I had previously read Guinn's book on Charles Manson and continue to think it's one of the best books I've read this century. When I saw this new book on Jim Jones, I just knew it was a must-read for me. Jones and Manson are similar in that they were both cult leaders and thought they were God, but the similarity ends there. I really knew little about Jones before reading this book, even though I've seen 2 TV documentaries on him this year alone. Guinn's book delves deep into the person Jones was before he became egomaniacal. This is something mostly left out of his history. I was amazed to find out that he wasn't religious but rather communist, that he was a successful politician early on and did a lot for the poor and ending segregation in Indianapolis. It's hard to say but he did a lot of good in his life. This book is written in an engaging manner and flows like a novel. Guinn unravels the story of a very complicated and delusional man. Finally, he poses the question, was Jones always evil or did he become that way over time? I'm impressed with Guinn as an author and have already ordered his earlier book on Bonnie and Clyde, a subject I am deeply interested in. I'm only giving this a four as I have to compare it to "Manson", which is the better book.

Disturbing and fascinating at the same time! The tragedy that took place at Jonestown in Guyana has continued to haunt American history since it took place in 1978. I had just entered my teens when it took place and I have always wondered why. What would make a man orchestrate the mass suicide of his devoted followers? I found some answers in this book. The author traces the life of Jim Jones all the way back to his childhood, which was strange in itself. The reader sees him grow up to be a man of high ideals and charming enough to draw others in to his vision of what society should look like. He always had a desire to improve the lives of the downtrodden, especially blacks, and in his early years as an adult his followers are deeply involved in their communities and in establishing programs that will improve lives, such as operating nursing homes for the elderly or drug rehabilitation programs. Many of his programs were applauded for their effectiveness.
As Jim Jones approaches middle age, he becomes very paranoid about conspiracies against him and this transition seems to mark the beginning of the end. I found this book to be very enlightening and the depth of the research the author conducted is to be commended. This is not just hearsay evidence being presented but actual accounts from survivors and Peoples Temple documents. I am highly recommend this book to readers whether you’re interested in Jonestown as an historical event, or looking for a greater understanding of what made Jim Jones the leader he was.

ARC for review - expected publication date April 11, 2016.

2017 marks nearly forty years since the incident at Jonestown – such an enormous even globally at the time and in our pop culture, what with the numerous books, movies and the phrase, “don’t drink the Kool-Aid.” Yet, when I mentioned to a thirty-something book lover that I was reading a definitive biography of Jim Jones and Jonestown he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. When I related some of the most basic facts, thinking to spark his memory, nothing. Not a spark. No clue. Perhaps you had to be alive at the time for the massacre to take on the resonance that it did for me and so many others, but it’s surprising and a little scary to think that it’s totally unknown by an entire generation.

I call this a definitive account because I’ve read about Jones and the Peoples Temple before as well as watched a number of movie either based directly on the events or inspired by them (including one as recent as The Sacrament by modern day horror master Ti West). Most deal with the group after its migration to Guyana, but in this account the reader moves through Jones’s entire life, from his relationship with his difficult mother, to his early childhood and his precocious calls to the ministry and social justice even as a young child, to his marriage, then to the formation of the Peoples Temple from the ground up, including massive amounts of information about some of the key players (don’t worry about remembering all the names, you won’t need them.). The action doesn’t move to Guyana until the latter fifty percent of the book and Jones’s early life is at least as fascinating as anything that happened later.

The book has its greatest success in its fair-handedness. Most of us view the Peoples Temple as a cult and Jones as a puppet master, a charlatan and a mass murderer. Those things are true, and yet not at the entire full story. Jones was passionate about socialism and believed incredibly strongly in true integration of the races and classes, helping the disenfranchised and acting as a model for others to follow. And for years, though in his own, heavy-handed way, he and the Temple accomplished just that with great success, first in Indianapolis, then in Mendocino County and later in San Francisco. Both Rosalynn Carter and Walter Mondale met with Jones when Jimmy Carter was running for President. The Peoples Temple played a huge role in the pivotal San Francisco mayoral election of George Moscone, which completely changed that city’s political structure. Jones was a major political player in California, a great surprise to me.

