First, thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read many books on the Manson Murders and, of course, like anyone else fascinated by this "Helter Skelter" was the bible of the crime.  I was only ten years old when this occurred so I didn't really come into the story until later but when I did I read everything I could and watched everything as well.  

James Buddy Day does a great job in telling a thought provoking job of making you take a different view of not what happened because we pretty much know what happened but WHY.  James asks Charlie Manson the tough questions - the questions we would probably ask if we had the spine and the opportunity to do so.

The interesting part of all of this is that 50 years later, would the trial still have been handled any differently?  When you see docs like Making a Murderer or The Staircase you just have to wonder.

An great read and written so well you won't want to put it down.  I finished it in one day it was that good!

A very different take on the Manson Family and murders based on a series on phone interviews with Charles Manson, as well as time spent talking to other principles in the case. This book is highly readable and offers insights into Manson and the crimes that make a lot more sense than those posited by Vincent Bugliosi in Helter Skelter.

Wow- what a fascinating read. It's so crazy to think that the author was speaking directly with Charles Manson and some of the other's involved in the  murders and/or part of the Manson Family. I have read quite a few books on this topic and this one is a whole other level. I commend James on his courage to speak with Charles Manson and there is something utterly fascinating and chilling about hearing directly from Charles. James did not hold back on his questions and challenged Charles. I absolutely love the writing and how the story flowed- we get the background on the murders and descriptions of other key players pieced together with the interviews from Charles, some of Charles's friends and other members of the Manson family that were willing to talk to James. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Optimum Publishing for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

For those that are familiar with the Manson story, and especially Helter Skelter, Hippie Cult Leader gives a lot to consider as to what really led to the murder spree 50 years ago. This new perspective will keep you thinking long after you've read the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley for my color of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hippie Cult Leader by James Buddy Day is dubbed as The Last Words of Charles Manson.  Day is known for producing true crime documentaries, and when he reached out, Manson agreed to speak with him.  Manson died in 2017 from complications associated with cancer.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Optimum Publishing, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

My Synopsis and Opinions:   

Vincent Bugliosi was the prosecutor who brought Charles Manson and his "family" to justice.   His "Helter Skelter theory"  (and best-selling book) is based on Charles Manson being a brainwashing cult leader,  who was trying to start a race war.  According to Bugliosi, Manson believed the Beatles song Helter Skelter contained secret messages that would ignite the black vs white race war, and so Manson was killing and leaving clues that would lead to the revolt.  Then, when that was over, Manson and his family could come out of hiding and Manson could rule both blacks and whites.

This book, told in the words of  Charles Manson, and many interviews with members of his "family", provides an alternate theory.   This theory is basically that Manson was out for revenge on anyone who "wronged" him.  When Manson shoots and thinks he killed Bernard Crowe because of a drug deal gone wrong, he needs his family to "get their hands dirty too" (to become complicit).  And this began a series of events with many more people dying, basically just to protect Charlie -- whether the actual killers knew it or not.  In conversations with Day, Manson seemed to fluctuate between agreeing he was a leader, and insisting he wasn't.  Apparently no one was forced to do anything they didn't want to do.  Everyone just wanted to please Charlie.  For someone that felt so wronged and misunderstood, his ego was big, and he believed none of his family would ever rat him out.   He compared himself to Jesus, to a messiah.  He did not like the term cult leader.  Charles Manson disputes many of the popular theories.  He says it was not a cult, it was a community.  They were not hippies, they were "slippies" - people who slipped under the awareness of society.  He insists they were actually just environmentalists who wanted to be left alone.

Charles Manson was a lot of things to different people.  He was an environmentalist, he was charismatic, he was a lover, he was paranoid, he was misunderstood, he was a killer.

Although I agree that Bugliosi's theory had flaws and that laws seemed to have been bent to make sure Charlie and his crew went to jail (and stayed there), there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Charles Manson got exactly what he deserved.  He was sentenced to two life sentences and eight death sentences, which were later commuted to additional life terms when California abolished the death penalty.  He died in jail.

When all is said and done,  the following people died at the hands of Manson and/or his "family":  Gary Hinman (34), Steven Parent (18), Sharon Tate (26) who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, Jay Sebring (35), Abigail Folger (25), Wojciech Frykowski (32), Leno LaBianca (44) and Rosemary LaBianca (38), Donald Shea (35)...those are the ones that we know of.



