Road to Jonestown
Jim Jones and Peoples Temple
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Road to Jonestown
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Narrated by:
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George Newbern
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By:
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Jeff Guinn
About this listen
The definitive story of preacher Jim Jones, who was responsible for the Jonestown Massacre, the largest murder-suicide in American history, by the New York Times bestselling author of Manson.
In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness.
In this riveting narrative, Jeff Guinn examines Jones’s life, from his early days as an idealistic minister to a secret life of extramarital affairs, drug use, and fraudulent faith healing, before the fateful decision to move almost a thousand of his followers to a settlement in the jungles of Guyana in South America. Guinn provides stunning new details of the events leading to the fatal day in November, 1978 when more than nine hundred people died—including almost three hundred infants and children—after being ordered to swallow a cyanide-laced drink.
Guinn examined thousands of pages of FBI files on the case, including material released during the course of his research. He traveled to Jones’s Indiana hometown, where he spoke to people never previously interviewed, and uncovered fresh information from Jonestown survivors. He even visited the Jonestown site with the same pilot who flew there the day that Congressman Leo Ryan was murdered on Jones’s orders. The Road to Jonestown is “the most complete picture to date of this tragic saga, and of the man who engineered it…The result is a disturbing portrait of evil—and a compassionate memorial to those taken in by Jones’s malign charisma” (San Francisco Chronicle).
Critic Reviews
2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime
“A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” (The Boston Globe)
What listeners say about Road to Jonestown
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- El
- 05-01-2022
a hard slog but worth it
the narrator put me off at first but I quickly got used to it. it's a really long book and in some cases I found my mind drifting off. I've been trying to read the printed version for ages but it was a struggle so it was quite nice to have it read to me. it spoke about Jones' history and life as well as the rise and fall of People's Temple. definitely worth the read if you're interested in the subject.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-12-2022
A wider view of Jim Jones and People's Temple
Detailed and thorough. Fascinating example of the best and worst of human nature manifest simultaneously. Such a complex picture of good intent, actual positive social change and lives changed for the better, shaded with selfish ambition, lust for power, paranoia, delusion and unthinkable tragedy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 19-05-2023
narcissistic religious maniac takes 900 lives
a classic example of a narcissistic sociopath. control up to the end. ignorant people get manipulated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Rachael M
- 11-12-2019
A truely comprehensive look into Jim Jones
**4 stars**
A truely comprehensive look into Jim Jones and Jonestown.
This is the first audiobook that I have ever listened too and I think it was a great introduction. Guinn has written a detailed, unbiased account of Jim Jones' life and the rise and fall of the Peoples Temple. I truely found this novel fascinating and I enjoyed reading about all of the different people that were associated with the Peoples Temple and Jonestown. Would highly recommend if you want learn about this particular part of history. I am looking forward to eventually reading Jeff Guinn's Manson.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D20
- 28-04-2020
Amazing... and heartbreaking
Despite the actual 'event' of jonestown being only one chapter, this book is absolutely gripping. Incredible research, it paints the whole picture from the beginning to it's tragic end. The journey is incredible, almost ludicrous at times in hindsight, how this man was able to do the things he did. It is disturbing and shocking, without being graphic or over the top. I will say it is a slow build, and goes over almost every detail, so if you are here for a quick overview and the sensationalized horror of the event then this is not the book for you. For that I recommend Jonestown: Paradise Lost, which is dramatised acting of the events of the last few days in Jonestown, it is quite interesting and gripping in its own way.
Back on track, this is one of the most amazing books I've ever listened to. If you are interested in modern history, true crime, cults or just the human psyche and how it can be corrupted and manipulated, then this is a must read. I shed a tear or two near the end. 10/10
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Camo
- 08-05-2020
Supposed to be an optional headline ,,,,headline
Very poignant horrific story of human gullibility. Truth really is stranger than fiction. Extremely well put together and the narrative is excellent. I recommend everyone should listen to or read this book. It's a huge wakeup call to the extreme vulnerability of the human mind. To see people who are otherwise ( in some cases very) intelligent, fall under the spell of a religious mad man, preaching as God himself, to the point of taking the lives of your own children and then your own life is really really hard to understand.
Highly recommend this book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- waynepd
- 02-11-2022
Push Through the Early Part, the End is Worth it
The narration is good and the story does go a long way toward explaining the motivation of Jones's controlling of others.The end was a little disturbing but I never could understand how people get drawn into cults or being sucked into the orbit of those who are charismatic. The story is a little slow to begin, but when the outcome is reached, it is disturbingly tragic.
I can only hope this book may be a warning for those who are vulnerable, think for yourself.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ross Vernon
- 21-09-2021
As I see it
Felt like a well balanced, factual story of what transpired in the jungle on that fateful day.
Reinforces my views on cult leaders etc.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Erin
- 01-03-2018
Hefty, lengthy and ridiculously compelling
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Naturally the "incident" is the big moment in this book and it's written beautifully. It's incredibly sad, and goes into sufficient detail to make you stop whatever you're doing and get involved, to the point you feel for each and every person who lost their lives.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacob Nottage
- 03-06-2022
A marvellous biography of Rev. Jim Jones
A haunting story narrated well by George Newbern. Easy to listen to the tales from Jim's early life up until that fateful day on November 18th 1978. A touch lengthy but definitely worth it.
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