Reviews

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn

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crlopez2013's review

I don’t know how to rate this one. How can a book be so long and yet say so little? Incredibly detailed, a bit too minute for my preference. The author glossed over some major events. He causally referred to rape of underage girls as “statutory” or saying “she resisted sex” instead of calling it what it us. Would have appreciated more of the female voice. There’s also some pretty blatant racial bias in the writing with constant references of “the Blacks” (as one example). If you’re interested purely in the chronology of events, then this book is for you. Personally I’d hoped for a deeper dive into the psychology of Jim Jones’ behaviors and the members of the people’s temple.

clubtwenty's review against another edition

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5.0

Obviously it’s hard to rate a book like this because the story itself is horrific- in fact, if I didn’t know it was a true story, parts of it would be impossible to believe. However, I could tell the author not only did extensive research, but attempted to report an unbiased accounting of the facts. He painted Jones through a human lens when it’s all too easy to label him a monster and be done with it, which would make it harder to learn the warnings offered by the Peoples Temple and its history and would also show disrespect to Jones’s followers, who thought they could make a difference in this world.

imkevbo's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

5.0

A difficult, yet compelling narrative retelling if a tragic day in the lives of so many led astray.!

lurker_stalker's review

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4.0

I loved Guinn's book on Charles Manson and found this one just as well researched and interesting. I admit that I had a tough time focusing on the book from about halfway on to the end but I think that was my own issue rather than anything having to do with the book or narrator.

It was fascinating to hear first hand accounts of how what started as an organization focused on helping people ended up a deadly cult. I was also surprised by how similar some of the practices and beliefs presented here mirror those of Scientology - separating children from parents, banishing ex-members and not being allowed to have relationships with anyone outside of the church, etc.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever been interested in Peoples Temple or Jim Jones.

rellimreads's review against another edition

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5.0

A lot of the negative reviews were about how long and detailed this book was, but that’s what I appreciated most about it. It’s not just a biography of Jim Jones or the end of Peoples Temple ~ but an in depth look at not only his history and influences, but the history of the lives of his followers. What made them susceptible to the final outcome of mass suicide/murder.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by George Newbern and felt like he really brought the story and people to life. At 17.5 hours, it’s a lengthy listen, but left no doubt to it’s thorough and comprehensive examination of the tragedy of Jonestown.