In the end, though, as with so many people, what appears to be a combination of an always-present hubris, his strong need for complete control and his ever-increasing drug use couldn’t sustain the center. Former followers began to turn on Jones as to take their stories to media, which forced the hand of the government. Jones fled America, hoping to escape his persecutors, but once the realities of the degree of financial control, the severe punishments dealt out to members and the overall governance that Jones had instituted became known, even Guyana couldn’t shield him from concerned family members and a worried U.S. government. The world knows what happened next (well, the world over forty, anyway. The rest of you can Google it.). Plus Jones had begun indoctrinating his followers from as early as the Indianapolis days that “an honorable end justified whatever morally questionable means were necessary to achieve it” and accounts from survivors make clear that Jones had held practice suicide drills for some time. According to a survivor “what that night [in California] really proved was that [Jones] already had the intention or at least was considering the possibility that, at some point, he would kill us all.”

Guinn’s book is so thorough, so well-researched, one need only glance at the Appendix to see the lengths to which he went, that it can occasionally be a bit redundant, and the narrative gets a bit bogged down in Jones’s seemingly interminable fights with the media, the court system and the Guyanese and American State Departments. However, there is no doubt that, pre-massacre, a great number of people knew that something was very rotten in Jonestown. But could it have been stopped? It’s not clear. And Jones is a completely fascinating figure…Guinn has also authored a book on Charles Manson so he’s clearly drawn to the darker side of humanity, and it is important to acknowledge that it is out there and that there are always Mansons and Joneses lurking about, waiting to rise, so understanding their history, their psychology and that of their followers is important. Kool-Aid is almost always benign. Almost always.

Review also published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Extremely thorough biography of Jim Jones. I've read a lot of presidential biographies and this seemed similar in the level of detail, however I personally felt that much of it was not that interesting or that key points were repeated several times throughout the book. I found myself skimming over large sections of text.

About two years ago, I read A Thousand Lives, which introduced me to the horrific tragedy at the Peoples Temple (which also gave birth to the phrase "drinking the kool-aid"). The Road to Jonestown is a biography of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, but it feels a lot more detailed than A Thousand Lives. It does contain information from interviews, so that is probably a huge factor.

The first time I read about the Peoples Temple, I thought that it was a huge tragedy. This time, my feelings are a lot more complicated. Jim Jones was probably a megalomaniac and towards the end, the Peoples Temple was definitely a cult, but it did a lot of good work at the start. If the book is to be believed, Jim Jones did a lot to integrate Indianapolis (by the way, if someone like Jim Jones turns out to be one of the pioneers in integration, clearly there is an apathy problem with the city). Plus, it seems like a lot of his followers started to follow him because he offered concrete help and welcomed both black and white people.

I guess one way of summarising all the complications would be to look at Marceline, Jones' wife. He did a lot of terrible things to her (not least is the cheating) and she did consider leaving him, but in public, she was always supportive of him. And this is a woman described in her introduction as a strong Christian. It seems like she saw something in him that made her willing to ignore all the red flags and support him almost until the end.

Oh, and my feeling of how a lot of people were complicit in this was reinforced in the book. Jones was able to gain legitimacy through admission into the Disciples of Christ, despite the fact that his teachings weren't even close to theologically sound. Instead, the organisation decide to overlook the flags and his stinginess because they saw him as a model of progressive Christianity (why they didn't just encourage their existing Churches to be more active in social matters is a mystery to me).

This book is exhaustive and depressing. It seems like the Peoples Temple had great promise, and if anyone else but Jim Jones was in charge (or if he was divested of power early), if could have done a lot of good. Instead, it will forever be remembered for the tragedy that occurred.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I have always been fascinated by cults, and was so excited when I found out this was coming out! I don't think it could have been any better. At times I felt like it was a little long, but when I thought about what could be done to make it shorter I decided that there really wasn't anything that should be taken out. Everything seemed integral to the story. The only thing I think could make it better, for me anyway, would be a little more information about the aftermath of the tragedy. I grew up in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), so reading about any sort of impact the mass suicide had on that particular denomination (or just in general) would have been great. I will definitely recommend this book to others. Thank you again for the opportunity to review this book!

