Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Rating:
Summary: A frightening, destructive close to the idealistic 60's
Review: "If this was not a proper case for the death penalty, no case ever would be." In that one sentence, Vincent Bugliosi sums up exactly how horrific, senseless and sadistic these murders were. This is definitely not a case study for the squeamish, and Bugliosi leaves no stone unturned in his prosecution, as well as his investigation, of the Manson murders.

Co-author Curt Gentry narrates the first half of the book in the omniscient third-person, informing readers of the stark facts. On August 9, 1969, 10050 Cielo Drive went from being Sharon Tate's "love house" to a slaughter house where 5 victims (Tate, her friends Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowsky, and an unknown bystander, Steven Parent) were stabbed repeatedly, and in some cases, shot. The most horrifying image is the death of Sharon herself, who was nearly nine months pregnant, and in her most vulnerable state. The following night, August 10, Rosemary & Leno LaBianca were the victims of the massacre. Aside from the graphic nature of the crimes, messages had been printed in blood. Among them was a mispelled one: "Healter Skelter".

Gentry gives details on the LAPD investigation. At times, the police come off as the Keystone Kops with their obvious mistakes (for instance, an officer presses the gate buzzer at the Tate residence, obliterating the bloody fingerprint originally left there). In other instances, some officers are shown to be thorough in their interviewing techniques and investigations (most notably Dianne Lake, a former member of the Manson family).

When Gentry begins to unravel the horrors of one Charles Manson, a small-time pimp and criminal who had spent most of his life in federal prison, the narration is at its most compelling. Eventually, one of the perpetrators of the "Helter Skelter" murders, Susan Atkins aka Sadie Mae Glutz, blabs to her cellmates once too often, and (thankfully) gets the killers arrested. Bugliosi gets assigned to the case.

Bugliosi apologizes for the abrupt change in the narration, since he picks it up in the first person singular. However, his ability to relate the details of the case, the personalities of the killers and victims, the forgotten clues, interviews with understandably frightened witnesses, and his analysis of the dynamics of the Manson Family will soon make the reader forget this change in the "voice". Bugliosi is a trial lawyer who puts 150% into his work, and to read his account of why he had to prove motive, how he got the maximum amount of information from his witnesses, etc., is to read a masterpiece. It's rare to see any lawyer that dedicated to his job. Bugliosi not only has an eye for details that are seemingly unimportant at first, he also has the ability to articulate the main points of the case in a manner which is easily understood by someone unfamiliar with criminal law--a rare combination. The trial was almost as bizarre as the murder, with the defendants behaving as if they were unruly students in a classroom, and laughing at inappropriate times. The most unforgettable moment would have to be Manson's attempted attack on the judge, as his co-defendants admiringly looked on. Those 3 women, as well as the other Manson family members (including the prosecution witnesses), believed that Charlie had magic powers. Considering that he and his four co-defendants were found guilty and got the death penalty, only to have the death penalty overturned by the U. S. Supreme Court, it would seem that maybe Manson DID.

In the afterword, Bugliosi goes on to name other unsolved murder cases in which the Manson family members are suspects (there are possibly about 40 victims in all, or even more). His eloquent trial arguments are a reminder of what could have happened if this case had been assigned to a lawyer who DIDN'T always have his eye on the ball. The scariest thing about these cases is that Manson could have easily walked, given the initial lack of concrete evidence. Bugliosi is probably the all-time champion prosecutor when it comes to circumstantial evidence cases. For another one of these books, check out another one of his books, "Till Death Us Do Part". His final argument is so concise and thorough in the way it covers every possible issue, it must certainly rank among one of the finest arguments in U. S. history.

Rating:
Summary: Some interesting moments.
Review: 'Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders' is an examination of Charles Manson and his cult and the bizzare trial that occurred during the late 1960s and early 1970s. I read the book to see what the Charles Manson hype was all about. There was some interesting moments, but most people in this generation would not be impressed with someone like Manson. It is surprising that he was able to hold the power over those people like he did.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
Summary: Intrigued by the Devil
Review: A close friend of mine was reading Helter Skelter about a year and a half ago, and up until then I honestly had never even HEARD of Charles Manson. One night, my friend read to me a couple pages of while Manson and Bugliosi were in court, and he read to me some things that manson had said. It was all really intriguing so a few months back I happened to see Helter Skelter in chapters, and on a whim I picked it up. I could NOT put it down. I have never read a true crime book, or anything even close to a book like that...and it was amazing. Amazing in a very scary, messed up way. I recommend this to anyone who is a little intrigued as to who Charles Manson was and what views he had. It was a really good book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most harrowing crime stories ever...
Review: I first read "Helter Skelter" the same summer I read "In Cold Blood." Both books left indelible images in my psyche and ensured I would never look at the world of crime and investigation the same again.

