The Family

by Ed Sanders

Overview

"The first complete, authoritative account of the career of Charles Manson. A terrifying book." — New York Times Book Review

In August of 1969, during two bloody evenings of paranoid, psychedelic savagery, Charles Manson and his dystopic communal family helped to wreck the dreams of the Love Generation. At least nine people were murdered, among them Sharon Tate, the young, beautiful, pregnant, actress and wife of Roman Polanski.

Ed Sanders's unnerving and detailed look at the horror dealt by Manson and his followers is a classic of the true-crime genre. The Family was originally published in 1971 and remains the most meticulously researched account of the most notorious murders of the 1960s.

Using firsthand accounts from some of the family's infamous members, including the wizard himself, Sanders examines not only the origins and legacy of Manson and his family, but also the mysteries that persist. Completely revised and updated, this edition features 25 harrowing black-and-white photos from the investigation.

"One of the best-researched, best-written, thoroughly-constructed, and eminently significant books of our times. . . . A masterpiece." — Boston Phoenix

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560253969
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	11/08/2002
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	560
Sales rank:	382,172
Product dimensions:	6.35(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Ed Sanders is the author of Fug You, Tales of Beatnik Glory, and numerous volumes of poetry. He is an American Book Award winner and lives in Woodstock, New York.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	xi
Section 1	The Family: From the Beginning to Mid-1969
1.	A Poor Risk for Probation	3
2.	Out of the Slams in the Year of Flowers	12
3.	Topanga Canyon and the Spiral Staircase	22
4.	Visiting the Hog Farm--A Chance for Benevolence Lost	25
5.	Back to the Zone of Flickers	26
6.	The First Visit to the Spahn Movie Ranch (Spring 1968)	32
7.	Meeting Dennis Wilson	34
8.	The Witches of Mendocino and Some of the Family on the Haight (June-August 1968)	39
9.	Sleazo Inputs	43
10.	Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski through 1967	48
11.	Rosemary's Baby	53
12.	Sharon and Roman in Married Life, 1968	55
13.	The Hunger for Stardom	58
14.	The Spahn Movie Ranch (Late Summer/Early Fall 1968)	66
15.	Death Valley (Fall 1968)	84
16.	Abigail Folger and Wojtek Frykowski	94
17.	From Death Valley to Canoga Park--Boredom and Stress in the High Desert	95
18.	Back to Death Valley	97
19.	Helter Skelter and Rock and Roll--a Difficult Mix	99
20.	A Rival Guru Comes to the Barker Ranch	102
21.	The White Double Album and the Keys to Truth	104
22.	Bill Vance and the Gerard Agency	113
23.	Beausoleil Also Cultivating the Wilson-Melcher Fame Funnel	115
24.	Waiting for Melcher in a Miffed Mode	116
25.	Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate in Early 1969	116
26.	Meanwhile, Back in Sleazoville	121
27.	A Whirl of Polanski Projects in the Spring of 1969	122
28.	The Spahn Movie Ranch (April-June 1969)	124
29.	Manson Records in Santa Monica--Gunmania at the Spahn Movie Ranch (Spring 1969)	131
30.	Meanwhile, Helter Kept Skeltering	138
31.	Stealing the NBC Video Equipment	143
32.	Linda Kasabian Arrives	146
33.	The Shooting of Bernard Crowe (July 1969)	146
34.	Kasabian Ingratiates Herself Through Cultic Money-Foist	152
35.	Melcher Hears about Crowe and the Dune Buggy Battalion Gets Ready (July 1969)	155
36.	Getting the Fear	162
37.	Films of Violence	163