I am going to review the book "The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple," by Jeff Guinn. This book is hot off the press as it was published on April 11, 2017 by Simon and Schuster. For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE. Jeff Guinn is a well established author as well as an award winning investigative journalist. He is the author of "Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde," "The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral-And How it Changed the American West," and "Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson. This book is about Jim Jones and his followers. This book goes into great depth of the history and events that led to over 900 people committing suicide.
Overall I rated this book four stars out of five. This was a very informative book. This book started off from the beginning going into great depths of Jim Jones family history starting with the life of his mother Lynetta Jones. It then goes into describing Jim Jones as a child. This book does a great job of explaining the outside influences, the culture and politics about how Jim Jones and his followers committed suicide. Although this book was well written and very informative, I think this book did drag on a little bit. I do think this book could have been shortened, as sometimes it was a bit repetitive and went into too much detail. Overall this book was a very informative and interesting read I do recommend it.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Jeff Guinn, and Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

No one going into this book should expect a happy ending, or a happy story. It is, after all, the story of Jim Jones, the man behind the mass murder/suicide that inspired the saying "drinking the Kool-Aid" (a misnomer, as the drink was actually Flavor Aid).

Knowing this, I had to admire author Jeff Guin for his ability to complete this book. The sheer amount of research he did for this book was enormous. Being touted as the book on the Jonestown Massacre, being entrenched in this kind of information for months if not years on end is no mean feat.

The story begins with the discovery of the bodies at the site of the massacre, located along the border of Venezuela and Guyana, by members of the Guyana Defense Force and the National Service. The tone of the book is dire, as expected, and the writing is somewhat dry, heavy with a lot of military and political details as various groups attempt to uncover what is going on at the site of Jim Jones's self named camp, Jonestown.

The narrative then backtracks in history to the early twentieth century and the early days of Jones's mother: her murky origins, her lofty ambitions, and her personal interactions as she tried to make something of her life and that of the child a dream had told her would be a great person.

This history, while it might seem extraneous when you consider what that Jim Jones is most well known for his actions as an adult, is fascinating because is shows another side to this person. For example, as a child he was odd but friendly, particularly with a neighbor, Myrtle Kennedy. He even kept in touch with her throughout his life, though his communications were not the whole truth of his actions. It's strange to think that someone that can inspire such tragic events as the Jonestown Massacre can show kindness to people, especially someone from his childhood that, really, he needn't have kept in touch with if he didn't care to.

An exhaustive work on quite the grim subject, Jeff Guinn has written a text that is unlikely to be surpassed in its depth of knowledge, its commitment. You're likely to know about the end of the story, but in order to understand how it was possible to happen, pick up The Road to Jonestown and take a step back in time to see where Jim Jones, head of the Peoples Temple and mass murderer, originated.

Years later, the Jonestown tragedy still fascinates me. Jeff Guinn has thoroughly researched this book, and I highly recommend it - both as a history lesson and just a plain good read.

I had no idea of all the GOOD that The Peoples Temple did - clothing the naked and feeding the hungry, as Jesus instructed Christians in the Bible. The final act of craziness in Guyanna overrode all that. In fact, "Don't drink the Kool-Aid" has become a cautionary statement, not to follow anyone too blindly. (BTW - I learned that the survivors really hate that saying). This book goes way back, to Jim Jones' parents and childhood, to show the forces that formed him. There are no pat answers here - we are still left wondering just WHAT drove Rev. Jones to that awful, final day. Was it mental illness? Egomania? Drugs? A mix of several factors? I like that the author doesn't try to come up with a final answer; just lays out the facts.

Reading this, you get to know quite a few of the members of the PT, both those lucky few who escaped or survived and the many who perished in the jungle. It's heartbreaking, but I was interested to see what kind of people would be crazy enough to die at this man's command - only to read they were NOT crazy, but very well-intentioned people who were trying to make the world a better place. Isolation, sleep deprivation, and other factors led to them being willing to take that final step.

This is the second book by Jeff Guinn I have read (the Manson book being the first) and I love how deeply he researches his subjects. I would recommend this book.