Further Opinions:  

Day did a good job of talking to a lot of people, and getting a lot of opinions and insights from different members.  He gave a brief synopsis of each member of the family at the end of the book, and where they are today.  He also provided a summary of each victim and the defence and prosecution teams.

The book was well written (if a little long).  I don't know if Day's theory was any more accurate than Bugliosi's theory.  I know it made more sense, but it too is just a theory, and I don't think anyone could ever know what really went on in Charles Manson's mind.

The final words of Charles Manson were confusing.  His words really haven't changed in all the years.  He still talked in riddles, nonsensical verbage that could be interpreted in many ways, although I believe Day got most of them right.  Sometimes I think Manson liked what Day said, so he jumped on it and agreed.

Overall, having read Bugliosi's book once or twice over the years,  this was equally as entertaining.  Neither one is a feel-good book -- how could they be when so many  people lost their lives.

Hmmm. How do I put this nicely? Within the first two chapters, two things stuck out. 

1. The writer didn't know what "The Ranch" was in reference to, despite saying that he was obsessed with true crime/Charles Manson/Helter Skelter. 
2. Patty Hearst was misspelled as "Patty Hurst".

I understand I received an ARC but....still. 

I've long been interested in cults and cult mentality. One of my favorite books a few years ago was about Jim Jones and Jonestown. I have studied the Manson family, in detail for many many years, in order to understand the mental state that someone would need to be in to commit to a 'leader' to that level.

This book is a fascinating look at the last few months of Manson's life. The author was able to get in with Manson and learn as much as possible, despite Charlie's psycho-babble. There were times that I felt Charlie's annoyance that the writer didn't know a reference. It's a good look his tortured mind.

Coming on the 50th Anniversary of the murders, it's interesting. But...honestly, Jeff Guinn's book "Manson" should be viewed as the be all - end all book on Manson.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I was given the chance to read Hippie Cult Leader: The Last Words of Charles Manson before its release, I couldn’t say “Yes!” fast enough. My love of horror films has naturally developed into a fascination with real-life horror stories, particularly serial killers, and over the years nothing has interested me more than a good documentary on one of the darkest crimes in recent history. Many people will agree that Charles Manson and his so-called family of followers are one of the biggest stories to ever shock the world, and their blood-soaked legacy will live on for a very long time.

Many books and documentaries have been made which focus on Charlie and his family over the years, but what this book offers is a different perspective. What if Charles Manson wasn’t an evil dictator? Could it be possible that he didn’t order his family members to kill those victims? Maybe the whole ‘Helter Skelter’ theory was an elaborate fabrication developed just to send a man to prison? James Buddy Day presents these ideas in this fantastic book, which documents his conversations with Manson leading up to his death in 2017. Obviously, I don’t want to give anything away and spoil the read for you, but I would like to recommend it and let you know why I enjoyed this fascinating read so much.

Let me start by saying that this book isn’t just for people already interested in the Manson case. I personally didn’t know a lot about the details, just that he was a killer and he had a cult-like family working with him. I knew the basics that the media has taught us, but this book gives details of each murder, each friendship, and each insane factor leading up to the fateful events that resulted in Manson being incarcerated once and for all. It also explains how he came to be known as a mind-controlling tyrant, bloodthirsty and viewed as God-like by his ‘robots’.

The content of this book is incredibly well researched, and the author has clearly spent more than enough time checking his facts and ensuring his work is accurate and well informed. He talks with a lot of people throughout the book, from character witnesses, members of the family and, of course, Charlie himself. These are some of the most interesting parts, in my opinion, hearing the conversations he had with Manson over the phone are so interesting, I’ve found myself pausing my readjust to reflect on what was said.