38.	Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate in Europe Abigail Folger and Wojtek Frykowski on Cielo Drive in the Spring and Summer of 1969	169
Section 2	The Murders (July 25, 1969-August 10, 1969)
39.	The Death of Gary Hinman	177
40.	The Anvil into Tartaros	189
41.	Death on Cielo Drive	203
42.	Fear Swept the Poolsides	222
43.	The Second Night	230
Section 3	Manson Captured (August 16-December 1, 1969)
44.	The Search	243
45.	A Swirl of Theories	250
46.	Voodoo, a Reward and Moloch	253
47.	Berserk! The Spahn Ranch (August 10-31, 1969)	258
48.	The Great Spahn Ranch Raid	262
49.	The Killing of Shorty Shea	271
50.	Rommel: The Barker Ranch (September, 1969)	273
51.	The Burning of the Michigan Loader	279
52.	The Capture of Manson (September 20-October 12, 1969)	283
53.	The Breaking of the Case (October-November 1969)	298
Section 4	The Family on Trial (1970-1971)
54.	Flower-Waifs with Knives (December 1969-early 1970)	323
55.	How I Became Involved	328
56.	Moiling Months of Investigation (early 1970)	332
57.	Secret Film Evidence? (March 18)	338
58.	The Spahn Ranch in 1970	341
59.	Beausoleil's Second Trial	343
60.	Caninoclapophobia at Spahn	346
61.	Rostau Trunked	347
62.	A Movie in M-Land--Goler Wash in 1970	349
63.	Plans for a Horrifying Escape	354
64.	Up Goler Wash with Ron Hughes (June 11)	356
65.	A Crucifixion Tableau in Front of Judge Older	360
66.	A Trial Begins in the Hall of Justice (June 15, 1970-March 31, 1971)	363
67.	A Trip with Abbie, Anita and Phil (June 18)	367
68.	Maxwell's Silver Copycat	370
69.	A Witchy Shirt	372
70.	Fear of the Family Among Rockers	379
71.	A Jury is at Last Selected	382
72.	"This Case Might Finish Hollywood" (July 15)	383
73.	I Mention Manson is a Racist in an Underground Newspaper	384
74.	Revving up for Testimony	385
75.	Lunching for the Films (July 22)	386
76.	X Day	388
77.	Trembling Testimony	390
78.	Manson Comes Up with Questions for Kasabian	394
79.	The Photo I Couldn't Bear to See	396
80.	A Benefit Not To Be	397
81.	Volunteers	398
82.	The Intrusion of Nixon (August 3)	400
83.	Blowing my Chance for the Films	402
84.	Knives in the Corridor	402
85.	Guenther, Whiteley and Gleason	404
86.	McQueen Threatening Manson	410
87.	Jesus until the Eyes (August 17)	412
88.	A Purchaser for the Porn and Sadie Continues her Illness (August 28)	415
89.	"When I Call Nixon I Get Put Straight Through" (September 4-7)	418
90.	Getting to Lennon	422
91.	Spahn Gone	422
92.	Manson Tries to Pencil-Job Judge Older	423
93.	Conspiring to free Manson	428
94.	A Priest who Befriended Charlie	431
95.	Family Fatigue	434
96.	Larry Larsen, Private Investigator	435
97.	The Strange Disappearance of Ron Hughes (Late November)	436
98.	Manson Orders Davis & Pitman to Surrender	438
99.	A Strange New Direction (December 7)	440
100.	Sharon Tate's Postcard in the Wilderness	444
101.	1971--Guilty	445
102.	Hideous Ends Hideous--Four Sentenced to Die	449
Section 5	The Long Aftermath (1971-2002)
103.	The Schisms Begin	453
104.	Justice for Donald Shea	454
105.	Continuing My Investigation While Writing The Family	455
106.	A Visit to Moonfire Ranch (April 2)	466
107.	Waiting for the Film (April 4)	467
108.	Crossing Wires with John Lennon	470
109.	The Hinman-Shea Case (1971-1972)	472
110.	Lieutenant Deemer Seeks to Solve the Gaul-Sharp Murders (Spring 1973)	479
111.	1974: The Order of Rainbow	480
112.	An INS Agent Investigates (1974)	483
113.	The Year Squeaky Fromme Went After President Ford (1975)	484
114.	Hard Time A-Healin': The Family Breaks Up (1976-1988)	492
115.	The Case That Won't Go Away (Late 1988-1989)	507
116.	The 1990s and Beyond	529