I really appreciated the complete picture from his childhood and building his "ministry" to the final horrific outcome. I've read a few others on Jones and they tend to start after he already had a fairly large following and focus on the Guyana buildup and catastrophic end.

It did feel long on, even on the Kindle, which has some ninja way of mind warping the length of books (just kidding, sort of) but there really wasn't anything that I would have left out. My mental red pen wasn't quivering to cut swaths of info like it often is with other long books.

UTTERLY FASCINATING. All I knew about this before was from a documentary on Frontline yonks ago. I teach about religion and cults, so I'll be recommending it.

Absolutely phenomenal. The definitive account of Jonestown and Jim Jones. Just as he did with Manson, Guinn has knocked it out of the park.

The good news is that Jeff Guinn tells us everything there is to know about Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple.

The bad news is that Jeff Guinn tells everything there is to know about Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple.

This reviewer was just out of high school when the media frenzy emerged around the mass suicide of hundreds of Americans living in a cult called The Peoples Temple, which was sequestered in the equatorial jungles in Guyana, South America. No one could understand it; why would so many people follow such a flimflam man, and why would they be persuaded to ‘drink the Koolaid’? I wanted to know; the whole thing boggles the imagination. I read it free and early, thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster. I read it more slowly than I usually do, not because the narrative isn’t compelling, but because of the content. The opening chapters of the story are darkly funny, but as we move forward, there are times when I feel as if I am gargling sewage. I deal with the conflicting emotions by alternating it with other books, and I finish all of them and move on to other things before I finish this one. I could only take so much in one sitting! Just so you know; you’ve been warned.

Jones was obsessed with religion, even as a child. Unfortunately, he was also the kind of kid that would trick a puppy into walking out of a high window and falling to its death.

He just really liked control, and as he got older, the compulsion grew worse instead of better.

In the early 1960s, Jones started a church in Indianapolis. His wife, Marceline, was proud to be the preacher’s wife, and they shared a genuine desire to integrate the city at a time when the deep South was being forced to end Jim Crow, but nobody else was asking anything of the sort of Northern industrial cities. He funded his mission by conducting traveling revivals tent-style. He persuaded gullible audiences that he had a supernatural capacity to heal others; the audience plants that he brought understood that sometimes faith required a little help.

Fear and control enabled Jones to move much of his congregation with him when he packed up and headed for the supposedly nuke-proof town of Ukiah, California. After that, it was like a downhill snowball. The amazing thing is that this man and his oddball group were so widely accepted for many years, even praised by local politicians and celebrities. But then things began to unravel, and he told his followers it was time for the most ardent believers to move with him to The Promised Land.

The most amazing thing to me is that he didn’t have to rope people in to move to the jungle; he made them compete for the honor.

Guinn’s documentation is strong, mostly based on interviews with survivors and the vast files left behind by Jones and his people. The narrative flows well and never slows, and part of that is due to the lack of formal footnotes, but the endnotes provided for each chapter, along with the list of interviews, in-text source references, and bibliography are beyond reproach. Best of all, he has no axe to grind.

For those that want to know, this is it. I doubt you’ll find a better single book on this subject anywhere. It’s available for sale as of today

