a tad boring, like the trial, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. it was well written and not only full of data, as it could easily be. I specially loved the epilogue and the afterword, where it's often reflected on why Manson is still such a cult figure even today.
fascinating read
I've had this in my 'want to read' list for about two years, since my friend Christa read and reviewed it on her blog, but knowing very little about the Manson murders it was never top of my list. Having said that, when it came up in one of Audible's £3 sales, I snapped it up, and then it sat in my library waiting to have it's day in court so to speak.
It wasn't until it was picked as the next read in my true crime book club that that day finally came. And I have to say, that having watched Once Upon A Time In Hollywood since reading Christa's review and adding this book to my 'want to read' list, my interest in the subject matter had definitely risen.
However, it was only on listening to this story that I realised just how much I still didn't know about it. And more importantly, I had no idea JUST how BONKERS it all was.
For those who don't know, over the space of two nights in 1969 several murders were committed in Los Angeles - most notably that of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, and actress Sharon Tate - that baffled police. They seemed to be related, but not, and for a long time were investigated by two separate police departments who had no idea about the other murders similarities.
It's worth noting that the police investigation comes across as so unbelievably inept in this book, that I am honestly surprised that not only were the murderers eventually caught, but that they actually managed to prosecute them. So much was done wrong, or not done at all, it's honestly a wonder that Manson and his family were convicted at all.
It's also worth noting, and I know this is something Christa struggled with when reading the book, that this is a book very heavily based on the court case. It was written by the prosecutor for the trial in 1970 - Vincent Bugliosi - and so the majority of the book either takes place in the court or during the investigation into the murders, most of which he undertook himself because the police didn't have a clue what they were doing.
I don't know if maybe the audio format makes this stuff snappier than it was in writing but I really enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish. I loved finding out more about the case, hearing the background on Manson and the family, and all the drama that went on in court. I thought it was fascinating and crazy and I couldn't wait to hear what would happen next.
We've got our book club discussion coming up tomorrow and I'm excited to get to talk about it with others who have read it, and hear what they also thought. It's certainly one that won't leave me for a long time to come.
It wasn't until it was picked as the next read in my true crime book club that that day finally came. And I have to say, that having watched Once Upon A Time In Hollywood since reading Christa's review and adding this book to my 'want to read' list, my interest in the subject matter had definitely risen.
However, it was only on listening to this story that I realised just how much I still didn't know about it. And more importantly, I had no idea JUST how BONKERS it all was.
For those who don't know, over the space of two nights in 1969 several murders were committed in Los Angeles - most notably that of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, and actress Sharon Tate - that baffled police. They seemed to be related, but not, and for a long time were investigated by two separate police departments who had no idea about the other murders similarities.
It's worth noting that the police investigation comes across as so unbelievably inept in this book, that I am honestly surprised that not only were the murderers eventually caught, but that they actually managed to prosecute them. So much was done wrong, or not done at all, it's honestly a wonder that Manson and his family were convicted at all.
It's also worth noting, and I know this is something Christa struggled with when reading the book, that this is a book very heavily based on the court case. It was written by the prosecutor for the trial in 1970 - Vincent Bugliosi - and so the majority of the book either takes place in the court or during the investigation into the murders, most of which he undertook himself because the police didn't have a clue what they were doing.
I don't know if maybe the audio format makes this stuff snappier than it was in writing but I really enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish. I loved finding out more about the case, hearing the background on Manson and the family, and all the drama that went on in court. I thought it was fascinating and crazy and I couldn't wait to hear what would happen next.
We've got our book club discussion coming up tomorrow and I'm excited to get to talk about it with others who have read it, and hear what they also thought. It's certainly one that won't leave me for a long time to come.
I wish I had words to describe how I feel about this book, but I don't. I have learned things about Charles Manson that I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing.
It's a good book though. A great insight on his control over those people
It's a good book though. A great insight on his control over those people
Outstanding read-- not for the faint of heart, though. As the author (Bugliosi) was the prosecuting attorney for Manson's trial, he delivers an honest, detailed and holistic account of not only the horrific murders, but also the culture of the late 60s, the trial itself, the manipulations of Manson, and the effects this trial had on our culture. A straightforward account from Bugliosi provides the readers an in depth look as to what actually happened, the fortunate and unfortunate. The amount of time and energy that Bugliosi put not only in the trial but also this book makes for an outstanding read. Surprisingly, the afterword (written in 1994) provides a sense of closure (and spoiler) many of Manson's followers have renounced him, providing a bit of hope for the readers after all.
I have to admit that I was a bit let down by this book considering the great reviews it got. I felt like I must have missed something and it turns out I did. I picked up the audio version from the library through Overdrive and didn't realize that it was abridged until after I finished listening to it. I checked the page count on Goodreads and realized that there was no way anyone could read a 600+ page book in 6 hours, even if 50 pages are pictures. According to Audible the full book is 26 hours of listening. I'm definitely going to have to come back around and actually read this.
Fascinating. Like passing an accident on the highway ... you don't want to look, but you do anyway -- and you can't look away.
After I read The Girls by Emma Cline (which I read not knowing that it was a book about a fictionalized version of of the murders) my dad told me that I should read Helter Skelter if I wanted to learn about the Manson murders.
I found parts of this book a little hard to follow, but as I read on I realized it was just because the case was so complicated and strange. I think having the prosecutors perspective was really valuable.
Also, GO LINDA! She’s a queen
I found parts of this book a little hard to follow, but as I read on I realized it was just because the case was so complicated and strange. I think having the prosecutors perspective was really valuable.
Also, GO LINDA! She’s a queen