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Summary: What's Really Scary ... It Reads Like Fiction, But It's Not!
Review: I've always liked just about anything by Vincent Bugliosi .... and Helter Skelter is certainly no exception! As the chief prosecuting attorney in the case of California vs. Charles Manson (and "family"), Mr. Bugliosi gives us every excruciating detail of this fascinating murder case. You're able to really get inside his head and see up close how he successfully prosecuted this famous Hollywood case. Hollywood is a fitting surrounding for this trial too. Sounds like something directly from a screenwriters' notebook! I guess that's what makes the Manson case so compelling -- it sounds too bizarre to be real! I mean, lyrics from a "Beatles" album becoming a major focus?! The tremendous overkill tactics employed by the killers, as they obey their "master" with zombie-like precision! Just simply unbelievable! I'm just glad Mr. Bugliosi was successful in his efforts, and got them off the streets! You'll want to keep turning these pages till the end!
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Summary: Live the investigation and trial: The Manson family murders
Review: -From the day I read of the bloody murders at Sharon Tate's residence, I wanted to understand what happened and WHY?.
--Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor of Charles Manson and 3 of the girls that were his followers, in one of the most controversial trials in the U.S. shows why he must be such a good prosecutor. He guides us through the crime scenes, describes the police investigation, and finally his own investigation when Charles Manson, Tex Watson, Linda Kasabian, Patricia Krenwinkle, Susan Atkins, and Leslie Van Houten were arrested, and preparing for trial.
Not only do we learn WHAT happened, but Bugliosi makes his famous search to uncover the complex motives that allowed this to happen: Charles Manson's mission to cause "Helter Skelter"
Bugliosi clearly lived and breathed this case day after day, and he recounts it so vividly, the reader is part of the invesigation.
-He also gives us valuable information on the trial process. How he struggles to get crucial evidence and testimony admitted, and show the jury beyond any doubt what happened.
He certainly convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt.
-The story is certainly still relevant. The murderers are still in jail, repeatedly requesting parole, we need to reread this book to know they should never be freed.
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Summary: Most interesting
Review: This book by Vincent Bugliosi is by far the best book I have ever read. The Manson murders being the most interesting subject I have ever researched. Being the prosector in the longest trial in American history the author is also an extremly good writer! I recommend this book to anyone and it is well worth the money
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Summary: The most frightening book ever written
Review: I recently saw members of the Manson "family" interviewed on television, and I have no doubt that the remorse displayed by Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel is real, and that they now see the reality of what Manson was and still is, but I also have no doubt that they owe society a great debt, and must stay in prison for the rest of their lives.But Manson? Manson is a different story. I don't get scared easily, but because he remains so paranoid and because of his virulent psychopathology, he is a truly frightening individual, and "Helter Skelter" is the best assessment of his life, psyche, and crimes ever written. "Helter Skelter" is a blow by blow account of the gruesome Tate/LaBianca murders written by the man who, as the prosecuting district attorney, had the disturbing job of being forced to immerse himself in this grisly case for over two years in order to convict the killers. As a result, no one knew, and indeed still knows, the intimate details of this story better than Vincent Bugliosi, and that is why there was no one better qualified to write this book. It is a compelling story which is almost too horrific to be true, but the blood, gore, and savagely mutilated corpses testify to the harrowing sadness of the reality that these crimes really did occur. Indeed, no horror movie could be as frightening, as gory,or as disturbing as the Manson murders, and this book paints a compelling and graphic portrait as to why the perpetrators of these crimes should never be paroled from prison.
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Summary: ====A TRULY STARTLING, AMAZING, WELL-WRITTEN MASTERPIECE====
Review: I highly suggest that everybody read this book. It is, without hesitation, a genuine masterpiece in real life horror. The first page on the book reads: "The Story in Which You Are About to Read Will Scare the Hell Out of You". That is not an understatement. This book literally kept me up at night fearing that someone could just simply walk into my living room at any minute. It was so vividly described that it put the fear of God in me when I could literally picture the entire array of murders accurately inside my head. It is such a horrifying aspect, a sea of thoughts that will forever remain inside your subconsciousness. I guarantee that when you read the passages describing the horrendous Tate/LaBianca murders, you will gradually build the entire picture inside your brain, to the point where you will feel like you are there, looking down on an excruciating scene of human barbarity. Not ONE detail is left to the imagination. You will feel like you are inside the investigation, working with Bugliosi to pinpoint these motives, journeying with the killers step by step as they act out there darkest fantasies. You will begin to second guess "The White Album" and be disturbed by Manson's seemingly psychotic interpretation of it. (Make a point to listen to this album afterwards, and you will feel transported back to the Spahn Ranch where the madness soon ensued) You will feel yourself singing crazy ballads with the Family, you will become ancy inside Susan Atkins' jail cell. You will be scared alongside Linda Kasabian on the long night ride to the Tate house. All these feelings and more will incorporate your senses whilst reading this horrifying story. All I can do to recommend this book enough to you is to say that it stayed with me and disturbed me for years to come. Every time I read this novel, I become obsessed with the events, haunted when I'm lounging around "in the dead of night". Trust me, reading this book is like surviving the events yourself. With its graphic detail and play by play analyzation of every possible occurence, "Helter Skelter" is one of the best true crime novels ever written. I can't suggest a better title for you to read. Be warned, however: Only immerse yourself in this world if you have a desire to be constantly frightened and possess a strong tolerance for graphic descriptions of violence. Not a book for the kiddies! Reviewed by J.C. Hoyt Only the absolute BEST pieces of art recieve the highest rating on the universal scale of stars. Hint, hint.
