Charles Manson

Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) was the leader of a group of young followers of both sexes, known collectively as "The Family" in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Manson convinced the youths of his apocalyptic vision and still has a considerable amount of control over some of the former family members who are still alive. He planned and ordered the family to commit several brutal murders, most notably the movie actress Sharon Tate who was pregnant at the time. He was convicted of murder in what came to be known as the "Tate-La Bianca case", named after the victims, although he was not accused of committing the murders in person. He is currently serving a life sentence in a California prison and is up for parole in 2007; however, due to his erratic and arguably dangerous and insane behavior, it is highly unlikely he will ever be released.

Books and films

Books

• Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry (Norton, 1974; Arrow books, 1992 edition, ISBN 0099975009; W. W. Norton & Company, 2001, ISBN 0393322238)
• Manson in His Own Words by Charles Manson (note that Manson denies authorship), as told to Nuel Emmons (Grove Press, 1988, ISBN 0802130240)
• The Manson File by Nikolas Schreck (Amok Press, 1988, ISBN 094169304X)
• The Family by Ed Sanders (Thunder's Mouth Press rev update edition, 2002, ISBN 1560253967)
• The Charles Manson Murder Trial: A Headline Court Case by Michael J. Pellowski (Enslow Publishers, 2004, ISBN 076602167X)
• ' by Tommy Udo (Sanctuary Records, 2002, ISBN 1860743889)
• Taming the Beast: Charles Manson's Life Behind Bars by Edward George, Dary Matera (St. Martin's Press, 1999, ISBN 0312209703)
• Will you die for me? by Charles Watson (F. H. Revell, 1978, ISBN 0800709128)
• The Garbage People by John Gilmore
• My Life with Charles Manson, by Paul Watkins with Guillermo Soledad, Bantam, 1979 ISBN 0553127888. Paul Watkins left the Family before the murders.

Films

Documentaries

• Manson documentary directed by Robert Hendrickson and Laurence Merrick (1973)
• Charles Manson Superstar documentary directed by Nikolas Schreck (Music Video Distribu, DVD Release Date: 2002)

Dramatic

• The Manson Massacre directed by Kentucky Jones (1972)
• Helter Skelter directed by John Gray (1976; Director's Cut: 2004, Warner Home Video)
• The Book of Manson directed by Raymond Pettibon (1989)
• The Manson Family directed by Jim Van Bebber (2003)
• Helter Skelter (film) directed by John Gray (2004)