The Manson File

by Charles Manson, John Aes-Nihil (Editor), Nick Bougas (Editor)

The Manson File caused a sensation when it first appeared in 1988 under the Amok Press imprint. Never before had uncensored source material from the Family itself become available in a commercially distributed book. Now, under Feral House’s Resurrection series, here’s the entirety of a long out-of-print book, complete with Manson’s letters, spells, curses, artwork, lyrics, stories, and an essay on the power of evil, intended not for the public, but to influence his circle of followers. A picture emerges of what it was like to be part of Charles Manson’s Family, and the process of conversion to Mansonism. Here are rare photos, revelations by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Sandra Good, an examination of Manson’s ATWA ecological organization, and links to revolutionary right-wing factions and Libya’s Colonel Khaddafy. Included is an annotated bibliography, anecdotes, death certificates, bizarre coincidences, and obscure but pertinent facts that provide the keys to unlock further unsolved mysteries.

Genres: True Crime, History, Nonfiction, Biography

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

American criminal who led the "Manson Family," a quasi-commune that arose in the U.S. state of California in the later 1960s.

He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate-LaBianca murders, which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Through the joint-responsibility rule of conspiracy, he was convicted of the murders themselves.

Manson is forever associated with "Helter Skelter", the term he took from the Beatles song of that name and construed as an apocalyptic race war that the murders were intended to precipitate. This connection with rock music linked him, from the beginning of his notoriety, with pop culture, in which he became an emblem of insanity, violence, and the macabre. Ultimately, the term was used as the title of the book that prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi wrote about the Manson murders.

At the time the Family began to form, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict, who had spent half his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses. In the period before the murders, he was a distant fringe member of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly via a chance association with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. After Manson was charged with the crimes, recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially; a number of artists have covered his songs in the decades since.

Manson's death sentence was automatically reduced to life imprisonment when a decision by the Supreme Court of California temporarily eliminated the state's death penalty. California's eventual reestablishment of capital punishment did not affect Manson, who is an inmate at Corcoran State Prison.

Reviews

[Dustin Reade · Rating 5 out of 5]

first of all, if you aren't already one of those strange people (like me) who are absolutely fascinated with The Manson Family, you probably won't like this book, or even see the point. However, if you ARE one of those people (treating Helter Skelter as a quasi-religious text, smiling a bit when you see Manson ranting and raving on television, or nodding knowingly whenever a movie villain says or does something Mansonesque) then you will fugging LOVE this book!
Seriously, it includes Stories and poems written by Manson, his complete closing statement from his trial, interviews and essays by him, Sandra Good and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and more.

How much more you ask?
Well, it includes the television listings from TV guide on the night of the Sharon Tate murders, so...that much more.

yeah.

[MtnGal233 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hard read; dry, but informative. A must read for those interested in “the whole story”

[Jason Pickels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I obtained this book from Barnes & Noble I seem to recall, around 1990 and it became part of my then emergent "Bible", also consisting of Carlos Castaneda texts, Aghora: At The Left Hand Of God by Dr. Robert Svoboda, primary "Chaos Magick" Typhonian and other textual oddities in an arcane vortex of weirdness that this little book became a sort of Apocryphal New Testament account within, giving me a new and better "Jesus" (laughter ensues).. I give it less than 5 stars only due to its terse brevity, but it is brimful with wonders beyond most anything I have ever read, a true light in the dark. Hail the memory of Charles Manson.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos/illustrations were badly reproduced in this book -- a few of them nearly too fuzzy to make out. I suppose things would have been a lot clearer if I had shelled out the big bucks for the original edition. Oh well. Still a great read.