"The myth of Charles Manson is not likely to survive the impact of his own words," Nuel Emmons writes in the introduction to Manson In His Own Words, the shocking true confessions that lay bare the life and mind of the cult leader and notorious criminal. His story provides an enormous amount of new information about his life and how it led to the Tate-LaBianca murders, and reminds us of the complexity of the human condition. Born in the middle of the Great Depression to an unmarried fifteen-year-old, Manson lived through a succession of changing homes and substitute parents, until his mother finally asked the state authorities to assume his care when he was twelve. Regimented and often brutalized in juvenile homes, Manson became immersed in a life of petty theft, pimping, jail terms, and court appearances that culminated in seven years of prison. Released in 1967, he suddenly found himself in the world of hippies and flower children, a world that not only accepted him, but even glorified his anti-establishment values. It was a combination that led, for reasons only Charles Manson can fully explain, to tragedy. Manson's story, distilled from seven years of interviews and examinations of his correspondence, provides sobering insight into the making of a criminal mind, and a fascinating picture of the last years of the sixties. No one who wants to understand that time, and the man who helped to bring it to a horrifying conclusion, can miss reading this book.
I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Charles Manson.
A must read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
I would definetly suggest this book to everyone. I couldn't put it down and Nuel Emmons is an excellent writer.
Excellent!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
This book is a great read! It really captures the kind of person Charles Manson is; a person just like you and me who happened to get thrown on the wrong path in society. I couldn't stop turning the pages. Although at times this book can be gory & drug crazed, it is also captivating & relaistic. I highly recommend!
excellent find
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
very interesting book. was one of those you do not want to put down. it gave a different perspective of the happenings of the manson family. however, one must keep in mind it was recorded from what charles manson believed happened. great book.
Insane? or just drugged up?
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This was an excellent book. A completely different story, however, to that which you will find in Helter Skelter. Which version you belive, is up to you but i would recommend reading both to get a fuller picture. If you want to be submerged in the feeling and freedom of the sixties and a good build up to, atleast Mansons version of, why these terrible murders happened read this book. Cross reference it with Helter Skelter for a more sober view of events and a totally different verdict of why the members of mansons 'group' chose to murder.
Gripping!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
"Now I ask you, is my charisma, my power, my love, or my madness drawing those people to me? Or is it an attraction caused by writers so obsessed with proving themselves to the public, they created a monster and fed a myth to establish their own names?" (225).This is probably the closest to the truth that you will come. This is Manson rambling for hours upon hours inside prison walls. The author, Nuel Emmons lets Manson loose, and barely puts in his own comments, and refuses to take sides. This is Manson's story, and although you have to ask yourself what's true, and what's bull, by the end you wil have a much better understanding and - not so much- a pity for him, but a clearer picture. Manson makes some sense in this book, and I'll be the first to point out that Manson himself ADMITS that he WAS nvolved in those senseless murders, but doesn't take full blame. Does he regret or feel sorry about it? You'll have to be the judge. But, you can also read between the lines here too. He felt a responsibility for those unwanted kids, because that's where he came from. True, he might have used that to his advantage, but again, you be the judge. I highly reccomend this book. I hate to say this, but we may have mistaken this man a bit. And that's not to say that I agree with those senseless murders!!!!But you will see the bitterness that was growing in Manson's heart through his travels through homosexual love flings, rape, being a bastard child, and living life on the run. Read this book, please, don't rely only on Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter." This is the real deal.
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