vincent bugliosi curt gentry Helter Skelter - The True Story of the Manson Murders

[lunababymoonchild]

The word Manson conjures up, in this day and age, the rock group Marilyn Manson and their lead singer of the same name - real name Brian Hugh Warner. Known as shock rockers their name is derived from Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. Before this the word Manson denoted only Charles Manson and his notoriety as a mass murderer.

 

This book was written (with help from a co-author) by the man who put them in jail, Vincent Bugliosi and is the story of the murders themselves, Manson's influence and the trial. 

 

The murders came to be known as the Tate-LaBianca murders. On one night five people, including Sharon Tate, actress and wife of Roman Polanski and eight months pregnant, and on the next night Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were all murdered. Most were stabbed to death. Up until this point Manson had spent most of his life in jail and when he wasn't in jail he started a cult which he called The Family, becoming known as The Manson Family. It consisted of vulnerable girls and women and some men, whom Manson manipulated to his own ends. Manson was influenced by the Beatles whom he declared were communicating with him through their music.  Along with other tracks from their 1968 album known as The White Album, "Helter Skelter" was interpreted by Manson as a message predicting inter-racial war in the US. He thought that black people would win but would not know what to do with the power and would resort to him yo lead them.

 

On trial were : Charles Manson, Charles Watson, Susan Atkins, Patrica Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten. They were each sentenced to the death penalty in 1972 before their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment the following year. Leslie Van Houten has just been released. Charles Watson is still incarcerated, Charles Manson and Susan Atkins have died, Patrica Krenwinkel is still incarcerated.

 

This is a very long book, some 949 pages, but I found it absolutely fascinating. It's very well written and easy to understand and the most surprising thing that I found out was that Manson was a member of Scientology (itself something of a cult back then, I think) and had managed to reach their highest level.  

 

Recommended.

Edited August 5, 2023 by lunababymoonchild

[KEV67]

It sounds horrific. Intelligent and charismatic nutters, just what you need. I liked Quentin Tarrantino's alternative history of it, Once Upon a Time in L.A., although it was a bit long.

[lunababymoonchild]

I have seen a documentary on this and the very young people in it were absolutely shocking in their total devotion to Manson, lack of control and willingness to be violent.

 

I'd heard of Manson before, of course, and I have seen other bits and pieces along the way but I didn't know that he was in Scientology and Bugliosi also thinks that Manson's father may well have been black, and that Manson suspected that - we'll never know now, of course - and that's where the race war part of it came from. 

 

Despite the fact that the e-book was 949 pages long it didn't take long to read it.