Hitler and the Occult (book)
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Ken Anderson |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Nazism and occultism |
| Publisher | Prometheus Books |
Publication date | 1995 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 244 |
| ISBN | 0-87975-973-9 |
| OCLC | 31901385 |
| 943.086 | |
| LC Class | DD247.H5 A8154 1995 |
Hitler and the Occult is a book about Nazi occultism by Ken Anderson. It was published by Prometheus Books in 1995. It focuses on the relationship between the worlds of Nazism and occultism and to what extent it actually existed; the author Anderson, a freelance journalist and researcher, took a largely skeptical view of the idea that it was a major influence on Nazism.
Background
[edit]The author, Ken Anderson, is a freelance journalist and researcher. He had authored prior books, including Extraordinary Coincidences and Coincidences: Accident or Design?; he came at the material from a largely skeptical viewpoint.[1] Hitler and the Occult was published in hardcover format by Prometheus Books in 1995. Its first edition was 244 pages long, with illustrations.[1][2]
Contents
[edit]The book analyzes claims of the extent of the interplay between Nazism and occultism; among them, this includes the claims of Trevor Ravenscroft.[1] A variety of myths and legends tied Nazism with the occult and mystical.[2] Anderson is largely skeptical of claims that there was a significance occult influence on the Nazis, including on Hitler himself. He acknowledges some connections, such as Heinrich Himmler's obsession with the occult, but said Hitler himself thought these were absurd. He notes the Thule Society was tied to Nazism, but argues that they were actually suppressed once Hitler rose to power; similarly, there is no evidence that Hitler ever saw the Holy Lance, or any evidence that his supposed favored astrologer ever met him.[1][2] It lacks a bibliography but contains an index.[3]
Reception
[edit]Skeptic magazine described it as indicating that "most of these claims are highly exaggerated" and noted his skeptical viewpoint.[1] Dennis Winters for Booklist called it a "much-needed debunking of these legends", and praised it for tracing these myths to their origins before debunking them; he called his point that "Hitler was in the grip not of any supernatural force, but of his own twisted mind. He was an opportunist who exploited the superstition of others to further his own lust for power and destruction."[2]
Occultist and academic Stephen E. Flowers was more uncertain over the level of skepticism, saying he was less critical and more ambivalent over the relationship between occultism and Nazism. He argued that though they were featured and doubted, many of the myths featured were not dismissed as irrelevant to an understanding of the subject. Flowers criticized Anderson for believing Hitler was incapable of understanding the occult; he described its tone as "journalistic and slightly sensationalistic".[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Books in brief". Skeptic. 3 (4). Altadena: 100. September 1995. ISSN 1063-9330.
- ^ a b c d Winters, Dennis (1995). "Hitler and the Occult". Booklist. 91 (19/20). New York City: 1722. ISSN 0006-7385.
- ^ a b Flowers, Stephen E. (2022). The Occult in National Socialism: The Symbolic, Scientific, and Magical Influences on the Third Reich. Rochester: Inner Traditions. ISBN 978-1-64411-575-6.