BookFilter review: Like most people, my knowledge of cult leader Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple begins and ends with Kool-Aid and a mass suicide in Guyana in the 1970s. This fascinating biography tells the story of his entire life and it makes for a quietly gripping read. I can't speak to what's new here compared to earlier works of the fictionalized films that the bizarre episode. But it's a convincing, matter of fact work that presents Jones in as objective a light as one could ask for, no small task given the terrible end he brought to his followers. Even more interestingly to me, author Jeff Guinn helped understand how someone could be involved with the Peoples Temple without being as gullible or foolish or prey for a charlatan that outsiders might imagine. My empathy for those ensnared in a cult for whatever reason is greater. It begins simply, with the story of Jim's mother, a woman prone to grandiose lies and determined to make a notable life for herself. When that doesn't happen, she settles for being the mother of a boy that is sure to become a great man. According to Guinn, Jim Jones had a gift for winning over people from an early age, an easy way with a lie and an even easier way with the half-truth that pulls others onto your side. Intriguingly, much of his early life and ministry is weirdly compelling and in a way admirable. Jim Jones had a lifelong devotion to racial and economic justice that was real, if complicated. His work in Indianapolis was genuinely progressive, helping to integrate many of the city's businesses in a way that made him appealing to those on every side of the issue. But also from the start we see his duplicity -- his willingness to preach the Bible while privately disdaining a belief in a "Sky God" and really wanting to lure people over to Marxism. The fact is that while Jones duped folks with fake mind readings and fake miracles, he also delivered a genuinely progressive and positive message and put it into practice with soup kitchens and integration and college scholarships -- real and palpable changes in the world around him. The Peoples Temple was a place that didn't just promise a better life in the hereafter but helped anyone with the problems of today, whether it was navigating red tape at City Hall or helping elect like-minded politicians. He appealed to Bible thumpers and Marxists, to disillusioned people of faith and atheists and somehow held it all together. His methods always contained the original sin of lies and deceit but you can see why so many people felt drawn to the tangible work the Peoples Temple accomplished. That makes it all the creepier as Jones becomes more and more megalomaniacal, as he veers from mocking the idea of God to claiming divinity for himself. Jones became a drug-addled fool and a detail-oriented leader of a vast enterprise generating millions of dollars. He toyed with running for office or fleeing the country to establish a base in Brazil or the Soviet Union or Cuba or ultimately Guyana. He went from a faithful and happy marriage to running a virtual harem of female (and male) followers and the contradictions and confusions build and build until the only surprise is that it didn't all end in disaster even sooner. For anyone with the slightest interest in cults or Jones in particular, this is a revealing work. -- Michael Giltz

The story of Jonestown couldn’t be more simplistic: crazy cult leader makes followers drink Kool-Aid (actually Flavor-Aid) in a mass suicide. But that isn’t really all there was to it. Mr. Guinn gives an amazingly detailed portrait of the man behind Jonestown, Jim Jones. Mr. Guinn highlights Mr. Jones’ youth growing up with a mother who felt she had been slighted by life and that great things were due to her son. A young minister is presented as a wonderful civic leader and proponent of racial equality. There are several incidents where Jim Jones turned down opportunities for self-gain in order to stay true to his convictions. Mr. Jones was a socialist and used his church as a stepping stone for racial equality, not just in word but also in action. I was thoroughly impressed with Jim Jones at this point. But somewhere in 1970-1971, things began to change. Mr. Guinn doesn’t state the reason for the change, but Jim Jones began to abuse drugs and started doing all those stereotypical cult leader things: random sex with several followers, living a life above the rules imposed on the members, and increased paranoia. I wish the book had detailed what happened to result in such a change but I expect, based on the rest of the book, that if anyone could have discovered what it was, Mr. Guinn would have. I often wonder how many people outside of Northern California know much about Jim Jones, Peoples Temple, and Jonestown. After reading this book, they will know!

For anyone who knows me, you know I am a true crime queen hell my best friend can tell you I yell at my books while I read them half the time. Some of the things that have transpired in the world we live and has been printed on paper is horrifying. That being said I wish to thank NetGalley Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy of. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn. This book made me feel like I was back in college in one of my Psychology classes trying to figure out the mindset of a killer and I loved it. This book will stay with you long after you are done reading it and it is worth the time, it is very well researched and well put together that you get a crazy insight of Jim Jones but you get a good sense of the broken people that fallow him. I don’t say that lightly or with any disrespect it just saddens me to see that so many people fallowed such a crazy man to have a place to fit in and feel wanted. The author does a remarkable job of laying out the slow transformation of Jim Jones, from weird kid with a true devotion to social justice to the 47-year-old cult leader who murdered more than 900 of his followers. I don’t know how many ways I can praise this book other than to say it’s a must read for true crime lovers.

