83 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Break Your Chains!, March 13, 2003
This review is from: The Gods of Eden (Mass Market Paperback)
This book deals with a controversial topic, alternative human history, or rather the dark side of human history occulted from the average person's world view. This is arguably one of the most fascinating fields of study, rivalled only by parapsychology. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find reliable sources on this subject, as many of them are based on "channelled" information or baseless conjecture. In "The Gods of Eden", William Bramley backs up all of his arguments with reliable sources. Furthermore, his research is not tainted by personal attachment to any particular belief system. He does an excellent job of bringing many neglected and obscured topics to light, some of which will permanently change the way you view the world, its governments, and especially religion.
William Bramley is a historian in his own right. His work essentially follows a certain mystery cult throughout history, from ancient times to present day, identifying its branches through their common symbols. He further explains the power that this group holds and its enormous influence throughout history on society and religion. He also theorizes for a short while on the nature of God and human souls. I found this section of the book lacking, as it was based on mere opinion, but still interesting and relevant for the most part. I did, however, enjoy the information on the much neglected topic of paper money and national debt. I was also pleased to find chapters on pharmacological deception, the UFO-cult connection, and the Black Death.
"The Gods of Eden" is a very solid primer on alternative human history, which will open up many doors of further research for the inclined reader. It also has the potential of liberating the average intelligent and open minded individual from the relentless clutches of our deceptively common paradigm.
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66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed but Wonderful, August 5, 1999
This review is from: The Gods of Eden (Mass Market Paperback)
A lot of the negative comments made about this book are accurate. In it there are many quantum leaps made between historical facts uncovered and the conclusions he draws. Also, some of the facts themselves seem to have gleaned from less than reputable sources.
Additionally, I have my own objection. First Bramley establishes how the ancient Sumerians believed that the earth was populated by spaceman-like beings (therefore it must be true, right?). He continues to expound about various "brotherhood" organizations that have existed ever since, most of which are responsible for undermining the well being of non-brotherhood individuals and keeping us in the dark about our true origins. What he never establishes is WHY the brotherhood organizations continue to act as they do. How does their ongoing secret attack upon the rest of us continue to serve the spacemen masters who, as Bramley states, created us as a slave race? This is no nit-picky question. Remaining unanswered, it kind of nullifies the value of many of Bramley's hypothoses.
HOWEVER - I rate this book five stars! This book did more to unsettle my mental status quo than any book I've ever read. There is tremendous value in that. And much of what he says makes such good sense. Take the case of Jehovah. The old testament God, Jehovah, comes off as more as a bratty, violent superbeing than an all-loving, all-knowing creator of all things. Why? And why was Jehovah so hell bent on having people worship no other god than himself? He didn't say he was the only god - he just said people shouldn't worship other gods. Because Jehovah was only one of many. I completely believe Bramley on this.
Many of the points he brings up are provoking and insightful - such as his account of the development of monetary systems - even if you don't agree with the broader framework he places these issues in. This book shook me up for a few weeks. How many books can do that? I loved this book!
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78 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Aliens Made Me Do It!", March 8, 2001
This review is from: The Gods of Eden (Mass Market Paperback)
Bramley contends in his book, The Gods of Eden, that aliens, via their elite and ultra-secret Brotherhood organizations, are the source of all human conflict. If one really thinks about this, it sounds suspiciously like that old refrain children use when they have done something bad- "the devil made me do it!".
Nonetheless, this book includes everything from New Age interpretations of the Bible, the political intrigues of various monarchies and dynasties all over the world, to a wide variety of conspiracy theories on everything from the Black Death of the Middle Ages, the motives behind the First and Second World Wars, and the link between the CIA and the JFK assassination. Literally, no stone, or shall we say, no major event in world history, is left un-turned.
Still, those who are curious enough to read this book completely will know exactly where various plot elements from hit Sci-Fi shows such as the X-files and Dark Skies, as well as many books based on the 'Aliens Are Among Us' theme, came from. For example, fans of John Doherty's Area 51 novel series can see how his story line literally comes from Bramley's work word for word- especially Doherty's plot element regarding alien involvement in the Black Death which pops up in a couple of his novels. Furthermore, Bramley's work is closely akin to the scholarly works of Zecharia Sitchin, the sensationalist accounts of Erich von Daniken and Jim Marrs, and the New Age interpretations of Graham Hancock and Rand Flem-Ath.
However, the book does have its good points. First, it does a very good job of outlining the link between economics and war. Second, it presents the reader with a very thorough and detailed explanation of the world monetary system, how it works, and raises the interesting question of who really controls nations- the elected leaders or the money-men. Finally, not only do the contents of the book serve as good fodder for an alien novel or a conspiracy yarn, the book itself can be read and enjoyed as a grand historical conspiracy with colorful alien ( I am thinking of Count St. Germain) and human characters- both good and evil.
Yet, there is one very disturbing element to this book. By saying that all human suffering is caused by aliens, either directly, or via their various Brotherhood organizations such as the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, or the Islamic Assassins, it seems to me that Bramley is absolving the human race of all wrong-doing. True or not, aliens or extraterrestrials, be they 'Custodians', 'Alien earth owners', or 'Caretakers', may very well be instigating conflict within the human race, but it is humanity that pulls the trigger or drops the bombs, nonetheless. By way of analogy, if one of the zealous members of the Third Reich had told the judges at the Nuremberg trials that it was Hitler and the SS that ran everything, and that he or she was just an errand boy simply 'following orders', would that absolve him or her for their crimes against humanity? Machievellian involvement of extraterrestrials in human affairs aside, this reviewer firmly believes that ultimately, we humans are responsible to ourselves, and others, for our own actions.
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