Helter Skelter

The True Story of the Manson Murders

By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

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 20th 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? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.

©1974 Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi, Afterword 1994 by Vincent Bugliosi (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“One of the best crime stories ever written.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

Fantastic listen

if you've ever wondered about the details of this historic murder case then this is the book for you.

The best true crime book out there

This was my first true crime book and is still my favorite. Bugliosi does an amazing job of detailing each crime and giving a background on each victim and suspect. It so well organized and the pacing of the book never feels boring. Scott Brick is one of the best narrators and provides an excellent performance here. The Manson family did unspeakable things, but at least some justice was served. Bugliosi's personal involvement in the story and storytelling ability makes this a must-listen to any fan of true crime.

Impressive and excellent

I first started reading this book in the 80's but it was so upsetting that I stopped after the first few chapters. I guess I've changed over the years, because this time I was totally enthralled.

I came away from this experience realizing that 1) Vincent Bugliosi was a genius at law; 2) the LAPD blew this case so much, it was almost unbelievable (like shaking-your-head unbelievable at how inept they were, or were they simply lazy and didn't care?); 3) there was a lot that happened behind-the-scenes that I never knew - example: I didn't realize that Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, the girl who attempted to assassinate Gerald Ford, was a linchpin in the Manson "Family" and took his place as head of the Family after he was jailed - 4) there were many more people killed by the Family than those in the Tate/LaBianca murders. Bugliosi goes into great detail about those in the epilogue portion of the book, stating that perhaps as many as 60 were murdered by them through the 70's; 5) also realizing that if it weren't for Bugliosi's independent investigation at the time, Manson and his family would have gotten away with murder.

This is a good book to have in your car while you're commuting because it's long and there are lots of details, Scott Brick did an outstanding job of narrating it, especially with the sometimes endless details about the case - altho I have to say it was seldom that I was bored with those details. I've served on juries, and it's hard to imagine being sequestered for the 9 months it took for the trial to end.

The details of the Tate-LaBianca murders can be difficult to hear, but I highly recommend Helter Skelter.

A totally compelling perspective!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of Helter Skelter to be better than the print version?

Considering that I have very little time to read printed editions, I always consider the Audible version of a book to be invaluable.

What other book might you compare Helter Skelter to and why?

believe it or not, I consider the parallels between Charles Manson and Adolf Hitler to be significant (and rather scary).Who would have ever considered that to psychopaths of this magnitude could have risen to the public forefront in the same century!

Have you listened to any of Scott Brick’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to Scott Brick, but I will be on the look out for more of his work!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Once I started listening to this book, it was VERY hard to put it down.

Any additional comments?

This is an awesome piece of history performed by a wonderful reader. Definitely worth the time!

Still Shocking, Still Fascinating

Absolutely the most compelling and important book about criminal law, the justice system, and of course heinous crimes.

What a story, so sad that it is all TRUE!

If you enjoy true crime, this is a must listen. Scott Brick does a great narration, as he always does. This story gives new meaning to the saying, "Truth is stranger than fiction." Charles Manson, of course, is still in prison in California. Many of the remaining persons involved in these crimes are still living, too. This is a shocking story and the author calls Manson the most frightening murderer in American history. Listen to the story and see if you agree.

Fascinating and timely in light of the Boston Mara

I hope the prosecutors handling the Boston Marathon Bombing trial have listened to this. This is a fascinating story of true crime, investigation and legal procedure. I strongly advise you to spend your credits and time on this book.

Detailed look into Manson trial

Always wondered what it was all about. This book delivers a methodical and complete walkthrough of the Manson Family and the Manson trial. The author, Bugliosi, comes off as incredibly thorough and diligent. Manson comes off as a crazy person. Well work the read.

Excellent timeline!

This book keeps me awake every night while I wait to hear an even more disgusting fact about this case. I was only ten years old when this happened and the news was so much less forthcoming of the facts. I remember feeling disgusted that an actress had her baby stripped from her stomach while being brutelly murdered, but that didn't really happen at all. I wanted to read the facts of the story as an adult, so I could try to understand what really happened. It's really a gut wrenching portrayal of the real murders and amazing how the people committing these murders can be so brainwashed.

Manson was a true serial killer and bought his due reward. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to read the book, so you can skip some of the gory details.

I would recommend this book for anyone that wants to know the real inside story of what happened to these innocent people. The timeline keeps you on track, while you try to understand and grasp the whole situation.

Little to long and drawn out.

Any additional comments?

This book was good and was interesting but the only problem I had was that it was a little to long and drawn out, it could have been condensed to about 15-18 hrs. There was just a lot of detail, a little to much for me, but if you're a person who really likes crime books and law and a lot of detail this ones for you. The narrator was what bothered me the most, I read another book, "devil in the white city," narrated buy Scott and if I would have noticed that he did this book I probably would not have got it. I thinks its just the tone of voice he reads it in but the whole time he reads it and ends the sentences, paragraphs, and chapters as if there is some big shock or surprise coming up or some big plot twist and, spoiler alert, theres not. The story is like a documentary and is straight forward with most of the information but he reads it as if is some fiction book and has all these hidden surprises.