Love and Terror

Synopsis

In August 1969, followers of Charles Manson carried out a series of murders that became one of the defining crimes of the twentieth century and, for many, marked the symbolic end of the 1960s. Rather than retelling the familiar true crime narrative, historian Claudia Verhoeven draws on years of archival research and newly available court records to examine how the story of the Manson murders was constructed and why it continues to hold such power over the cultural imagination.

Blending history, cultural criticism, and investigative scholarship, Love and Terror reconsiders the murders through the lenses of media, race, revolutionary politics, and spectacle. Challenging long-held assumptions while situating the case within broader social and historical movements, Verhoeven offers a bold reappraisal of one of the most mythologized crimes in modern history.

About the Author

Claudia Verhoeven is a historian specializing in political violence, revolutionary movements, and modern cultural history. She is the author of The Odd Man Karakozov and has spent years researching the Manson case through extensive archival work. Love and Terror brings together historical scholarship and cultural analysis to illuminate one of America's most enduring myths.

Publisher
Verso

Publication Date
May 26, 2026

Format
Hardcover

Pages
384

Subjects
History · True Crime · Cultural History · American History

ISBN
9781804298077