I've never read a book quite like HS since. Bugliosi and Gentry have written a taught and gripping blow-by-blow account of the two seemingly unconnected streams of events, the Tate/La Bianca murders and Manson's cult, how they horribly intersected and the breathtaking resolution.

Bugliosi's reminiscences provide both the personal anguish that the investigation caused him and his family and the urgent immediacy that gripped him and the community to see that justice was finally done.

Unforgettable and unflinching, "Helter Skelter" forces us to look into the eyes of evil and learn more about ourselves.

See also my reviews of the "Helter Skelter" TV movie and the audio book version.

Rating:
Summary: Still packs a punch
Review: I first read "Helter Skelter" the same summer I read "In Cold Blood." Both books left indelible images in my psyche and ensured I would never look at the world of crime and investigation the same again.

I've never read a book quite like HS since. Bugliosi and Gentry have written a taught and gripping blow-by-blow account of the two seemingly unconnected streams of events, the Tate/La Bianca murders and Manson's cult, how they horribly intersected and the breathtaking resolution.

Bugliosi's reminiscences provide both the personal anguish that the investigation caused him and his family and the urgent immediacy that gripped him and the community to see that justice was finally done.

Unforgettable and unflinching, "Helter Skelter" forces us to look into the eyes of evil and learn more about ourselves.

See also my reviews of the "Helter Skelter" TV movie and the audio book version.

Rating:
Summary: Great for facts and court, but...
Review: If what you want is an avalanche of factual detail about the Tate/LaBianca/Hinman murders, the investigation surrounding those murders, and the trials of Manson and some of his Family members, this is the book for you. It's clear that Bugliosi is a gifted prosecutor with a keen eye for detail and organizational abilities worthy of an Army quartermaster on campaign. The guy didn't miss a trick, and his version of events is compelling.

The book, however, would be more compelling by far if Bugliosi understood the meaning of the word "humble." In every facet of the investigation, in every recorded moment of the trial, he is right, and anyone who didn't have his ability with details and organization is wrong. I suppose the problem with exceptionally gifted people is that they often have little patience for those who operate at lesser levels.

Bugliosi's descriptions of the trial and the Everest-like proportions of evidence that needed to be sifted through, make it clear that it all he could do--with the help of LAPD, LASO, and other jurisdictions' police departments--to get his fact investigation taken care of. Certainly, had he not had different police detectives working for him, he never would have been able to present the case as he did. Yet he seems to think that the Manson Family defense attorneys should have been able to keep up with him and realize the significance of everything just as he did. He gives barely a nod to the fact that it was one's first trial, another had never won a trial before, all of them were working hard in a situation where they were probably under threat of their lives, and *none* of them were getting paid much if anything for their work.

Bugliosi had police protection, a guaranteed salary, and information that trickled in over a period of months, leaving him time to assess it for worth. The defense attorneys had clients whose friends just might do more than threaten them if things went bad, wre making little if any money while expending much of their own, and were given information in huge batches that likely overwhelmed them and likely dimmed the significance of any one particular thing. The prosecutor, regardless of discovery rules, has far more of an advantage over the defense than Bugliosi seems willing to admit.

If you take the book at face value, you will probably come to the conclusion that everyone involved in the Manson prosecution and defense, except for Bugliosi, is either foolish, lazy, or stupid. However, if you read it with the intention of picking up the facts of the case and the details of the trial, you will come out of the experience with a great deal of knowledge and the opinion that Bugliosi, maybe, just can't help coming off sounding like a tool.

Rating:
Summary: True Crime at its best
Review: One of the most chilling books I've ever read. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Warning: Sleepless nights
Review: The first time I read this book was the summer before I started middle school, it scared me to death! I recently read it again and it still has the same creepy vibe it did way back then. I remember it taught me a lot about police procedures, investigation and the legal process as a kid. It is a must read even though years later the motive Bugolosi based his case on has been denied by many of the killers, the reader can make up their own mind. Read this with the doors locked and all the lights on!

Rating:
Summary: I wil surely go to heven,because the hell hasbeen scared out
Review: This book is about the closest you can come - or would ever want to come - to understanding Charles Manson's warped ideology - an ideology that ultimately led to some of the most devastating crimes in American history. I found "Helter Skelter" to be an intriguing and emotionally draining read; once you become embroiled in the story behind the Manson murders, there's no escaping. As others have said in their reviews, this is a book that truly stays with you long after you've closed it, raising some important questions about justice and the very fine line that separates genius from madness. This is one of those rare true crime stories that seldom falls victim to sensationalism, but rather presents the case as exactly what it was: a complicated, mind-blowing, and senseless tragedy whose tremors are still felt today.