"Jim Jones was an American cult leader who promised his followers a utopia in the jungles of South America after proclaiming himself messiah of the The Peoples Temple, a San Franciso-based evangelist group. He ultimately led his followers into a mass suicide, which left more than 900 dead and came to be known as the Jonestown Massacre (November 18, 1978)." - Encyclopaedia Britannica
Tape Recordings:
"Contains an uncredited excerpt from one of Jim Jones 'White Night' rehearsal speeches, followed by the complete recording of Jim Jones final speech (FBI tape no Q 042) recorded during the mass murder/suicide in Jonestown on the night of November 18th 1978."
Jonestown: The Life and Death of People's Temple
PBS Documentary (90 min.)
Until the September 11th attacks, the tragedy in Jonestown represented the largest number of American civilian casualties in a single non-natural event.
(Time Magazine)
Journalist Jeff Guinn details how Jones captivated his followers in his new book, The Road to Jonestown. He calls Jones a "tremendous performer" who exhibited "the classic tendencies of the demagogue."
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