Charles Manson, arguably the most famous killer in American history, remains a source of fascination more than fifty years after the Tate–LaBianca murders that shocked the nation. In previous books about the 1969 murders, writers focused on trial testimony and scrambled to find anything new that would provide insight into what happened. The information they had was orchestrated by the prosecution, which used cult images and sex orgies to shock. But who was Manson, really? Was he the racist, Helter Skelter, mind-controlling cult master portrayed in the media? Or was there more? Only one journalist—Mary Neiswender—was able to meet Manson in person during the year-long trial in 1970.

After Manson’s arrest, Neiswender spent more time with Manson than any other person, except maybe his prison guards. Manson and Neiswender spoke in person at the county jail or on the phone almost daily. However, the conversations between Manson and Neiswender have never been published: most of their talks were off the record, and Neiswender refused to write about them until after Manson’s death in prison in 2017. In Charlie and Me Neiswender finally reveals their conversations and the insights she gained from her time with Manson, a complicated man, a killer, and a figure of intense interest in American crime culture.