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frostbitsky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
3.0
I got this from Audible from a 2 for 1 sale in 2019. Recently Candace Owen has been talking about the book Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties on her podcast and Instagram stories.
I put that on hold at the library and while I waited I listened to Helter Skelter.
TETA post Chaos review: whatever their backgrounds were, I think it's clearer now that the Manson murders were "an MKULTRA experiment gone right." There was something going on at that Height Ashbury Free Medical Clinic to use mind control on those hippies.
As for Manson, you know the saying, "A face only a mother could love." Well, not even Manson's mother loved him. Unlike some of parents of the other Family members who testified at their sentencing hearing, Manson's mother never came to his trial. Manson's lawyer, Irving Kanarek, opted not to have her testify on his behalf because she disputed his tales of childhood deprivation and called him a spoiled, pampered child. When even your own mother abandons you...
Irving Kanarek was a piece of work. He had a bad reputation, always interrupting with objections. If I were the judge I would have put him in contempt of court everyday. I would have gotten him disbarred. And this is so ridiculous it made me laugh: he once objected to the prosecution's witness stating his own name because having first heard it from his mother it was hearsay.
ETA post Chaos review: it's unfortunate but also not surprising that Kanarek ended up homeless.
Now, the book Chaos has a chapter about "The Holes in Helter Skelter" and Candace has been talking about that book and how Manson was a Federal Agent asset. So I was trying to guess the holes myself and I'll see how correct I was soon. Like, why did they ever let Manson out of prison in 1967? He had been institutionalized most of his life and wanted to stay in prison. So was the judge just a lenient, bleeding heart liberal or was he ordered to release him?
ETA post Chaos review: The "holes" was that in Bugliosi's own handwriting he notes that Terry Melcher met with Manson a few times after the murders and Melcher lied on the the stand.
If I were a judge I'd throw the book at people, especially sociopaths. They would die in jail. Boo-hoo, cry me a river. Some people should never be around polite society and when a man or woman tells you, "don't release me from prison"- DO NOT LET THEM OUT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
ETA post Chaos review: Even if the CIA and FBI threaten you. Tell them to shove CHAOS and COINTELPRO where the sun don't shine.
Anyway, rant over. Back to the holes I was looking for. Were "Father John" and "Brother Matthew" from The Process cult really CIA agents? They visited Manson in jail and got him to be silent on certain issues. *shrugs*
ETA post Chaos review: They were not brought up.
Not trying to look for holes in Helter Skelter, it is very detailed. And I mean DETAILED. Details about the murders, the victims' background, the killers' background, the incompetence of the LAPD (not a surprise, e.g. the O.J. trial); the law, the trail transcripts, LSD effects, the aftermath, and more. My mind could have easily drifted off to daydream land, but Scott Brick's narration was excellent. It could have sounded like a history professor droning on and on, but I was able to pay attention throughout.
ETA post Chaos review: Scott Brick is still a good narrator. And Helter Skelter is very detailed but also there are lies in it. Bugliosi is an unreliable narrator. Boy, did that man perjure himself and he was also a P.O.S. in his personal life.
I finished just in time for when Chaos was ready for pick up at the library. Stay tuned, there is more to come.
5 out of 5 Verdicts. ETA rating after reading Chaos 3 out of 5 Verdicts.
Memorable quotes:
“For a lawyer to do less than his utmost is, I strongly feel, a betrayal of his client. Though in criminal trials one tends to focus on the defense attorney and his client the accused, the prosecutor is also a lawyer, and he too has a client: the People. And the People are equally entitled to their day in court, to a fair and impartial trial, and to justice.”
What is an expert but what the beholder thinks he is from his experience. Many people consider me an expert so I have accustomed myself to assuming that I am. (One of the psychologists on the stand said this.)
Mrs. Rosalind was convinced Manson's power to manipulate others came not from within himself but from the voids within the minds and souls of his followers.
I put that on hold at the library and while I waited I listened to Helter Skelter.
TETA post Chaos review: whatever their backgrounds were, I think it's clearer now that the Manson murders were "an MKULTRA experiment gone right." There was something going on at that Height Ashbury Free Medical Clinic to use mind control on those hippies.
As for Manson, you know the saying, "A face only a mother could love." Well, not even Manson's mother loved him. Unlike some of parents of the other Family members who testified at their sentencing hearing, Manson's mother never came to his trial. Manson's lawyer, Irving Kanarek, opted not to have her testify on his behalf because she disputed his tales of childhood deprivation and called him a spoiled, pampered child. When even your own mother abandons you...
Irving Kanarek was a piece of work. He had a bad reputation, always interrupting with objections. If I were the judge I would have put him in contempt of court everyday. I would have gotten him disbarred. And this is so ridiculous it made me laugh: he once objected to the prosecution's witness stating his own name because having first heard it from his mother it was hearsay.
ETA post Chaos review: it's unfortunate but also not surprising that Kanarek ended up homeless.
Now, the book Chaos has a chapter about "The Holes in Helter Skelter" and Candace has been talking about that book and how Manson was a Federal Agent asset. So I was trying to guess the holes myself and I'll see how correct I was soon. Like, why did they ever let Manson out of prison in 1967? He had been institutionalized most of his life and wanted to stay in prison. So was the judge just a lenient, bleeding heart liberal or was he ordered to release him?
ETA post Chaos review: The "holes" was that in Bugliosi's own handwriting he notes that Terry Melcher met with Manson a few times after the murders and Melcher lied on the the stand.
If I were a judge I'd throw the book at people, especially sociopaths. They would die in jail. Boo-hoo, cry me a river. Some people should never be around polite society and when a man or woman tells you, "don't release me from prison"- DO NOT LET THEM OUT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
ETA post Chaos review: Even if the CIA and FBI threaten you. Tell them to shove CHAOS and COINTELPRO where the sun don't shine.
Anyway, rant over. Back to the holes I was looking for. Were "Father John" and "Brother Matthew" from The Process cult really CIA agents? They visited Manson in jail and got him to be silent on certain issues. *shrugs*
ETA post Chaos review: They were not brought up.
Not trying to look for holes in Helter Skelter, it is very detailed. And I mean DETAILED. Details about the murders, the victims' background, the killers' background, the incompetence of the LAPD (not a surprise, e.g. the O.J. trial); the law, the trail transcripts, LSD effects, the aftermath, and more. My mind could have easily drifted off to daydream land, but Scott Brick's narration was excellent. It could have sounded like a history professor droning on and on, but I was able to pay attention throughout.
ETA post Chaos review: Scott Brick is still a good narrator. And Helter Skelter is very detailed but also there are lies in it. Bugliosi is an unreliable narrator. Boy, did that man perjure himself and he was also a P.O.S. in his personal life.
I finished just in time for when Chaos was ready for pick up at the library. Stay tuned, there is more to come.
5 out of 5 Verdicts. ETA rating after reading Chaos 3 out of 5 Verdicts.
Memorable quotes:
“For a lawyer to do less than his utmost is, I strongly feel, a betrayal of his client. Though in criminal trials one tends to focus on the defense attorney and his client the accused, the prosecutor is also a lawyer, and he too has a client: the People. And the People are equally entitled to their day in court, to a fair and impartial trial, and to justice.”
What is an expert but what the beholder thinks he is from his experience. Many people consider me an expert so I have accustomed myself to assuming that I am. (One of the psychologists on the stand said this.)
Mrs. Rosalind was convinced Manson's power to manipulate others came not from within himself but from the voids within the minds and souls of his followers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
anmariefweeks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
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