The Shocking True Story Behind the Manson Family Murders: Helter Skelter

BB: I have been searching for this book for awhile. To find it on here made me happy and at a good price too.

United States on Sep 30, 2023

tracy: Excellent book

Canada on Sep 10, 2023

Ralph: Scared the hell out of me but absolutely loved it. Had to own it.

United States on Aug 31, 2023

Jennifer P. Khazem: I’ve had this book twice in the past and lost those so just got my new copy. Pretty much tells what happened and how the killers were found and brought to justice due to the fact that Susan Atkins could not bear to shut her mouth in jail. Very good read but you’ll have to read for yourselves as I have forgotten the rest.

United States on Jul 10, 2023

Brendan Ryan: "Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders" by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry is a chilling and meticulously detailed account of one of the most infamous crime sprees in American history. This true crime masterpiece delves into the sinister mind of Charles Manson and the cult-like following he commanded, providing a comprehensive examination of the Manson Family and their heinous acts.

Bugliosi, the lead prosecutor in the Manson trial, offers an insider's perspective and firsthand knowledge of the case, lending credibility and authenticity to the narrative. The authors painstakingly reconstruct the events leading up to the murders, the investigation, and the subsequent trial, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the shocking crimes and the complex web of motivations behind them.

What sets "Helter Skelter" apart is its meticulous attention to detail. Bugliosi and Gentry present a wealth of evidence, testimonies, and interviews, painting a vivid picture of the Manson Family and the cultural climate of the late 1960s. The authors skillfully weave together multiple narratives, exploring the backgrounds and motivations of both the victims...

Spain on May 23, 2023

Italo: Un libro da leggere per conoscere una storia tanto assurda quanto reale. Gli autori riescono ad utilizzare un linguaggio che, fra il romanzo ed il rapporto di polizia, restituisce un quadro sconcertante del fatto di cronaca. Ciò che viene descritto è, sostanzialmente. quanto avviene quando mondi paralleli e apparentemente distanti, si incrociano. Una cruda fotografia di una società in cui i protagonisti di un mondo scintillante si trovano, casualmente, ad affrontare quelli di una comunità ai margini, nella quale crimine comune e fanatismo dettano come vievere e come uccidere.

Italy on Dec 11, 2022

Arah-Lynda Hay: "It was so quiet, one of the killers would later say, you could almost hear the sound of ice rattling in cocktail shakers in the homes way down in the canyon.
The canyons above Hollywood and Beverly Hills play tricks with sounds.  A noise clearly audible a mile away may be indistinguishable at a few hundred feet.
It was hot that night."

Before the sun rose on August 9, 1969 in Bel Air at 10050 Cielo Drive five people lay horrifically and brutally slain.  Some would say that since one of the victims was in the final stages of pregnancy  that the actual count was six.  What was not in doubt was that 10050 Cielo Drive looked like a human slaughterhouse.  On the front door, written in the blood of one of the victims ( later determined to be that of Sharon Tate) was the word “Pig”.  The Los Angeles Police Department found no evidence of sexual molestation or mutilation. There were no indications of ransacking or robbery.  No apparent motive could be found.

The following night of August 10,1969 two more victims were found at 3301 Waverly Drive, both brutally slaughtered.  Writing in blood appeared in three places; on the...

Canada on Oct 23, 2016

S Riaz: This true crime classic was published in 1974. The author, Victor Bugliosi, was Deputy District Attorney in L.A. and responsible for prosecuting the Tate-LaBianca murders. As this book was published a fairly short time after the actual events, it has a real immediacy, and Bugliosi's insider knowledge makes the reading experience extremely interesting.

The book opens with the murders, which are difficult to read about even after so long. On Saturday 9th August, 1969, screams and gunshots were heard from 10050 Cielo Drive. The bodies of actress Sharon Tate, heavily pregnant, Abigail Folger, heiress to a coffee fortune, Voytek Frykowski, a playboy, Jay Sebring, a celebrity hair stylist and Steve Parent, only eighteen, and caught up in events after visiting William Garretson, who lived in the nearby guest cottage to keep an eye on things for the owner of the house and care for his dogs, were discovered the next day by housekeeper Winifred Chapman. Garretson had not even heard the shots or screams reported by nearby neighbours, possibly as he was playing music loudly, although he did recall that the handle of his door was turned down, as though someone tried to enter the...

United Kingdom on Feb 23, 2015

DG: To begin this review, I must explain that I do not normally read books in the True Crime genre. In fact, this is the first and only True Crime book I have read. My reading interests are traditionally geared towards philosophical, religious and historical texts. I became interested in Charles Manson after watching some of his interviews about spirituality on YouTube. I picked up Helter Skelter because it appeared to be the most critically acclaimed text on the subject of Charles Manson. If you are someone who is simply looking for a gripping, page-turning story about murder and mayhem, BUY THIS BOOK. It is a well-written and accurate factual chronicle of the Manson murders that is every bit as good as all the other reviews on Amazon say. (Be aware, however, that this book is dated. A lot of information about the murders have come out since this book was published, and even the updated new versions don't cover the new material in any great depth.) If I were reviewing this book strictly on the quality of the story told, I would award it 5-stars.

Having said that, this book could have been much more engaging. It is simply that, a well-written factual chronicle of the Manson...

United States on Aug 12, 2012

Claudine Wolk: I have always been a true crime novel fan. I have devoured Ann Rule and Joe McGinniss. I am not alone. Over the holidays I had a conversation with another fellow true crime fan. She asked if I had ever read Vincent Bugliosi's novel, Helter Skelter, the true story of the Manson Family murders. I hadn't. Truth is, I had kind of been afraid to read it. When the murders took place I was only a toddler. I do however, remember the TV mini-series "Helter Skelter", based on the book and feeling, well, freaked out. I've had the book Helter Skelter on the back-burner of my brain for years to read. Well, I finally took the plunge.

The book Helter Skelter embodies my two favorite reasons for reading true crime. Number one, I love to learn the psychology of the murders - why the murderers may have done what they did. Number two, I love to read how the prosecutors and detectives used their knowledge, experience, and hard work to solve the crimes and prosecute the criminals. For those unfamiliar to the case, and really, how could you be, The Manson Family headed by Charles Manson, went on a killing rampage in Los Angeles in August 1969 brutally murdering seven people. Vincent Bugliosi,...

United States on Jan 10, 2010