This biography delves into the life of Jim Jones and the works of the People's Temple. A fascinating look into one man's youth and how that set him up for his life of manipulation and crime, the first sections of the books is a treasure trove for those looking for psychological and sociological effects on the human mind. I poured through this section of the book quickly intrigued at what could cause such a man to do what he did.
But once the author moved into the larst section of the book, dealing with the People's Temples, all objectivetity is lost. In an effort to clearly portray the fact that most people in the church were there to do good works and were in the dark of the leadership's dark goals, Guinn begins to brush off Jones' behaviors so the congregation could be seen in a good light. But written decades later, Jone's behaviors should be portrayed in stark terms. The book describes fake assignation attempts and sexual assaults in ambiguity but just because the congregation was manipulated into these lies does not mean the reader needs to be. It is clear that the majority of the People's Temple did not know or even truly understand what was happening to their their preacher and his must trusted advisors.
The tone switches again as Guinn lays out everything that happens in Guyanna and truly the story picks up as the reader no longer has to read between the lines when Jones blows of the U.S Government and brings in illegal guns. But this is the section in which I wish I had more from the temple members; this is the most where I wanted to understand the psychology as this had moved from a church that feed the poor and wanted racial integration to a full blown cult.
Overall, I learned more about Jones and the events at Jones town. As someone with a degree in psychology forensic and cult psychology have always been of most interest. I was left disappointed though: in an effort to prove that Jones did actually care about racial equality and those less fortunate, Guin never mentions that there is a possibility that every thing he did was to control others. While the truth is always a mix. it throws off the objectivetity so wanted in biographies.

This book is extremely long, extremely detailed, and unfortunately, too filled with inconsequential minutiae. After slogging through for hours (normally quite fast reader) and only getting 8% in, I was unable to continue. Perhaps the second half is better, but it was so clogged with details that I found uninteresting and mundane that I could not finish. I am a huge fan of non-fiction, particularly narrative non-fiction about read people/incidents, but I could not find any interest here. My apologies

The Road to Jonestown- Jim Jones and Peoples Temple” is among the best comprehensive and authoritative books written covering the Jonestown massacre that claimed the lives of 918 people in Guyana, South America on November 18, 1978. Author Jeff Guinn began his extensive research in 2014, and studied the fascinating story behind the grim and sensational media reports and headlines. There are thousands of documents and photographs contained in government archives on Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, interviews with survivors and those associated including spouses, relatives, friends and others who shared valuable insight related to the tragedy: as a shocking truthful biographical portrait emerged of the Reverend James Warren Jones (1931-78).

The birth of Jim Jones (JJ) wasn’t welcomed or celebrated; his mother Lynetta Putnam (1902-77) was profoundly disappointed with her third marriage to James Thurman Jones (1887-1951), a disabled WWI veteran. Though Lynetta believed her son would one day be a great man, she had no maternal instinct, remaining indifferent and detached from the growth and development of her only child. JJ learned from an early age to get the attention and acceptance he needed from sympathetic neighbors and relatives who often took him to church: there he would learn tactics to influence and manipulate others to ease his fragile ego and self-esteem.
As a young man, JJ studied the writing of Marx, Stalin, and Hitler-- also Mahatma Gandhi. Once affiliated with the Communist party, his ideology was based on racial equality, economic and social justice; religion was used as a means to promote his agenda through the pulpit.

Marceline (Baldwin) Jones (m.1949-78) was stunned to learn JJ views on the Biblical gospel, and nearly divorced him. The desire to improve the world through socialism was more important and attainable; she would always support this vision. The couple had one biological son, would be the first white family to adopt a black child, and added several mixed race children to their “Rainbow Family”. Ronnie, their first foster child, protested adoption by Jones, demanding to be returned to his mother instead.

In 1965, JJ relocated Peoples Temple to Ukiah, CA. leaving the racially intolerant culture in Indiana; he also had an irrational fear of nuclear war. At the Redwood Valley location, the Temple reached the highest level of popularity and power, attracting followers from every walk of life. Members lived communally, pooling income and resources, caring for the sick, disabled, young and elderly in church sponsored homes. Social services of food banks, thrift stores, farming catered to the community and needs of the poor. JJ allegedly healed the sick and cast out demons, in dramatic charismatic services of loud singing and praise, preaching at the pulpit in dark glasses and long flowing robes. Underneath it all, there were highly disturbing things that were profoundly wrong with JJ, which Guinn discussed in a surprising non-judgmental manner. Most of the shocking aspects related to his conduct and behavior remained unknown to general membership.

