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The Unseen Hand: An Introduction to the Conspiratorial View of History

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"The man in the street does not notice the devil even when the devil is holding him by the throat." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

How many books have you ever read in which the author printed their home phone number on the first page, allowing readers to contact them directly? Well, you'll find Mr. A. Ralph Epperson's number just inside the stark black, white, and gold cover of his excellent "Introduction to the Conspiratorial View of History", THE UNSEEN HAND. I have never met Mr. Epperson, though I have spoken with him by phone on 3 or 4 occasions over the last 12 years; he is one of the nicest, most accommodating authors I've ever been in contact with, and this 1985 book is one I would strongly urge every red, white, black, brown, and yellow American who deeply cares about the Red, White, and Blue to read.

THE UNSEEN HAND is the first of Mr. Epperson's publications I perused - that was about a dozen years ago. I subsequently read several more, and while they all contained valuable information, this nearly 500 page tome with the small print and comprehensive approach to the infamous "New World Order" was easily his best.

(In the year 2000, I was practically forced by The Spirit to undertake an extensively detailed study of Freemasonry. This is far too complex a subject to address in this review, but that same year, I managed to persuade a high-ranking Mason to give me a personal tour of "The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge" of Phoenix, and I was granted a limited time to study that same afternoon in their library located in the Grand Lodge. Part of my mission was to confirm to my satisfaction that the quotations that Mr. Epperson used in his book "Masonry: Conspiracy Against Christianity" did indeed originate with genuine Masonic publications, and that he was not quoting out-of-context in order to twist and misrepresent their meaning. Not only did I find Mr. Epperson to be a very reliable researcher who was adhering to truth, but when I was unable to locate a particular book even in the Masonic library, he xeroxed the pages in question from his copy of it and mailed them to me at his own time and expense. A VERY nice gentleman! And for my part, I was happy to relate to him a few pieces of interesting information that I was able to gain knowledge of as a result of my guided Lodge tour by maintaining an "Aw shucks, gee-whiz, golly-gosh, I'm so impressed" attitude. It's amazing what you can learn by playing dumb. Of course, in my case, some folks swear it ain't an act.)

THE UNSEEN HAND is a thoroughly researched and referenced study that briefly examines nearly every aspect of the "New World Order" conspiracy, from Forms of Government to Science, from Laetrile to The Atomic Bomb, and everything in between, such as Secret Societies, The Federal Reserve, Population Control, Income Taxes, The Civil War, and about 32 other related topics. With each chapter addressing a separate facet of the conspiracy, obviously no subject herein is given a full treatment, for that you will need to search out books targeting a particular area in question, and those books ARE out there. Nevertheless, THE UNSEEN HAND is a remarkable overview, large and densely packed with solid information (including an index) that draws a lucid, meticulous, and faithful picture of the unseen forces that shape our world while we sit mesmerized in front of the glowing box of superficial and misleading images that serve only to fill our minds with the ideas "they" wish us to entertain.

Although this book does contain some, what on its face would seem to be, outrageous and insane charges, I would caution everyone not to dismiss ANYTHING out-of-hand. Dig deeper before dismissing! It has been suggested on this Product Page that Epperson's contention that Jesse James lived to the age of 107 and that Karl Marx was a satanist raises some doubt about the validity of his book. While I tend to believe that the outlaw's assassination by a Robert Ford bullet has been fairly well established now, there is reason to believe that James may have been a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle, as Epperson claims. And though Marx's connection to satanism is unproven (and thus Epperson ought not to have framed it quite so affirmatively), I've looked into that question sufficiently to state that the suspicion most definitely is not without merit. (See "Was Karl Marx A Satanist?" by Richard Wurmbrand.) As for Epperson's opinion of the John Birch Society: buy the book, dial his phone number, and ask him directly.

Overall, THE UNSEEN HAND is an illuminating Introduction to the Conspiratorial View of History by a very serious researcher. The book collects an enormous body of evidence from a massive amount of sources and organizes it in a very logical way. Along with "The Creature From Jekyll Island" by Griffin, "None Dare Call It Treason: 25 Years Later" by Stormer, and "Foundations: Their Power And Influence" by Wormser, I consider THE UNSEEN HAND a "must-read" for all American patriots. It may be a history book, but don't kid yourself, it is really all about our future!

