This book was published in January 1970 -- the killings happened in August of 1969 and the case hadn't even gone to trial yet. Lawrence Schiller (who went on to a lucrative career in true crime books, movies, and TV shows, as well as a friendship with Norman Mailer) somehow landed an exclusive interview with Susan Atkins before her access to the press was limited by a judge's order. This book, obviously rushed to press to cash in on the Manson Family excitement, consists of two long sections by Schiller (one introducing the reader to the Hippie movement, the drug scene -- much of which seems to come from Schiller's first book, LSD (1966), -- and San Francisco; the other giving some background on the Manson Family and the killings), and then a long section in Atkins' "own words" (which are probably based on the interviews with her but are so so so obviously the author's, and not her own words at all).

This book is not good as a cultural, legal, forensic, or psychological overview of the Manson Family killings. It is not very well written, and it is obviously playing to the curiosity, fascination, and fear people felt about these killings at the time. That being said, it is a great document of the contemporary reaction to the murders, a good example of grocery store true crime journalism, and it takes about two seconds to read, so it is worth looking at if you have an interest in this sort of thing.

[full review here: http://spacebeer.blogspot.com/2009/05/killing-of-sharon-tate-1970.html ] ( )