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Summary: Vince Bugliosi Takes on "Christ" - and Triumphs
Review: In the early months of 1976, my high school sociology teacher told us of a fascinating and horrifying book called "Helter Skelter" that had commanded his rapt attention for months. Published in 1974, "Skelter" was Vincent Bugliosi's riveting true-crime rendering of the notorious Manson family and their murderous crime spree in August 1969. Bugliosi, significantly, was the prosecuting attorney of Manson and his malignant minions and he succeeded - brilliantly - in ridding our society of these senseless savages. I was seventeen years old then, and although I was no stranger to the extremes of human aberrations, I was mute with horror at some of my teacher's revelations. (Sadie Mae Glutz's weird name - and the equally goofy name she gave her newborn son - were the least of her post-partum peculiarities.....Manson family females had to wait until the slobbering canines devoured their meals before they could nourish their own inner children......) Several months later, as a freshman newly transplanted at the University of Kansas precisely seven years after the abominable crimes, I purchased a paperback copy of "Skelter". The prodigiously gifted prosecutor has created a spellbinding re-creation of the events surrounding that long-ago August weekend. Moreover, he has delved into the pathology of Manson and exposed the mass murderer for what he is: a manipulative, savvy, cold-blooded and narcissistic individual - someone who does not deserve to taste freedom - ever. If you think you know everything about what it takes to convict a criminal - especially someone who (cleverly) avoided the crime scene - "Skelter" reveals the protracted, painstaking and dedicated efforts put forth by Bugliosi to convict these deviants. In those pre-O.J. days in L.A., Bugliosi was fortunate to have a jury who listened - without bias - to the truth, to the overwhelming evidence, and to a talented prosecutor's stunning summation. Happily, Bugliosi was victorious, but his accomplishments didn't end with the 1971 verdicts...... Read "Skelter" and learn about the vast research and skill employed by the prosecutor to vanquish his foes (which included a Judge Ito-like milquetoast who referred to Manson's chief assassin as "poor Tex" and nearly derailed the conviction of Charles Watson). Yes, "Skelter" is much ado about Vincent Bugliosi - and rightly so. The prosecutor will forever have my respect, loyalty and admiration for removing these vicious killers from our midst. However, there are valid sociological lessons to be derived from his narrative. Most of Manson's followers (including the would-be messiah himself) endured difficult childhoods. However, a whole lot of us endure wrenching situations. Many seductive and charming people use these traits to lure vulnerable people to their licentious lair - but that doesn't give us license to commit unspeakable crimes. In the end, neither Manson nor his "family" elicit sympathy - not from this reader. In March of 1978, after suffering a nervous breakdown and subsequently enrolling in an out-of-town college that fall, I was accosted on a daily basis by every Hairy Krishna, Moonie, self-professed religious zealot and would-be spiritual savoir on the campus. I couldn't speak very well back then, but I still refused these transparent ministrations - forcefully. Yes, I was disenfranchised. Yes, I was unbearably lonely. Yet I remembered something a wise priest once said, "Remove yourself from the occasion of sin, lest you fall into sin." We should all, no matter what our religious preferences may or may not be, steer clear of false prophets. In the pantheon of sin, Manson was among the very worst of offenders. Not only did he lead his starry-eyed disciples into evil, he exploited them for his own aggrandizement. To be a destroyer of humanity (a transgression that can never be repaid - not in this life) must surely rank among the worst crimes of all. My eternal thanks and gratitude go to Vincent Bugliosi for providing the victims and their families a most precious gift - justice. It can never bring back their loved ones, but as Doris Tate (Sharon Tate's mother) said, "After the convictions, we slept through the night for the first time since Sharons' death." The value of justice can never be adequately measured, just as the lives of those innocents lost can never be restored.
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Summary: Riveting tale of horror
Review: CBS recently ran an absolutely awful made-for-TV movie allegedly based on this book. The movie was a pale imitation of this well written and thought provoking book. Indeed, in my mind, the only thing that book and the movie had in common was the title. In the book, Vincent Bugliosi tells a tale of a bizzare murder and the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement to convict the culprits. As the reader, you "witness" the horrorific crimes through detailed descriptions of the crime scene. But, the violence discussed is not glorified but all too real. The reader also comes to understand the mind of a madman and his followers. And, finally, the reader can appreciate and applaud the efforts of Bugliosi to ensure that justice is served. Helter Skelter is truly one of the best true crime books ever written.
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Summary: Helter Skelter - A must read for any true crime fan
Review: I have read a few books over the years about Charles Manson & his "family", and none of them compare to this one. In fact, this book is what made me a fan of "true crime" books.Vincent Bugliosi did an excellent job in his telling of the crimes & the trial afterwards.This book is best described by one of the first pages in it...."The story you are about to read will scare the hell out of you."
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Summary: An Excellent Book....The Best Ive Ever Read
Review: This book is great from beginning to end. it gives a really detailed description of the murders, the murderers, Charles Manson, the Family, Manson's beliefs, and how the police connected the crimes to him. Anyone who likes true crime will love this book and i would recommend it to everyone. i would also recommend the movie...but id suggest reading the book first because its is a lot more detailed than the movie is and it gives u a better idea of what really happened.
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Summary: Vincent Bugliosi is a genius
Review: I was only a toddler when this happened but now have read and re-read this book a few times and always find it VERY interesting and hard to put down. How they put all this together I find, just fascinating. Although they had a few "squealers" that gave them some breaks but they also had to work very hard to convince a jury of their guilt. I have watched interviews on TV of Leslie VanHouten and Patricia Krenwinkel and even though they seem re-habilitated as long as there are Tate family members alive, I don't think they will ever be let out. And then there's Charlie, what a nutcase!! How one man, (with the help of drugs) could have brain-washed so many people to do whatever he said is mind-boggling. You won't be sorry you read this book, even though at times it will scare you half to death. It is very well written and extremely interesting.
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