This being the last review I intend to write for this website, I would like to close by quoting those immortal words of Admiral Yoey O'Dogherty, spoken to the brave men aboard the U.S.S. Queeg after the rout of Communist Chinese forces at the battle of Phatphuc Mao: "Men, we've kicked enough Red heinie for one day; let's get some pizza 'n' beer and study America's Constitution. We'll have strawberry blondes for dessert."

I first read this book in 1985. Prior to this book, I had read a substantial number of books on this topic.
What separated this book from the rest was the fact that from the beginning Mr. Epperson makes it clear that this book is written from published sources and information and documentation mostly from the secret societies them selves.
He simply put them in chronological order and wrote in a way that as one reviewer put it "...you didn't have to get the dictionary out for every other word".
No, this was well written and most important, at no time did he insult his readers intelligence.
As I said in opening, I first read this book in 1985 (I had to contact the publisher to get a copy. I was on an order list at one of the largest retail book stores in the country. When I had called to follow up almost two weeks later, I was told that they couldn't find this book for me).
Well, that made me want to read it all the more and quite frankly added another dimension of authenticity to it.
I finally received it and devoured it in about 4 to 5 days.
Around 2001 I decided to read it again. This time I took my time (6 mos.) and also started to verify things (none of which could be refuted).
I also started to highlight certain paragraphs. Well, by time I got through the 488 odd pages this time, I realized that I had practically highlighted the whole book!
I realized that I needed to purchase a few more copies to share with others. Rather than going through the hassles I did the first time, I just picked up the phone and dialed the direct number in the book. The phone rang and when answered, I found myself talking to Professor Epperson. He answered the phone himself.
If I had any question of this mans integrity at all, they totally diminished after our 30-45 minute chat.
He is a very gracious and humble man. A rare commodity today.
I encourage all who may have any doubt or are uncertain of any aspect to call and ask to speak to him. This is what he told me to tell a coworker I had loaned a copy to.
I'm sure, I `ll read it a few more times in my life.

The author of this book, Ralph Epperson, promises to introduce the reader to the fundamentals of the conspiratorial view of history. This view of history is in direct contradiction to the accidental view of history, or the theory of history accepted by most historians today. The conspiratorial view of history posits that all historical events are either controlled or directed by individuals or small groups of powerful people. Accidental history has no controls; events happen because they do, and no amount of effort may successfully direct events.

Epperson supports the conspiratorial view of history, and he tries to prove this theory in "The Unseen Hand," a 488 page collection of secret societies, economic totalitarianism, and communist plots. According to Epperson, the overarching theme of conspiratorial history is that of power. When the rich amass enough money, they begin to thirst for power over their fellow human beings. Since most people want to have a say in the way their lives are run, these power hungry individuals must try to enact their plans in secret by using their influence and wealth to effect change that favors the interests of the rich and powerful.

The book is roughly chronological. It starts with early events in history and slowly marches through time until it reaches the 1980's. According to Epperson, the conspiracy began with the formation of the Illuminati on May 1, 1776. The Illuminati, founded by a Bavarian professor named Adam Weishaupt, dedicated itself to overthrowing the old world order of monarchy by adopting ideals of reason. Mankind, through reason, would come to reject religion and nationalism and found a collectivistic society. Epperson quickly draws links between the Illuminati and later movements such as Marxism and the socialist Fabians.

Another aspect of this conspiracy, in close collaboration with the Illuminati and its later incarnations, is that of international banking. The bankers quickly moved to institute central banks in Europe in order to control the population through the manufacture of fiat money (money backed by debt, not gold or silver) and the creation of inflation. The American revolutionary war and the American civil war were attempts by the bankers to weaken the country and institute a central banking system, a goal finally achieved at Jekyll Island in 1913.

No conspiracy book would be complete without a discussion of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Freemasons, and the Bilderberg group. All four groups are discussed in some depth here. Epperson takes great pains to point out that most of the upper hierarchy in American government are members of these four groups. The goal of these groups, which are funded by foundations set up by banking and oil interests, is to create a "new world order," or a global socialist/communist government ruled by a small oligarchy of wealthy individuals.

This book works best when discussing the creation and role of government in a society, as well as the role of central banks and the control of the money interests. Epperson gives succinct explanations of how government and banking work, and how both can cause serious trouble if not properly regulated. It is ridiculous to believe that people in charge of so much money don't know the causes of inflation, or why prices of oil fluctuate as much as they do. Yet on any given day we are constantly informed by policy makers and other elites that they are as confused about why things happen as we are.

