Gods and Beasts: The Nazis and the Occult [Hardcover]

Dusty Sklar (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: T. Y. Crowell; First Edition edition (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0690012322
• ISBN-13: 978-0690012323
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,561,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, April 13, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gods and Beasts: The Nazis and the Occult (Hardcover)

In this relatively short book, the author traces the link between the mysticism of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the Nazi movement. Showing that many Nazi leaders were grounded in mysticism, which influenced the evolution of the National Socialist (Nazi) movement, the meaning of many Nazi slogans and symbols get exposed. The final chapters include an excellent one entitled, "Making an Obedient Mass", and a conclusion that warns that the cultic movements in modern America have many of the same bases.

This book has an alarming tendency to ramble; chapter follows chapter, with no internal organization being apparent. Also, some of the author's conclusions do seem a bit stretched. However, that said, I must say that this book is well researched, and contains a wealth of details on the subject. In understanding Nazi Germany, it is probably a good idea to understand some of the less intellectual underpinnings of the movement, and this is an excellent book to start with.

So, if you want an entirely different look at Nazi Germany, then this is probably for you.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre but true!, March 19, 2001

By 

Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gods and Beasts: The Nazis and the Occult (Hardcover)

Ms. Dusty Sklar, the author of this book, was not the first to discover a link between occultism and Nazism. She was, however, the first to take the subject seriously and do an in-depth scholarly study. The result was this work, which first came out back in 1977 and is still an interesting read today.

While it is well-known that Hitler consulted with astrologers, most readers will be astounded at some of the really strange cults that flourished -- and heavily influenced -- the Third Reich. For example, there was Hans Hoerbiger, a pseudo-scientist who believed that the universe was founded on an eternal battle between fire and ice. His influence was the reason that Hilter sent his troops into Russia so ill-equipped for the cold, expecting that his soldiers of fire would cause the winter snow to melt away before their marching feet. (It they didn't, and thousands of Germans froze to death. See p. 80)

Then there were the Hollow Earthers, who thought that Nordic giants lived in the center of our planet. Occult lodges like the Thule society (of which Hitler was an initiate) also flourished, espousing weird forms of social Darwinism and racial theories that seem laughable today, but which led to the extermination of millions of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and others. Even Karl Jung eventually got into the act, writing a series of antisemitic pronouncements about "Jewish psychology" that, among other things, branded Freud's psychoanalytic theories as a "satanic" doctrine capable of "murdering souls"(see p. 138). Jung's antisemitism is swept under the rug today, but remain a blot on the history of Jungian thought. In short, the Third Reich was based, not on the rational science for which Germany is famous, but on a hodge-podge of neo-pagan superstitions.

This is not to say that all occult teachings lead to Nazism, or that all "New Age" movements are antisemitic. There are genuine forms of spirituality that nourish the mind and soul in positive ways, affirming the oneness of humankind. At the same time, as this book amply demonstrates, the true seeker must be careful not to be seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. This book should be read -- as a warning -- by every serious student of esoteric philosophy.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Topic, December 18, 2001

By 

David Wernsing (Georgetown, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gods and Beasts: The Nazis and the Occult (Hardcover)

I initially read this book in high school will researching a paper on the relationship between Wagner and Nietzsche. Surprisingly, our school library had a copy. At the time, it really opened my eyes to the occultic beliefs of the National Socialists.
I recently purchased the book to read again. It was, and is, a difficult book to read. His writing style is unique, to say the least. The book does have a lot to offer, but I am suspect of some of the conclusions drawn. Without a complete, detailed bibliography to analyze, it can only be viewed as an introduction to the topic.