Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry - Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

Pros: answers the hows and whys of the Manson murders
Cons: leaves no stone unturned, to the point of being Michener-lengthy and wordy sometimes

This book was written by one of the prosecuting attorneys in the Manson trials (there were many trials, as there were many defendents). All I knew about Manson before I read this book was that he was some crazy dude who had the ability to talk other ...

Pros: Horrifying and intriguing
Cons: A little exploitative

Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" is a frightening, compelling true-crime story that mirrors the process of a crime's investigation. Building on bits of evidence, we're led right into the crime's solution...and the solution is even more...

Pros: Chronological; detailed; extremely easy to understand. Best book on this case.
Cons: Legalistic viewpoint only; gory and sexually explicit; profanity is not spared.

There are very few books that I have picked up and been completely hooked with only one line. This book is one of them. While there is plenty of drizzle on the cover, with everyone in the world calling it the greatest book ever, it took only one line ...

Pros: Gives good explicit description and things to ponder on.
Cons: Sometimes the book becomes some sort of a police report.

Our society accumulated so much rage in such a short period of time without recycling it so why are we still wondering about school shootings and serial killers. We as a society produced them. There is this very actual question now--why our kids shooting...

Pros: Fascinating novel which reveals info. many are interested in
Cons: Writer toots his own horn a little

Vincent Bugliosi was apparently born with an amazing reservoir of talent. I have never read a factual novel with so much gusto before. The combination of writing skills with the fascinating subject of Charles Manson has created a chilling novel that I...

Pros: Best true crime book ever written
Cons: Really frightening

"Helter Skelter" was the first true crime book I ever read, and I have yet to find one that measures up to it. Initially I was going to use it to take notes for a project I was doing in my business law class, but I became so mesmerized that I...

Pros: Highly talented work for its time..
Cons: poor facts...one sided

I read Helter Skelter in my teens for the purpose of startling my teachers in school. I reread Helter Skelter when I went to college and did my thesis on "The Minds of Madmen" and I learned that this book was a controversial description of the...

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The trial described in HELTER SKELTER has the distinction of being the longest criminal trial in California before the OJ Simpson criminal trial took place. HELTER SKELTER itself describes the entire criminal process, from the discovery of the bodies...