What doesn't work as well is some of the weird claims that pop up throughout the book. A claim that Karl Marx was a Satanist certainly raised my eyebrows, as did the claim that Jesse James lived to be 107 years old and was a 33rd degree freemason. Where did that come from? We know that DNA tests performed on Jesse's remains leave little doubt that he was killed just as the history books describe. Of course, a conspiracy theorist would claim that the results were doctored or are fabrications. And that is the problem with conspiracy theories: every counterclaim to the conspiracy theory is a lie or a half-truth, which further bolsters the conspiracy.

The source material for this book rests heavily on other conspiracy volumes, and most of the material for this book seems to be drawn from books and pamphlets from the John Birch Society. The Birchers built their entire organization around the ideas of a communist conspiracy and the creation of a global new world order. The last chapter of the book devotes a large amount of space in praise to the JBS, so an objective account of conspiratorial history won't be found in this book. Epperson also made the mistake of not going directly to source material for his information. Instead, he relied on the interpretations of others, and some of these people are wackos.

This is still an entertaining read for those who want to learn about alternate history or the paranoia of those who believe in such theories. There is good information in this book, but care needs to be taken when looking at the volume as a whole.

Epperson's subtitle to this book: "An Introduction to the Conspiratorial View of History" accurately conveys the school of thought he utilizes in this writing. The author successfully condenses the myriad of events, clandestine manipulations and little known facts that expose the workings of powerful men who have orchestrated a centuries-long international conspiracy. The fomentation of wars, financial manipulations, assassinations and political intrigue are addressed in an easy to read, concise manner. This is not a paranoid, "conspiracy-buff" text. Instead it serves as a mini-encyclopedia that enables the reader to come to grips with the fact that "known" history is not necessarily "actual" history. Epperson, as does many writers of this subject matter, digresses when instilling his Christian viewpoints. His attempt to interconnect his ample conspiracy data with biblical ideology is a futile one, and such a viewpoint would best be served in another writing. Nonetheless, this is an interesting read and although tedious in spots (it's written somewhat like a text book), serves as a must have for all students of clandestine history.

This was the first book of it's sort I had the pleasure to read. It definitely got me steaming mad, and I thought to myself, how could any of this be true? However, after cross-referencing the statements with the documented evidence provided, I have gained a new understanding of history, political events, who really pulls the strings, and why. This book will definitely challege every thought and belief that you ever had about what really makes this world tick. It will teach you what really happens (Conspiracy), where it happens (behind closed doors), who makes it happen (International Bankers and Global Elitists), and why it happens the way it does (complete control and greed). If you just know deep down in your heart that something is wrong, but can't for the life of you put a finger on it, this is the book for you. The Unseen Hand will show you the greater framework of the "hidden world" around us and how events in the news correspond completely and perfectly to those events. Just as the old quote says, "When the student is ready, the teacher will come". This book is definitely the teacher you have been waiting for. I challenge you to read the book with an open mind and research the evidence before formulating your opinion. For if you do, I guarantee you will never look at things the same way again. Someone once challenged me to read this book and I am forever in debt to him for freeing my mind. Make sure you challenge others to do the same.

With conventional history books leaving many holes and questions as to why, this books starts here. The first 9 chapters educates you to full understand the remaining topics. This should be required reading in all history class in school to give a different perspective. This is a book I will read more then once; learning more each time.

The Unseen Hand is my fourth conspiracy book to have read. The first, The Leipzeig Connection by Palo Lionni was a well written and detailed look at when, who and why German psychology was imported, cleverly inserted into the existing education system and came to be what we now know as the American Public Education system. The second book was, None Dare Call it Conspiracy written by Gary Allen. In this book the author follows the money and exactly who those people are that really pull the political and socio-economic strings on this planet. Mr. Allen also spends quite a bit of time closely examining the membership and agenda of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). The third book, The Gods of Eden, by William Bramley begins, surprisingly enough, in the Garden of Eden and comes forward from there. Mr. Bramely presents a convincing and plausible point of view supported by a preponderance of references regarding off-world influences in the persistent condition of chaos on planet earth. All four of these books are, in my opinion, well worth the read but it is The Unseen Hand out of the four that I would first recommend to anyone expressing even an inkling of interest or curiosity in what has been going on behind the scenes on the political and social fronts of the world. The author gives a general and concise overview, including numerous specifics of historical events and figures, from the 1700's up into 1985 when the book was published.

Ralph Epperson is an author who is quite adept at arranging his information, which includes many recorded quotes from numerous historical figures, some of which who are commonly known and others that I knew nothing of, into a reader friendly format. Part of what makes the book reader friendly is the use of a vocabulary that isn't constantly driving the reader to the dictionary to translate what is being communicated.

