This is the second book I read from this author and it's very detailed. There is a lot of researched information while might surprise you about Charles Manson.

Engrossing book and a must-read.

Charles Manson. Is the evil family leader who certainly did murder the sixties. For as long as I can remember this horrible little man has put the fear of God in me. Its all in his eyes. This book was informative and gave a different insight on the man himself. who showed a lack of remorse for his victims. Let's hope that no decade throws up another evil cult leader hellbent in destroying the innocent lives of others. We can live in hope.

Highly Readable

Disclaimer, I am fascinated with the psychology around Manson. For a seasoned reader this book offers nothing new or earth shattering. No new revelations. But what is offered is a nicely organized and CONCISE retelling of the events, characters and the era. I would highly recommend this book to those not intimately familiar with the case. For seasoned detectives, this book won't offer any new clues.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

I originally wanted to read this as a refresher for the new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I know a ton about the case and am definitely a murderino, so I was kind of wondering if there would really be any new information or things I didn't already know in this - but to my surprise there was!

One of the things I loved was that the author recounted interviews and things that some of the Manson family has said in their books, so I didn't have to bother to read them. Also the authors voice came through strong about his dislike for the whole lot of them and I found it hilarious. Like, yaaaas, shred them. There was literally a sentence that read something along the lines of "There was only so much of little Charlie's penis to go around" and I laughed my ass off.

Great insight on the case and didn't try to humanize these people which I appreciate 👍

This was a great read about Charles Manson. There isn’t really anything new that hasn’t already been written but it’s a very good book for someone who is interested in Charles Manson and the family.

This book is a wonderful account of the manipulation and control that Charles Manson engineered during the 1960s in the USA when the Civil Rights movement, the music evolution and the space race were all in full swing. It shows how he use those powers he learned in prison to manipulate and murder. He was a cold, calculating killer. He was remorseless and conscience free. He was unstoppable. This book sees his criminality through fresh eyes. It’s a very interesting take on one of the most notorious killers of all times.

I really enjoyed the plot. Was very hard to put down.
I give this book 5**** just because i loved it
Cant wait for other books

This book gives a very good overview of the whole Manson Family saga from Charles Manson's early years, his prison stretches, the beginnings of his infamous family -- what was originally, more or less, a loose collection of misfits, seekers, and societal outcasts trying to find their place... or so it seemed -- on into the various murders, trials, and aftermath.

That's one of the more interesting aspects of the book, though it doesn't delve too deeply into any one issue, it takes into account how, at some point, this ragtag group went from striving for some undefined utopian existence to petty thievery and ultimately murder.

The author provides brief biographical passages on some of the more prominent (infamous) family members and includes sourced quotes from quite a few as well.

Growing up in the 1970's Charles Manson was sort of an embodiment of the Bogeyman legend come to life. The big difference being that, unlike the legendary figure who punished naughty children, Manson was more akin to a demonic figure who struck out at anyone and everyone (at least that was the perception). Add the atmosphere of the "hippie" culture and all the "peace and love" stuff and you also get an element of the wolf in sheep's clothing.

As a young teen I lived in some of the same Death Valley areas where Manson and his followers roamed. It was a decade or so after they had been captured and convicted but you still often ran across people who remembered them, or had had interactions with them (so they claimed) so I was very familiar with some parts of the story.

This book showed me that there were other parts of which I was totally ignorant. It's written in a simple, easy to follow way, and doesn't get too bogged down in overanalyzing or such. I would recommend this book to any true crime aficionado who has an interest in learning the basic facts. I think it would serve as an excellent primer for those wanting a better understanding. Hard core students of the subject will likely not find too much they don't already know.

As a sidenote the author has an unfortunate habit of making occasional commentary that tends to distract rather than enhance. One truly awful case in point is when shortly after relating the stabbing death of one victim the author describes one of the killers' intelligence by proclaiming that she, "was not the sharpest knife in the cutlery drawer."


***I received a free ebook copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Like any good true crime aficionado, I am (of course) familiar with Charles Manson. My true crime reading generally trends toward lesser known cases and killers though, so my knowledge of Manson and "The Family" was somewhat limited. This was the first book I'd read solely dedicated to Manson. That said, it gave me a really good basic rundown of all the main players and Manson himself. I really had no idea about the details of the crimes or how he lured people in until I read this book. It also included a good bit of historical information about the 1960s and what led to Manson's uprising in the first place.

All in all, this was a quick read with an interesting format. The chapters were further broken down into sections with headlines, kind of like one giant newspaper article. Quotes and information were also included from a number of Manson's followers, which was eye-opening, to say the least. Though I often got some of the individuals mixed up and confused, I enjoyed reading their perspectives.

If, like me, you don't know much about Manson, this book would be a good place to start for that basic information. It was well written and well researched. I think I'll read more books about him and his followers in the future though to get a more in depth and robust story. In all though, this book was a good starting place for me!