The book also talks about why the interviews happened in the first place. Day was making a documentary on Manson, initially to be called Manson: The Voice of Madness. When Charles passed away during the making of the film, the title was changed to Charles Manson: The Final Words. He didn’t initially believe he would get the chance to speak with Manson himself, so the book and the documentary could have turned out very differently. Day wrote to Charlie in prison and to his astonishment, he got a response from the man himself. The documentary explores the Manson case in-depth, the same way the book does and looks at elements that were overlooked, ignored, or fabricated altogether in the courtrooms. I plan on watching the documentary as soon as I can if it’s anything like the book it will be incredibly detailed and factual.

black and white image of Charles Manson
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One of the scariest things I faced reading this book is that a lot of the things Charles Manson discussed with the author made sense. You don’t expect this satanic mind controlling murderer to talk the way he does, and it’s a strange feeling to think ‘Hang on, I kind of agree with him there’. The book doesn’t imply that Manson was an innocent man, not at all. But it does show him in a different light. The kind of light the media never wanted him to be portrayed in: Human.

Reading some of the extraordinary things that happened within the courtrooms is astounding and left me feeling almost sorry for Manson and the unfairness he faced whilst on trial. It reminded me a lot of the way I felt watching the Netflix documentary Making a Murderer. This book points out errors made in the courtroom, lies that were told to the media to paint Manson the way the state wanted him to be viewed, and the general unfairness he faced on more than one occasion. Is it really possible that one of the most infamous crimes in history didn’t happen the way we were all told it did? That’s the burning question this book leaves you wrestling with.

James Buddy Day’s writing style is another winning factor for this book. He never lets the heavy load of facts and details get too overwhelming. I haven’t been able to put the book down since I started it, which is a testament to how great he is at keeping up the pace. The book starts with a bang and it never relents, from graphic reconstructions of the murders, different sides of stories from different people’s perspectives, and shocking revelations as he develops his own theories on an alternate explanation of exactly what happened. It’s fascinating to hear such an in depth description of every single detail, especially when trying to imagine what the people involved were really like. Day paints an incredibly detailed picture of life in 60s free love America, contrasted harshly with the dark underworld Manson grew accustomed to. It’s incredible to read about how this relatively peaceful commune for outcasts became entangled in one of the darkest killing sprees in history. And Day’s style of writing really keeps you wanting more after each chapter ends.

Day also succeeds in creating extremely vivid characters for everyone involved with Manson. I feel like I know everyone involved personally thanks to his brilliantly descriptive writing. One of the most interesting parts of the book was learning who these people were, and how each of them was involved in the murders. I find it incredibly interesting to hear how these completely average people got mixed up in such dark crimes and how they came to have their own roles within the overall crimes. Learning about the members of the family closest to Charlie, the secrets and the lies, who said what in court, it’s simply astounding. The book really makes you feel like you’ve been there with them, you’ve seen the various locations they lived in, you were there at the murders. And because Day is so good at developing the characters involved, you get a sense that you know how each of them was feeling at the time. The women, the men, even the victims. Everyone gets their own detailed depiction in this book and it all comes together to create one hell of a read.

It really is impressive just how many people Day managed to interview for this book too. Key members of the family, lawyers involved in the court cases, fans of Manson who wrote to him and visited him in prison—he really manages to cover all bases and leaves no stone unturned. After finishing the book you feel like you genuinely know all of the facts surrounding Manson and the crimes. I know his back story, I know how and why the communes came about, I know the details of the murders from numerous perspectives and most importantly I feel like I now know Charlie himself. What he was really like, and what he wanted out of life. And it’s completely different to what I thought I knew already. This is the first book I’ve read on the subject and I don’t feel like there’s anymore to learn really. I do plan to read Helter Skelter as I am interested to see that whole theory from the point of view of the man who came up with it.

So if you’re already a fan of the Manson story, or if you’ve never heard of him, this book will fascinate you. It’s a highly descriptive story of drugs, sex, and murder, and will leave you questioning everything you think you know about Charles Manson and his infamous family. The book is a literary triumph for James Buddy Day, and I look forward to seeking out more of his work. Hippie Cult Leader: The Last Words of Charles Manson is released this August. Buy it.

I enjoyed this book overall. I haven't watched the documentary (which is what this book is kind of based off of). I have an affinity for all things cult/extreme belief/serial killer. I found this book to be a bit repetitive. A lot of facts that are already known were regurgitated in this book (and that's fine for those who don't already know much about Manson). I did "learn" a few new things in this book that I was unaware and that is what kept my attention. With a bit more editing, I think this book will go over well.

