Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.25 (638 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0300189451 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 448 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-06-29 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The regime enlisted astrology and the paranormal, paganism, Indo-Aryan mythology, witchcraft, miracle weapons, and the lost kingdom of Atlantis in reimagining German politics and society and recasting German science and religion. The definitive history of the supernatural in Nazi Germany, exploring the occult ideas, esoteric sciences, and pagan religions touted by the Third Reich in the service of power The Nazi fascination with the occult is legendary, yet today it is often dismissed as Himmler’s personal obsession or wildly overstated for its novelty. Preposterous though it was, however, supernatural thinking was inextricable from the Nazi project. In this eye-opening history, Eric Kurlander reveals how the Third Reich’s relationship to the supernatural was far from straightforward. Even as popular occultism and superstition were intermittently rooted out, suppressed, and outlawed, the Nazis drew upon a wide variety of occult practices and esoteric sciences to gain power, shape propaganda and policy, and pursue their dreams of racial utopia and empire.
Complex and academic treatment of a complicated subject. The most incredible fact about this book is that it is all true. It reads like science fiction or (like Orwell’s 198Complex and academic treatment of a complicated subject. tachi1 The most incredible fact about this book is that it is all true. It reads like science fiction or (like Orwell’s 1984) as a work of dystopian literature. One has to keep reminding oneself that, no, this isn’t fiction or even speculation: it’s actually history. The horror, the absurdity, the convergence of fantastical beliefs, and the coincidence that similarly-minded lunatics would be in the same place, at the same time, and in positions of power all combine to make the reading of these events difficult to grasp as “reality.” The fact that these same lunatics h. ) as a work of dystopian literature. One has to keep reminding oneself that, no, this isn’t fiction or even speculation: it’s actually history. The horror, the absurdity, the convergence of fantastical beliefs, and the coincidence that similarly-minded lunatics would be in the same place, at the same time, and in positions of power all combine to make the reading of these events difficult to grasp as “reality.” The fact that these same lunatics h. "A Serious Scholarly Work, Not A Conspiracy Theory Book" according to Moderate Risk. Before I continue with my review you must understand that this is a SCHOLARLY handling of the subject matter. For me it is a five star resource but I also have a Masters Degree in a related field and can appreciate the detail that Dr. Eric Kurlander, Professor of History at Stetson University, has put into this milestone of a book. I call it a milestone of a book because although many articles have been written here and there concerning Hitler and the Third Reich's involvement in Occultism, Paganism, and the Greek Mythological basis of the White Aryan struggle/war for supremacy, I have neve. "The supernatural imaginary" This Florida-based historian bases his investigation on archival research, vast documentation, and a determination to produce a calm, focused, and sober study of an inevitably sensational topic. He seeks a "post-revisionist" balance to recent claims diminishing or explaining by other means the reasons so many under the Nazi regime sought guidance through "border sciences" of paranormal, Thule-obsessed, and other dodgy speculation.In this galley, no index was provided. Looking at his admittedly impressive list of sources, one is aware of Eric Kurlander's steady ability to explain such arcane
“A trustworthy book on an extraordinary subject.”—David Aaronovitch, The Times