Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
Selected Book Details
- Paperback
- Author: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
- Release Date: December 2001
- ISBN-10: 0393322238
- ISBN-13: 9780393322231
- List Price: $14.95
Price Comparisons
E-mail these Cheap Book Prices to a friend!
| Store | Price | Condition | Free Shipping? | Online Coupons and Deals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $5.96 as of 11/21 3pm EST | Used | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Half.com | $5.99 as of 11/21 3pm EST | Used | NO, $3.49 to $3.99 |
| |||
| Amazon | $9.06 as of 11/21 3pm EST | New | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Alibris | $9.06 as of 11/21 3pm EST | New | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Alibris | $9.07 as of 11/21 3pm EST | Used | NO, $3.99 |
| |||
| Half.com | $9.50 as of 11/21 3pm EST | New | NO, $3.49 to $3.99 |
| |||
| Amazon | $10.17 as of 11/21 3pm EST | New | YES, spend $25+ |
| |||
| TextbookX | $11.13 as of 11/21 3pm EST | New | YES, spend $49+ |
| |||
| Alibris | $11.96 as of 11/21 3pm EST | New | YES, Spend $49+ on eligible books |
| |||
| button not working? Click Here | |||||||
Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryA national bestseller—7 million copies sold. Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Here is the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime. 50 pages of b/w photographs. Both Helter Skelter and Vincent Bugliosi's subsequent Till Death Us Do Part won Edgar Allan Poe Awards for best true-crime book of the year. Bugliosi is also the author of Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away with Murder (Norton, 1996) and other books. Curt Gentry, an Edgar winner, is the author of J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets (available in Norton paperback) and Frame-Up: The Incredible Case of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings. |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Rating:
WARNING- This Book might trigger a long term fascination/obsession with this case.
Helter Skelter is an absolutely brilliant and engrossing True Crime book that reads as smoothly as a novel while exploring the countless aspects and characters in this case in an organized easy to follow fashion.
In my opinion the Manson Family phenomenom and the Tate/La Bianca murderers are the most interesting criminal case in American History.
This case encompasses not only the actual crimes but the worlds of Hollywood, the music business, the counter culture youth movement of the 60's with a little apocalypse christianity and white/black relations as well.
Truly amazing stuff and this book depicts it better than any before or since.
It Will Change You
Rating:
My dad bragged to me about how good this book was when he read the original edition, and that it should even be required reading for high school or college students. It takes quite a book to reach that milestone, so I decided to take his advice and read it. As most do, I knew of the infamous Tate-LaBianca homicides and of the Manson Family, but I never took the time to truly understand every detail.
It is a long book, and there is so much information in it that some never finish it, and others just can't possibly comprehend so many pieces put together of what Manson truly believed and preached. I would suggest to any reader that they consider it a challenge to finish it, because it will enlighten them about the whole Manson situation. Do not be discouraged by the high quantity of detail, visions from every aspect.
There was a film created based on the book, but it is nowhere near the same caliber, not even in the same ballpark. In fact, of all the documentaries, interviews, and films about these murders one can encounter combined still do not match up with the whole picture that this book presents. There is no possible way that any screenwriter can condense this mountain of information into a two hour run time. And as Bugliosi says himself, no one would read all of these details in a book if no murders were committed. But because they were, and because of what Bugliosi pieced together, it is worth every bit of a reader's time from cover to cover.
If you are willing to take the time to truly understand Helter Skelter, then by all means read this book. But if you feel you don't have the time to complete it or just can't digest endless amounts of information and detail, then attempt it when you feel you can because this book does not deserve poor reviews from readers who couldn't grasp what it offered. In the end, I have to agree with my dad. It should be required reading, somewhere. It may be too much even for high school minds to absorb, but it should certainly be seen in college.
Mind Blower!
Rating:
This book is absolutely riveting! It seems that only a couple of books a year can hold my attention like this one - which is a shame. I always have a sense of loss after reading a great book. The whole Manson paradigm is so bizarre and twisted that it just blows your mind. I read this book over a long rainy weekend and could not put it down. If you like fascinating stories where reality is stranger than fiction, this is THE book you should read. Top notch!
MANSON'S EVIL ..
Rating:
... polluted what was good about the peace-loving hippies and made them the scurge of the earth. The Manson Murders held the city of Los Angeles in a state of immobilizing fear whose tremors could be felt across the country and beyond. Belagosi's descriptive depiction of this unbelievable series of true events makes this a MUST READ.
Fascinating!
Rating:
Ever since I've read this book, I've been fascinated by Charles Manson. I'd really love to learn more about him in present day and know it is accurate. Vincent Bugliosi should try to conduct current interviews with him. Bugliosi does a wonderful and accurate job of describing the story!
BROWSE BY SUBJECT
- Audiobooks
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Health, Mind & Body
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel