Manson: The Unholy Trail of Charlie and the Family [Paperback]

Ron Kenner (Author), John Gilmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2000

The persona of Charles Manson and his bizarre sway over the Family remains riveting a quarter century down the line. Manson is a gripping account of one of the most chilling and fascinating crime sagas of our time, now available in a revised and updated edition containing 36 pages of previously unpublished photographs. New vectors into the kaleidoscopic tale that spins inexorably out of the slayings emerge in this updated edition with new material on killer Bobby Beusoleil and his occult alliance with experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"John Gilmore approaches Manson in an unique manner; not as the horror stricken outsider from the straight world, but as the jaded son of a former LAPD officer and a former starlet mother. Another thing that makes this book so different from many of the other Manson tomes is the abundance of quotes and conversations contained within its pages. Where Nuel Emmons claimed his book was Manson In His Own Words, Gilmore holds the legitimate claim to that title because a large portion of the book is written in Manson's voice. For this updated edition, Gilmore had in-depth conversations with Bobby Beausoleil and various other family members. For the first time in print, Beausoleil gets to tell his story, from his youth in El Monte through his crimes and his stay in prison. Beausoleil has lived a life that is as intriguing as Manson's and it is refreshing to see a new curve put on the story of the family. The bulk of this book is written in the voices of family members and that's what makes it interesting reading and not just another quickie Manson book out to make a buck." ~ Maximum Rock 'n' Roll

About the Author

Acclaimed internationally for his literary fiction, his hard-boiled true crime books and Hollywood memoirs, John Gilmore has a following that spans the globe from London to Tokyo, from Hong Kong to Hollywood. "John Gilmore is the quintessential L.A. noir writer..." Sydney Morning Herald.

Ron has collaborated on books as an editor, written and edited book covers, jacket material, etc., and directed print/publicity campaigns reaching millions of readers in the U.S. and abroad, including for Cherry Heering, Plumrose Foods, A.B. Cernelle (Division of Nobel Co.).

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Amok Books; 2nd edition (January 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878923137
• ISBN-13: 978-1878923134
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #940,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Described by the Sydney Morning Herald as "the quintessential L.A. noir writer," John Gilmore has been acclaimed internationally for his hard-boiled true crime books, his Hollywood memoirs and his biting, literary fiction. He is considered one of today's most controversial American authors, with a following that spans the globe from Tokyo, Paris and London, to his native Hollywood where he was friends with the likes of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. He traveled the road to fame in many guises before turning to writing: kid magician, painter, poet, actor in films, TV, and the New York stage, then screen-writer, B-movie director into a "bang 'em out alive," nine-day novelist. "Few like to look back at how they kept the pot boiling," Gilmore says. "For me it was an education--a turning point from frantic to be a movie star, to just letting the dog out of the cage."
After heading the writing program at Antioch's west coast university, Gilmore traveled and lectured extensively while creating an indelible mark in crime literature with Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia, described by Colin Wilson as "The best book on the Black Dahlia--in fact, the only readable book." After years of "being on the road," as he puts it, three times married, three times divorced and now single, he resides in the Hollywood Hills, expanding his body of work with a "lengthy, peculiar" novel, plus another unusual exploration into true-crime.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Formerly known as: Garbage People, July 9, 2002

By 

Rhiannon Bishop (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Manson: The Unholy Trail of Charlie and the Family (Paperback)

If you want to OWN every book ever written about Manson and his family, then by all means purchase this book.

If you want to KNOW everything there is to know about Manson and his family, then by all means stay away from this book.

The chapters are redundant. You'll find the same quotes from chapter to chapter. While reading a chapter all of a sudden the authors will change subjects, sometimes without finishing the thought that they were working on. This makes the book a somewhat difficult read.

In some instances in the book, family members are given pseudonyms when it's not really called for. For example, the authors repeatedly call Mary Brunner, Marie O'Brien. At the same time they have a photo of Mary Brunner with the right name captioned. Made absolutely no sense to me at all. Her role in the family is also downplayed. She appears in the book only a few times. Her role in the Hinman murders is also downplayed.

There are also instances where some of the picture captions are incorrect. There is a picture of the "girls" on a garbage run that lists Gypsy - Catherine Share - as one of those in the picture. She's not in the picture. However, Mary Brunner is, and yet she's not listed.

It would appear to me that there was very little verification or editing done with this book. You would expect, at the very least, for a re-released (with additions) book, that SOMEONE would have had the forethought to review and edit it.

Lastly, the addition of new photos to the book are uncalled for. There is no reason, whatsoever, to put in death photos. The photos do not in any way enhance this book, they actually diminish it. The pictures are gruesome and brutal. Why not show the vibrant faces of the victims as they were in living, not as they were in death? The only pictures of the victims, other than the death photos, are of Sharon Tate. Somehow the other victims always seem to get lost.

Not exactly a book I'd recommend to anyone other than those that want to fill their "Manson Library".

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a good read, but not for the squeamish, September 13, 2001

By 

Jimbo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Manson: The Unholy Trail of Charlie and the Family (Paperback)

It's difficult to put my finger on why, but I found this book to be somewhat lacking. While it was indeed a good read, a lot of the information was contrary to what has been published in other books, at times leaving the reader unsure of what the truth really is. Perhaps I've read too many books about the Tate-Labianca murders, but these books were written by the murderers and the prosecuter, Vincent Bugliosi. I found little new information about the case, but did find something I hadn't quite expected---very graphic photos of the murder victims after their arrival at the morgue. Having never seen these photos before, I was sickened at the sight of just how brutal these murders were. Yes, I had read how many times each victim had been stabbed, but to actually see these photos was very disturbing.
While I do recommend this book as a good read, I would caution anyone to think twice before viewing the photos---they are not images that are easily forgotten. I sincerely hope each time one of the heartless murderers appears before a parole board, these graghic photos will be presented as proof that none of these people should EVER be set free!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I HAVE NEVER LIVED IN TIME," says Manson, December 22, 2002

By 

barbara tucker (Terre Haute, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manson: The Unholy Trail of Charlie and the Family (Paperback)

This book is an exploration into the world that was created by Charles Manson. The writer, John Gilmore (Los Angeles Times says of Gilmore's book, COLD-BLOODED, "An essential masterpiece in the true crime genre"), has created a window to Charlie Manson's world by close involvement not only with Manson but with all facets of this incredible, terrifying mise en scene. One reviewer has seemingly faulted this book for not being "entertainment," and sites Helter Skelter as their choice of entertainment. No, Gilmore's book is not "entertainment," but rather ENLIGHTENMENT. Helter Skelter was an excellent offering from the author's point of view, that of the prosecutor in the case against Manson and the girls accused of murder. Helter Skelter is told exclusively from that point of view, examining Manson and the Family at a safe distance, as beasts in cages, much as we observe animals at the zoo. That is entertainment. John Gilmore's examination of this case has no bars separating us from the beasts. We are accompany them on their lives, are placed right in with them. We share life with them, we watch their heads ticking, and we kill with them. This is a terrifying place to be. Gilmore's book was one of the earliest books to be published on the Manson case. There have been a number of imitations, trying to lead us into this twisted world so effortlessly accompolished by Gilmore. He has lived inside Manson's head, and his book stands alone in taking us into a warped world that will remain as timeless as the Holocaust. So, no, this is not "entertainment." For entertainment, one must visit the tube for a sitcom or a movie made for TV. For education, for enlightenment, though, Gilmore's book is the one to read. It dark, yes. It is shocking, yes. Helter Skelter gives us a broad and worthwhile study of the legalities and the case from the prosecution's personal, bestseller-style, perspective. In fairness, I suggest reading Gilmore's book and Helter Skelter, to gain as much insight as possible into this mindboggling horror that seems right at our fingertips. I was smelling the blood in Gilmore's book, and yet I could not turn away.

As for the photographs of the victims from the murder scene and at the morgue, this was the first time these photographs were published in a book dealing with this case. What appears online were "borrowed" from Mr. Gilmore's book. They are now world-wide, and nonetheless disturbing, frightening, or unforgettable. Gilmore's book is not "entertainment," unless you subscribe to the same nightmare view created by Charles Manson. This book and these photographs remind us that true evil is very close, so close, in fact, it can reach out and touch us at any time.