By 1974, Peoples Temple had expanded to San Francisco, busloads of Temple members arrived at various political rallies, officials were elected that supported socialist causes and tolerance for racially diverse and LGBT populations. In 1976, additional concerns/problems involving Jones/Peoples Temple surfaced; leading to official investigations. Relatives of some Temple members were also greatly distressed that their loved ones were being held against their will, after JJ suddenly moved the majority of his followers to Jonestown.

In a documentary narrative it was said that historians will need to examine and re-examine the tragedy of Jonestown throughout time. Visiting the site where Jonestown once stood was the most disturbing and difficult things Guinn had ever done. Following the massacre, the jungle reclaimed the haunted ground—it happened quickly, a simple memorial marker was placed at the site in honor of those so tragically lost. ~ Many thanks to Simon and Schuster via NetGalley for the direct digital copy for the purpose of review.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jeff Guinn, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

My ongoing trek though the world of biographies would not have been complete without a comprehensive piece about an individual who is often misunderstood in history. Jeff Guinn has provided this with his stellar piece on Jim Jones and the winding road to Jonestown, site of the infamous cult mass suicide in 1978. Guinn focusses the rise and power of Jim Jones, exemplifying his ability to hoard power and hone his leadership skills while captivating a following of the common person. Armed with the power of the delivered word and absolute authority, Jones sought not only to create the Peoples Temple to serve the disadvantaged, but also to instil complete loyalty in a socialist hierarchy, as contradictory as that might sound. The attentive and patient reader will discover countless examples of Jones' abilities as he becomes the textbook cult leader. (As it will surely rouse extensive debate, for the purposes of this review and my personal beliefs, I would define a 'cult' as an organisation premised on a certain type of beliefs, usually religious, whereby extrication is neither simple nor voluntary. I welcome those who wish to challenge me on this, though I do not bandy the word around for the fun of it!)

Raised in a highly dysfunctional home in Lynn, Indiana, Jones stuck out at school and could regularly be found making long-winded sermons alone in the woods or organising healing services for roadkill. This religious upbringing was fostered by his curiosity in the numerous evangelical Christian options around town, even though his parents were the only family not found at any Sunday services. By adulthood, with a young wife by his side, Jones continued to foster his preaching and healing skills, soon part of the revival tour around the state. His ultimate goal, to form his own church that would target lower-income individuals and trying to link up with established black churches in and around Indianapolis. With the Red Scare in full force, Jones sought to utilise some of the socialist 'equality for all' in his sermons, bringing hope to any who would grace the sanctuary. His message was less one of godliness, but of the need to integrate the races and help one another, all this in the late 1950s and into the 60s. Developing a strong base, Jones formed the Peoples Temple and rallied as many as would attend on a regular basis. Even at this early stage, Jones tried to create a sense of power and a hierarchy, where followers would rely on him to help them solve problems as long as they turn over all earthly possessions to the Temple. Guinn hints at a duplicity here, where Jones could completely overtake his followers, while remaining above the fray and living as he saw fit.

Always wanting more and seeing the lights of California, Jones turned his attention to Redwood Valley and the surrounding town of Ukiah, California. Situated between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Jones felt he could work effectively by integrating into a smaller community, yet still be able to pull followers from both major metropolitan areas. He was so effective in having his followers join him because of the impending nuclear holocaust that was sure to come from the Soviets, having recently been deterred during the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Yes, more duplicity, as he rallied to the Soviet-style collectivist notion of equality for all, yet chose to sit at the end of all!) Jones knew how to use the news to his advantage, demanding blind faith and complete trust that he had revelations about what the Peoples Temple ought to do. While Jones had to reestablish himself out West, many scouts and a strong advertising campaign in the less affluent neighbourhoods brought new recruits along with those who had heard of this captivating preacher. From there, Guinn explores many of the sexual encounters that Jones had (and sanctioned) within the Temple, citing the need to de-stress or share communally, though only within the confines of fellow Temple folk. Jones cemented a stronger sense of communal ownership by Temple faithful, going so far as to require all children born into the group be raised communally, where they would see parents only when Jones saw fit. Sex led to drugs and soon Jones relied on that to keep him going, all while his wife stood by and loyally tried to digest what was going on. Guinn explores sentiments of jealousy and angst, though Jones never sought to enter into polygamous marriages, choosing instead to share his body and time with at least two women regularly and others on an as needed basis. How could Jones profess these beliefs and hold firm to the reins of power? As Guinn explains, there was significant verbal and physical abuse administered, which would push straying members into line. Be it calling people out in sermons, browbeating in meetings, or blackmailing in private, Jones made sure that he held the upper hand to ensure obedience. If a member sought to leave the fold, Jones had pre-signed documentation or blank sheets that he could use and submit to the authorities, thereby pigeon-holing any who might make idle threats. Guinn offers numerous examples of the lengths to which Jones would go to command attention and total control over the lives of Temple members, from the new recruits to his own wife, seen as the second-in-command of the entire organisation. Using his prowess to rally the troops, Jones became a favourite of the political candidates in the Bay Area, helping to secure votes and rallying the electorate, though the expectation was a system of quid pro quo, usually forgotten after the ballots were counted.

