Helter Skelter Book

1969 was the end of an era, and the beginning of another. Post-WWII America up against Vietnam America as society rolls over from clean cut, white picket fences to long hair and free love. While every decade ends differently than it began, the 60s might be even more so than others when it comes to society, pop culture, and government. While 1969 stands out in my mind as one of the most important years of our time, it wasn't until I read Helter Skelter that I realized how much happened at the end of that summer:

• Woodstock - August 15th-17th
• Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the Moon - July 20th
• Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick - July 18th
• Beatles crossing Abbey Road photo taken - August 8th
• Tate-LaBianca (Manson Family) Murders - August 8th-9th

While humanity had proven its ability to produce madness, one of the most insane and well publicized is the Manson Family and their reign of terror in Southern California in the late 1960s and the legacy that still haunts us today. While I was somewhat familiar with Manson and the crimes committed by his followers, It was not until I read Helter Skelter that I realized all the facts. Believe me, if you think what you know already is horrifying, just wait until you get the whole story.

Bugliosi is one of the most famous attorneys and true crime authors of our time. The fact that he was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial gave him a first hand view of the proceedings. Because of this, Helter Skelter is probably the most well researched and presented true crime stories I have ever read. It even sounds like Manson was more impressed with Bugliosi than his own defense attorneys!

Now, a caveat here - if you like your true crime to be more of a retelling and less of a deep dive into the details or if you prefer a lighter/abridged story (something that might fit into an hour long show on the Investigation Discovery Channel), then this may not be the book for you. While the crimes are discussed, the majority of the book is the trial, the evidence, and interviews with the witnesses. Truly, this is not a book for the casual True Crime fan; this is only for the hardcore. I have seen some abridged copies of this book out there, perhaps they are best suited if you are not ready to commit to something this intense.

If you are ready for music, madness, and murder and want ALL the details - you must check this book out!