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)

Chilling

This book is an exceptional nonfiction true crime book. It was powerful and chilling. Fantastic read.

Facts from the prosecuting attorney

This story has fascinated me for years & this book goes beyond the movie or any interview you have ever seen. The inflections used by the man reading makes you feel like it is the author reading it himself. Manson's denial of involvement due to his psychotic mind is explained throughout & the follow up of all the people involved is fascinating!! I admit to pulling up the pictures available of the crimes in order to feel the depth of the crimes committed. I felt it necessary to feel the pain of the victims families. The sloppiness of the LA investigators is shocking!! To believe that such a crime was not given proper attention is almost as disturbing as Manson himself. This book is long but very enthralling.

Disgusting but Like a Time Capsule

The devil is in the details. It's a long haul but "hard to put down" in literal book sense. Fathers, don't leave your daughters. That's a big thing I learned from this episode. And now there's Aquarius on NBC and many confused viewers since this all was before their time and way out of context.

Great book made better by Audible

Would you listen to Helter Skelter again? Why?

Yes, an engrossing and entertaining book is meant to be read again and again and this falls under both categories.

What did you like best about this story?

I read this book for the first time in 1975 when I was 15 years old. I happened to be in LA visiting family when the murders occured so I had more than a bit of interest in the story. Hearing it gave me more detail and the afterword of 25 years later was very interesting.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

He used some inflections and mild accents so you can tell the difference between the characters in conversations. I appreciated that.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing extreme, some chuckles at some of the humerous parts of the story (the story itself isn't humorous but some of the characters were). I recall cringing a bit at some of the details of the murders, I think being older it bothered me more than when I was 15.

Any additional comments?

Since the copywrite was 2010, I had hoped for more information, such as the death of Susan Atkins and other details but I was satisfied with the book and thanks so much to Audible!

highly recommend to anyone who likes nonfiction

great good, scott brick is my all time favorite narrator, and love anything he reads. 10/10 for me.

Great book

This book was very good if I had one complaint it was sometimes a little tedious but I guess it had to be that way in order to tell you the whole story narrative was great as well

Amazing True Crime Book!

I absolutely loved the in-depth coverage of the case from someone who was so involved with the case. I thought I knew about the Tate-LaBianca murders, but I learned so much! I appreciate how factual it was without a lot of sensationalism. A fascinating read (or listen)!

Revisited

I read this book when it first came out and was enthralled and horrified. That was 50 years ago!
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking the truth and unvarnished accounting of Manson and his 'family'. The performance is well canted and nailbiting.

Worth reading for anyone interested in the Manson murders

This is a very well written book with a good sense of the chronology of events. The author does a good job of reminding you of who the players are and what there role in events is without being overly repetitive. It’s an interesting true crime tale that is gripping without being too sensational.

THE book to read about the Tate/Labianca murders

Seriously, don't start with any other book but this. this will be the cornerstone for everything you want to know about August 1969 in Hollywood Ca. well written by Bugliosi and narrated by Scott Brick it is well worth a credit.