I haven't done that much research, I'm just old. ::big grin:: I remember watching "The Fearless Vampire Killers" and thinking, "they killed HER? Execute them all, NOW". The main book to read would have to be Helter Skelter, or course.
The podcast looks to be really good, and it has a good list of reading material at the front. Sadly, I don't do iTunes (or iAnythingElse. I'm old).
It looks like the podcast will make the same point I would make. Manson is a product of his times. The only thing that made him stand out is that Sharon Tate was gorgeous and well known, and that the media had been pushing the "harmless hippie" thing for way to long. Turns out hippies will break into your house and kill you. The one thing that stood out to me (I think it's in Helter Skelter, I may be wrong) is that in the late 60's Haight Ashbury had gone from hippie heaven to prostitution and drug overdose capitol of the world. It got so bad that the Manson Family moved out to the desert. Think about that. Your neighborhood is so bad that the MANSON FAMILY won't live there. A lot of young people saw the trials on the news and went out and got a haircut and threw away the guitar, man. (You see the same thing after Chikatilo was finally caught. Everybody just walked away from the Communist party.) The arrests and very public trials of the Manson Family were used by the police and politicians to justify rounding up the stragglers, and the 1960's were officially over. Want to know how far things flipped the other way? Dirty Harry came out in 1971. Death Wish came out in 1974. Both feature older men shooting younger men. A lot.

I believe all the episodes are free at the website the link is from. A lot of podcasts are free and not through itunes. :)

Thank you, I will be checking this out. I've never listened to a podcast before. ::embarrassment::

As a child I watched the Helter Skelter movie, I can't remember too much about it. At some point I did have the book & started it, but I lost it while I was moving. ::sad:: Sharon Tate was so very beautiful. <3 I've only seen her in the movie Valley of the Dolls though. I have caught bits & pieces on the case over the years. The crime scene pictures I can't unsee, although I'd like to. I've often heard people say the Manson murders, a long with Altamont pretty much killed the free love-hippie way of life. I wouldn't know though because that's way before my time. ::wink:: I wish I'd been around to experience Jimi & Janis though, I really love their music. And The Mama's & the Papa's.::love:: I've read old Charlie's got himself a girlfriend in prison now. The girl in question is questionable.

If you haven't seen The Fearless Vampire Killers, you should. It is really, really, dumb. ::big grin:: It seems to be a parody of the Hammer films.

As for the podcast, I think you need to have iTunes installed to even listen to it from the website. I couldn't get anywhere with it.

Apologies. You are correct. Alas. It was available and free at the website when I listened to it. Its free via itunes it seems. Shrug. I do not use itunes.

My dad got letters from Squeaky and Sexy Sadie. We still have them too.

Hmm...this would explain a lot.

They were really nice. They told us not to write letters to Manson because he would write us some really weird shit back.

That's so next level. Like who has that kind of story to bring up at dinner parties???? ::big grin::