An interesting book, well written and full of facts and information.
i appreciated the style of writing and how the book is organised.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

THANK YOU NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read this book and watch the documentary (originally aired on REELZ)

I'm a little biased when I say this book was great because I have always been intrigued by Charles Manson. Im so glad it was put into words after it was originally a documentary. You get some words from the man behind some of the most heinous crimes in the 60's. I highly reccomend this book, especially if youre a true crime junkie like me!

Thank you Netgalley for granting my wish for this book! I have always been an avid True Crime fan and was exceptionally excited to see this pop up on my feed! 

Charles Manson has always been an interesting subject to read about for me. It has always fascinated me that this man, who is infamous in the True Crime community, who is referred to as Evil Reincarnate by millions, never actually killed anybody himself. I've always found the psychology behind Manson and his manipulation of those around him to be intensely fascinating. 

James Buddy Day does an incredible job at re-telling this over-done and well known tale into something fresh and interesting. Bringing little known facts to the table and sharing his own insight following personal interviews he had with Manson directly. There were many things I hadn't previously read about before, so it was really fascinating to read the Manson story with fresh information. And, as always, the interviews with Manson were fascinating - it is easy to see how he manipulated so many people!

It's quite clear that James Buddy Day has put his heart and soul into this piece of work. He has done a fantastic job with Hippie Cult Leader and I would absolute recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about True Crime!

Just when I thought I knew a lot about the Tate murders and Charles Manson, I read Hippie Cult Leader and discovered a great follow up story about them.  This book is a must-read for anyone familiar with the 1969 events.

This is my first book I read about Charles Manson. I know the story thanks to documentaries I’ve watched but this book gave me more information. I love anything true crime and this book was the perfect edition to my bookshelf. I recommend this book to anyone curious about Charles Manson or even someone who knows the facts and read other books.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for granting my wish for this book! I've grown up with a love for the dark side, and part of that was an interest in serial killers. The thought that someone could kill another person is terrifying and beyond my reasoning, so it is always fascinating to me to read material like this that give us an all-access pass into the person's life. I was actually named after a victim of the Manson Family, so their story has been woven into my existence. It's been a long time since I've read Helter Skelter, so I can't compare the information in that novel to this one, which I think is much better. I want this to be its own narrative without being held up to another account.

I really loved the way that this novel was presented. We got backstory on the murders, which were written in graphic detail. I could see every cut, every wild eye within these pages. These scenes were pieced together with conversations the author had with Charles himself, and that on its own was completely wild to me. I can't imagine writing up one of the most famous killers in the USA and striking up a familiarity with them. It's possibly the bravest and dumbest thing I've ever heard, but the material gathered was worth the risk. I loved hearing Charlie's words right from his mouth, and taking in the chilling fact that a lot of it didn't make sense, which showed you the state of his mind.

I think this book taught me a lot in the way of not only the psychology behind the Family, but also just how easy it was to get close to someone in prison way back when. All James did was write him a letter, and from that letter came correspondence and phone calls. There were other 'friends' of Charlie's too who gave him money, sold his artwork, and gave him companionship. This man was born and raised in a prison cell, pretty much, and died the same way. It's no surprise things ended the way they did, but I don't think anyone would have guessed the impact. It has been decades, and we're still trying to find this man out. I'm grateful for people like James Buddy Day who are sharing their stories and connecting the puzzle.

Normally I start my reviews with a brief synopsis about the book I have read but since this is a new book there wasn't much of a synopsis to go off of. This book is a true crime novel following James Buddy Day on his journey of making a documentary about Charles Manson. You get to learn about one-on-one interviews that he was able to have with Manson via phone calls during Manson's last few months alive. You get to learn about a new theory surrounding the case that started the true crime craze that is still very prominent today. What if "Helter Skelter" wasn't the reason behind the Tate-LaBianca murders like everyone thinks it is? What if none of the family members even know what that theory was until the trial? 

I am obsessed with Charles Manson and his family. I have read many books on this subject and still find the information fascinating. So, when I saw that this book was coming out I HAD to try to receive an ARC through NetGalley. The cover caught my eye on the website and I was extremely excited when I saw the e-mail that I was chosen to get a copy. I started this book while on my flight to Tampa and made it close to 50% of the way done before having to get off of the plane (I was reading on my Kindle). I was hooked from the very beginning and once I started getting to the in depth parts of the alternate theory that this book surrounds I was hooked even more. I brought my Kindle with me everywhere so I had the ability to read in any down time that presented itself to me. Although, there were times where I was worried that Manson was starting to get into the mind of the author with his weird "psycho-babble" (for lack of better terminology) James Buddy Day made sure to go back to do his research before believing anything that came out of Charlie's mouth. 

