Review: Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn

I have read many biographies, in fact I would say that about half of my book collection consists of assorted biographies, memoirs and autobiographies. I'm not particularly fussy about them either, actor, writer, singer, politician, sportsman, serial killer, it's all good.

Manson really stood out to me though, and not just for its subject matter. I think Guinn did an amazing job of researching Manson's life and presenting all the events in a diplomatic, in-depth way, despite having to put all the pieces together from many different people's accounts.

Guinn sets the scene for us, describing the hippy culture and political issues of the era, which gives us insight into what the world was like at the time for these atrocities to occur. He explains the mood of society at the time, and how it got to that point, somehow drawing our interest in rather than making us feel we're back in high school history class.

I personally didn't actually know the details of what Manson did, only that he was a notorious serial killer, which is one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. So if you're interested in true crime, I would definitely recommend this book, but it's got so much more than that. It has tales of Manson's relationships with celebrities, a bit of a history lesson, details of his psychological control over his followers, as well as a selection of photos of Manson with his family and followers.

Definitely an interesting read, even if you are already familiar with the story of Charles Manson.

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