Negative press haunted Jones and he began developing an escape plan from California, looking to the small and recently independent country of Guyana. The country appealed to Jones, as it held strong socialist views as well as significant area for agricultural cultivation; a heavenly commune for collectivist living. Jones soon laid the foundation for the Temple's new home, aptly named Jonestown, which was isolated enough that government officials would not come knocking. Holding his followers in awe and paying for their travel, Jones brought hundreds down to the country in a series of trips, where they settled and the commune took shape, strengthening the idea of a cult, through geographic isolation, both from families and American authorities (Guyana had no extradition treaty with the United States). Legal actions were beginning in San Francisco courts by family members of those in the Peoples Temple, citing kidnapping or illicit seizure of property from members. This soon led to continued bad press, though only in those locations where the Temple had a footprint. This soon caused US Congressman Leo Ryan to organise a trip to investigate some of the concerns. Armed with scores of letters and members of the media, Ryan tried to explore the truthfulness of the Temple's assertions that all were happily residing in Guyana. He found few issues and only a handful of members who wished to leave. Guinn uses the last few chapters to explore the US expedition to Guyana and the fallout as Jones saw his complete control slipping away. Stunning writing on Guinn's part shows the lengths to which Jim Jones would go to hold complete control. The eventual mass suicide and assassination of the outsiders at the direction of the leader led to a body count of over 900, including Ryan himself. Jones and the entire Jonestown community soon became international headline news, having escaped much mention during their entire time in South America. The common (and erroneous) phrase that came out of those final hours in Jonestown remains "Don't drink the Kool-Aid [actually Flavor Aid]", which the reader will discover has lasted for decades since the event. All the same, the power Jones held over his followers is phenomenal and the reader will surely finish the book wondering as much as understanding his sway.

Was Jim Jones an evil man or simply one who allowed power to go to his head? Even Guinn does not have a definitive answer, but this biography is so detailed and well-paced that the reader will surely come away with their own opinions. Many books have been written about Jonestown and Jim Jones, though all seem to offer sensationalised accounts of events or are completely weighted to one side, forcing the curious reader to sit through diatribes or blatant vilification. Guinn has used much time and effort to offer a complete look at the man, interviewing those who are still alive (due to age and the obvious sacrifice in Guyana) as well as all the documents he could recover to tell the story. A feat that not many would have taken, Guinn uses his wonderful narrative to tell the dénouement as honestly as he can. Like the other biography of his that I have read, Guinn forges headlong into the tough topics and questions, emerging with answers that defy simple religious or cultish vilification, which offers the reader a much more comprehensive approach. I can now speak about Jonestown with greater authority and understand much of the life of Jim Jones and what led him to that fateful day on November 18, 1978. I would strongly encourage anyone with the patience to read such a detailed tome to digest all that Guinn has to offer, for he refuses to sermonise, preventing the the reader from, pardon the remark, "drinking the Kool-Aid".

Kudos, Mr. Guinn for your stunning effort with this piece. This is a sensational delivery of what has to be a very difficult topic. You have entertained, educated, and armed me for discussions about this and other cult groups, which seem to surround me as I forge ahead with more biographies.