Customer Reviews

Desert Shadows: A True Story of the Charles Manson Family in Death Valley

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This short but informative book tells the story from the point of view of the author, a former superintendant of Death Valley National Monument (now DVNP), who was involved in the investigation of the Manson family in the park and its environs during late 1969 and 1970. Descriptions of the land and accounts of drives along backroads are quite thrilling, especially the trip through Goler Wash, which is always something of a challenge even to experienced 4-wheelers. My own visit to the Barker Ranch, where the gang holed up, was memorable because of the still-maintained bizarre shrine to Charlie and his followers; the ranch has a creepy feel to it and I am in no hurry to go back. The Manson story has probably done more to enhance the desert's reputation as a haven for those on the margins of conventional society than any other single event in the last fifty years; of course this bad reputation is undeserved and everyone I do run into in DVNP is pleasant and there for recreation. If you have a suitably equipped vehicle you can travel many of the roads and visit the places mentioned but I don't recommend the book for reading by flashlight in your tent; I think you would have a sleepless night.

Anyone who peruses the 1993 book "Desert Shadows-A True Story of the Charles Manson Family in Death Valley" most likely has quite a bit of knowledge in reference to this famous criminal case. Certainly there's an interesting story to tell about the Manson family's brief period in Death Valley, including their eventual capture by park superintendents and police officers. Author Bob Murphy, a former Death Valley National Monument Superintendent personally involved in the raid on the Barker/Myers ranches where the Manson crew was holed up, has done an adequate job at stating many of the facts.

Where "Desert Shadows" truly comes alive is in relaying details of what the officers found during their raids in October of 1969, when the Manson family was finally put behind bars. Lists of supplies, guns and stolen automobiles provide rare insight into the inner workings of this evil group. Murphy has done an excellent job in giving a blow-by-blow account of these uncomfortable days when park rangers slowly closed in on the Manson family. Perhaps where this book trips up is in detailing far too much the criminal history of the Manson family prior to their arrival in Death Valley. Most readers will already be familiar with this knowledge, which has been documented in "Helter Skelter" and "The Family."

I would have liked to have seen more first-hand accounts from multiple parties involved in these raids. A description of the struggles of two park rangers who stumbled upon nine partially-clothed hippies hiding in a ravine is fascinating stuff. But the reference to a man hiding nearby with a shotgun is never adequately explained. It's obvious this man was the one and only Charles Manson, though author Bob Murphy seems uncomfortable in stating this fact. He does relay the danger these isolated rangers were in. But once again, better detail would have fleshed out this creepy confrontation.

Much of "Desert Shadows" reads like a police report, which lends itself well to documenting the facts of these confrontations and raids. But additional eyewitness accounts could have better served Murphy's novella. An additional note must be made about the rare photos included in the book. Taken by officers during the Manson family's capture, they include shots of handcuffed members, abandoned dune buggies and the infamous bus at Barker Ranch. These photographs are fascinating. So much so, one wonders why the author did not include more.

"Desert Shadows" provides a rare glimpse into the eerie days when the Manson family took refuge in Death Valley. Anyone who has ever visited Barker Ranch/Death Valley knows full well that the chore of rounding up this criminal group must have been an extraordinarily difficult job. These rangers are heroes, but Bob Murphy is just humble enough to where he does not trumpet that in satisfying fashion. Too bad.

"Desert Shadows" would have been better served to focus exclusively on the Death Valley chapter of this case. The most illuminating line in the entire book is telling - "Had Charlie and his Family stayed in the populous urban areas, they may have lived more securely. They were not part of the desert and were naked in its environment. (They) had no rapport with the harsh reality of the desert." When operating within his element (the desert), author Bob Murphy brings to light some fascinating details on the Manson case. It's just outside of Death Valley where the book bogs down.

Well written from historical accounts, and a bit more balanced than Bugliosi's book. Good follow up as to the present status of "family" members.

This book does offer interesting information about how the Manson Family traveled through and lived in the desert areas. It also contains some great information about how law enforcement viewed the Family at the time. However, the reader gets tired of the writing style and repetitive nature of the narrative. If you are interested in the Manson case, you should have this piece in your collection simply because of the unique look at this period in the evolution of the Manson Family.

The desert was a place Manson loved. His desperate family followed him there where natures fury seemed to squeeze the life out of them until they were captured. Nothing new, but nice descriptions of life in the desert..I found much more insight into the Manson Family in "Squeaky," and "Taming the Beast."

I found this book about Charles Manson especially interesting since it focused on his activities in the Goler Wash area. I live about ten or fifteen miles from this location and have visited or passed by the location of his capture several times and it's interesting to realize that some pretty messed up stuff happened in and around Goler Wash. The author was the superintendent of Death Valley NP at the time of the capture of Charles Manson and so he offers a perspective quite different from many of the authors who have dealt with the activities of Charles Manson and his followers. I think that this book would be of special interest to anyone who lives near or spends any time in the part of Death Valley near Goler Wash. Another book, "These Canyons Are Full of Ghosts" by Emmett C. Harder also deals with this area (and mentions the Manson Family).

Interesting details on the families activities told from material from the National Park Service. The more you find out about this the stranger it gets.

Not the most riveting book out there about the Manson clan, with large sections of the text lifted virtually verbatim from "Helter Skelter".Murphys' original material is also fairly unenlightening . For interesting new information on the subject read Jess Bravins' sensitive biography of Lynette Fromme, "Squeaky".

This is a rather interesting look on the 'Family'.If you're really into reading about the Manson saga and their desert adventures,then you must read this book.It reads a lot like Vince's 'Helter Skelter' book,fairly boring at times and just the straightforward account.You have to read between the lines.Bob Murphey mentions the word 'Witchcraft' only once or twice also.Yet,both authors didn't understand what really went on. Death Valley is the Devil's Sandbox.It's hell on earth,only the strongest can survive here.Some facts are left out of the book completely.Such as,Charles Manson's focus on the Nazi Occult of Hitler's Germany.Hitler corrupted the pagan rune symbols of victory for his christian reich.The Swatstika is an age-old Indian pagan symbol for peace and life. When the young girls started coming to the canyon,they were put to work,hammering for gold nuggets.Only gold dust and a lot of cat's gold was readily found there in the old mines however.One corporate surveyor later found a 1914 Frisco newspaper and some 1967 LOOK magazines.The later was evidence of the presense of the girls and their blistered bloody fingerprints.Some major drilling operation pulls out the elusive gold bits of Golan Wash thesedays.Some of the other Manson books,grossly distort and glamourise the tragic events of their unique lifestyle in the desert world.If Charles Manson was not a modern slave in our Christian society,he would not have so readily accepted Satanic beliefs.The Judeo-Christian society drove Manson into the underworld of Satanism.This book sets the desert scene for the theatrics that devolved and escalated into 'Helter Skelter'.It went from being the dystopia of 'Lord of the Flies' into the tragic abyss of the 'Lord of Misrule'.This is an insightful book from a desert ranger's perspective.Yet,he misunderstood what the "Family" was all about.The demonised Manson was able to magnetise his followers because they were so out of touch with the natural earth rhythms.Christian society desensitzed these people and later Manson exploited this back unto society.