On Goodreads I rated this book a 4/5 because of how magnetic it is. I just wanted to keep reading so I could find more and more information about the theory (which makes complete sense). You could tell that this author did a lot of research while conducting the interviews that he talks about in the book. You can feel the passion he has for this subject radiating through the words while reading. There is a lot of information about the cases that I had not heard before even after reading several books on the subject (including "Helter Skelter"). I also liked that, although, Day is going against the "Helter Skelter" theory that caused Charlie to end up behind bats he makes sure that his readers know that he in no way believes that the verdict at the end of Manson's trial was wrong. He, instead, is just posing another theory that makes more sense and fits better with the evidence that was found at the crime scenes. If you love true crime this is definitely a book to keep a look out for; Publishing date is August 8, 2019! You don't want to miss it!

Thank you for granting my wish to read this book. Trying to review a book about Charles Manson is definitely not an easy task most of the time. I have read many of them during college and then thereafter simply because I have always been curious about how this tiny uneducated felon became evil incarnate or what other words come to mind or most often  from the mouth of the late Vincent Bugliosi. This summer there are many forms of media taking on Manson and his so-called family for the 50th year of the murders...anniversary just isn't right to me but it clearly is to others who are putting his face and name everywhere again.
I wasn't particularly impressed with this book for several chapters because there were many factual errors about basic things that have been known for years...ages, sizes of people, 'final words' from victims and so on. It is also in desperate need of an amazing editor before it hits the shelves because it is so repetitive that it's down right irritating to read at times. This book was originally a documentary on REELZ channel about the final words/days of Charles Manson. It was interesting for one reason or another so I was curious about the book. The author had many short conversations over the course of what turned out to be the final year of Manson's life because he wanted to hear something other than the ridiculousness that was 'Helter Skelter' that was forced out front by Vincent Bugliosi and his co-author who was actually writing the book before the trial even started (it's one of the most BORING book I have ever read). As the book progressed it did get a bit more interesting with many interviews along the way. My big issue however is this, the author seems to make many assumptions based on his theories, ideas, or from fragments of his conversations with Manson that were limited to 15 minutes at a time. Anyone who has ever listened to interviews with Manson can see that he seems to speak gibberish but to him it made sense and along the way I think it began to make sense to the author. He isn't a sympathizer and neither am I because he was not a good man but it is definitely because of the media and courts that this case has stayed in the news for 50 years. The author does make some observations that I find legitimate regarding a few of the people clumped together in 'The Manson Family' which Manson always swore was a made up name. 
This book isn't the best book regarding this very complicated case and Charles Manson and it's certainly not the worst. To me, it's somewhere in the middle with leanings towards better. The author tries to almost humanize someone that the world has been told is the devil for half a century and I must admit he doesn't do a terrible job at it.

This is an engaging book by James Day, who manages to get Charles Manson to call him, then they begin a dialogue where James explains to Manson that he wants to tell his true story, whatever that may be, that Manson still claims has never been told. This begins a year-long discourse between them about everything under the sun, while Day interviewed Manson for a documentary. Which also happened to be the final year of Manson’s life. He also further researched his background, and interviewed many other major figures who were involved in the story back in the day, or who knew Manson some other way.

After learning about Manson’s many “friends” who did favors for him, constantly jockeying for position as his “best friend” but mostly just being used to get Manson’s needs fulfilled out of necessity, Day met some and interviewed them, and spoke to others. They were very loyal, and several sold items like artwork for Charlie online, splitting the proceeds with him. Others had different functions to keep Manson happy, including visits.

There was the usual information in there, but plenty new interviews to keep it interesting. There are lots of topics they discussed and lots of unusual statements by Charlie all through. Many things that have long been staples of the story in books were disputed and reasons given. It is left for you to decide which is correct. A fascinating send off for Manson that leaves us with plenty to think about. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author James Buddy Day, and the publisher.

Hippie Cult Leader by author James Buddy Day is a great novel of the famous Charles Manson. Great detail and told in a spectacular flow!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.