Show Thumbnails Show Captions  The author creates a compelling
portrait of the mass murderer.   Over two bloody nights in Los
Angeles in August 1969, followers of Charles Manson, on his
orders, committed the savage "Tate-LaBianca" murders, crimes
that live in infamy. Pregnant actress Sharon Tate, wife of
director Roman Polanski, was one of the victims. Manson, a
would-be messiah who hoped to incite a race war called "Helter
Skelter," is now 78 and remains imprisoned. Author Jeff Guinn
looks back at Manson's life and crimes in the new book Manson
(Simon & Schuster, 399 pp., on sale Aug. 6). Guinn, 62, spoke to
USA TODAY's Jocelyn McClurg from Fort Worth.  Q: Where would you
rank the Manson family murders in the pantheon of 20th-century
crimes?  A: In terms of cultural iconoclasm, they remain
probably the most famous murders in American history -- most of
that having to do with the fact that Charlie Manson is such a
master manipulator of not just people but media. The Tate-
LaBianca murders came at a turning poi