I requested this book because although I knew who Charles Manson was, I didn’t know a lot about him, and what he did etc, so I thought this would be a insightful read. I discovered he is a coward, blaming everyone he could for the murders of 7 people.

This book was disturbing yet intriguing. The lack of remorse he showed for this crimes he committed stunned me, using his upbringing as a excuse, instead creating the mantra of no parents as a get out of jail free. It’s everyone else’s fault but his.
The main thing that disturbed me was that he believed he did nothing wrong saying it had to be done for good of cosmic Karma. The decision to take someone’s life away from them has no justification.
A psychological and emotional abuser he created the Manson family, and became a cult leader, brain washing people to his ideologies.
In the book there is a photograph of Susan Atkins, Patricia krenwinkel & Leslie van houten laughing together after being given death sentences, this is found highly unsettling. I would love to know if they showed any remorse for their actions before their execution.

A highly insightful book, filled with photographs and so much information.

4⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a honest review.

As a self-proclaimed true crime nerd, I was both excited for and a little wary of this book. I've previously read [book:Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders|105992] by Vincent Bugliosi and enjoyed it very much, but I was worried that this would be a repeat of information I already knew.

In some ways, I was right on that count, but it had so much more than that. Because this novel is written after Manson's death and so many years removed from the crimes, the perspective includes the memoirs of his acolytes, some of whom committed the gruesome Tate/LaBianca murders for him. Krajicek also adds in his own opinions in many parts, which makes the book more readable because it's not just a laying out of the facts. His dry and witty humor is apparent from many of his asides, and they help to break up the horrific nature of the story.

Although it's not the best written book I've ever read, I do like the structure Krajicek chose to lay this book out in. It's a very short read, but it has a lot of information packed into it. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Manson murders and wanting a cohesive summary of the acolytes' and Manson's memoirs with how they tied into the murders.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for providing me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#CharlesManson #NetGalley

I usually don't read lots of real crime stories or thrillers, but this was extremely interesting and I'll definitely try to pick up some more from this press. This is an easy read, but still well researched. Pretty real and creepy story.

Thanks for giving me an eARC Netgalley!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. All I can say is WOW. I have read most of the books regarding Charles Manson. I can honestly say this is the best one you will ever read. This book does not focus only on the crimes themselves but is more of a before and after and behind-the-scenes which i found very refreshing! A MUST READ.

This was such a fascinating book that focused on not only Charles Manson, but the 1960s. I always wondered how he was able to get people to murder for him and this book provided insight into that, as it really went into great detail about him. I highly recommend it!

An excellent read.

Informative, analytical and engrossing. Krajicek's sharp and sassy style of writing brings the story of Charles Manson and The Family and their terrible deeds vividly to life. The book is very readable and the facts outlined are riveting and hold your attention.

I read Vincent Bugliosi's 1974 account in the early 1980s and, with the passing of 5o years, this latest book brings a fresh perspective to the events documented.

"Charles Manson : The Man Who Murdered the Sixties" by David J. Krajicek

5 stars!

I loved it!
Well written, interesting, full of facts, info and more... And not just about Manson but also a little bit about other events and people from the 60s. Some things I knew, some I didn't, I was born in the 80s.
I've always loved true crime and have watched many documentaries on Manson (and loved the tv show "Aquarius") but this is the first book I read and I'm not disappointed at all!
Even though I already knew most of what happened there were still things I didn't know. And I really enjoyed transcripts from what Manson said here and there, in court... ... ... It's amazing how he always tried to appear as the victim!

Really good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review shared online on NetGalley, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon when released.

This book was a worthy effort, but it was largely a rehash of previously published work. It wasn't worth the effort of reading if you are familiar with the topic.

This is not my usual genre, but I have always been intrigued with Charles Manson. While I have never read any books on him, I have seen several documentaries on him. I thought this book was incredibly informative, well written, and well researched. The book had so much more personal information than any documentary that I have seen on Manson. The author used testimonies, interviews, memoirs, letters and pictures in the book that helped inform the reader. He also wasn’t pushing his opinion or bias on the subject at all. I would recommend this for any true crime lover.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

A well written, engaging and entertaing book. It was the first true crime I read and I'm happy I did it.
The book is well researched, gives you interesting facts and theories and it's an interesting read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Title: Charles Manson

Author: David J.

Genre: Nonfiction: True Crime

A chilling portrait of evil that reveals the dark side of the swinging Sixties. Using Manson's own words David J. Krajicek, a former professor of journalism at Columbia University, tells the story of how an ex-con called Charles Manson came to be convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder following the deaths of seven people, including film star Sharon Tate.



This bloodbath brought the decade of Love and Peace to a gory end as 'the Family', a group of psychopathic individuals ruled by their master Manson, set about wreaking their revenge on a society they believed had wronged them.



My thoughts

Rating: 3

Would I recommend it? maybe

Would I read anything else by this author? maybe

It would have been more but I already knew alot of the stuff that was in the book thanks to reading and watching Helter Skelter ,With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it .