If you have ever looked up a map for a specific location on the Internet you would be familiar with how the map appears on your screen. When the map comes up you are looking at the location of the address requested from a certain viewpoint of distance and you can change this viewpoint with a graduated zoom-in zoom-out tool bar. Well, reading The Unseen Hand is very much like looking at one of these Internet maps. You begin this journey through history zoomed in at close range with the author giving you an orientation to his point of view. He is also smart enough to take the time in the first seven chapters to include a refresher course of sorts on the definitions, philosophy and applied philosophy of the various forms of government and basic economic systems with ample examples to ensure duplication between reader and author. I not only appreciated this approach from the author but found it to be very helpful. I also discovered that I had misunderstood concepts on more than a few of these terms and these misunderstandings would have most certainly inhibited my understanding of what was coming.

One item of particular interest to me was introduced and examined in chapter three. Chapter three addresses the different forms of government and here is where the author first introduces the reader to Jan Kozak and a book he published in 1957 wherein he delineated a five part program for seizing control of a government. I found that when taking this five part program of Kozak's and holding it up against recent and present events beginning with the 911 tragedy certain events are greatly clarified as to their possible actual intention and purpose.

After chapter seven Mr. Epperson clicks the zoom-out and our point of view is instantly changed to a removed wide point of view where we can see locations, events, people and time stretched out linear before us. From here the author proceeds to repetitively zoom in and out of this historical time line looking and eavesdropping on those who have originated their plans while behind the closed doors, thick curtains and in secret meetings that set the stage for what was to come (we're living in and with the results). Now, buckle up, this is one incredible journey to take.

On one hand, without any doubts or reservations, I would and do encourage anyone to read The Unseen Hand with the hopes and intention that they would be at least evoked if not provoked by the information and that at the end of this particular journey through history that they would have more interest and more questions about the political and socio-economic aspects of this game board of life than ever before. On the other hand, though, I have two caveats and these caveats are general in that I would give them in regards to any subject. The first: Don't be lazy. Don't allow the author to be the one who evaluates this data for you. Of course, he expresses his opinions and evaluations throughout but there is no reason that you must accept or agree with his views or his assembled data. Don't be afraid to look for yourself, think for yourself and decide for yourself. Also, don't be afraid to reject data, change your mind or stand firm with your existing opinions and views. I emphasis this because most of us have had the "privilege" of attending an enforced 12 year authoritative training program called public education wherein we were carefully schooled to accept data without question. Mostly we were just fed data that had been preevaluated and were expected to make precise recordings of it. To the degree that we could play the data back as fed in would determine our grade and perceived "intelligence". Learning to observe, compare and evaluate for ourselves was never part of the program, therefore the first caveat. The second caveat: beware and guarded toward anyone who tries to enforce their viewpoint onto you, insist that you agree or disagree as they do or attempts to discourage you in anyway from looking and deciding for yourself. This person is not a friend.

Wow! What a contrast to what we learned in history classes in school. Obviously, when reading about secret societies, scandals, cover ups etc., one cannot assume that all is valid. However, this book is very stimulating. Good food for thought, e.g. "wow, what if this is true".

Epperson is very persuasive in his conspiratorial view of history. If you're a skeptic, you'll love this book. He does a great job of tying governments, wars, assasinations, to capital interests and economics. It's a great read.

I feel this is a well researched and intriguing introduction to the "untold" side of history. Obviously, as with anything you read, you need to check the references; there are a couple topics Mr. Epperson covers that I'm not sure I'm on the same page with. That being said, I think this book works outstandingly as a basic summary of powers working behind the scenes throughout history. A few chapters do run a bit long but most of the book is divided into more concise chapters which are long enough to cover the basics, but not too much for someone who's looking for an "introduction to the conspiratorial view of history".

This is not the first book I've read on the subject and I was extremely pleased that Ralph Epperson refers to Dr. Anthony Sutton (Wall Street and the Bolshevik Revolution, Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler) whose documentation is extraordinary. I also thought this book was worth the price alone for all of the quotes in the book- stuff I never ever heard before in any history book, substantial stuff.

It has been sometime since I've read The Unseen Hand, but my recollection of the book is that much of what Ralph Epperson has put together is taken from letters, documents, books, newspapers, most of which can be verified by looking them up. Sometimes the author adds an extra slant or angle, but regardless, the stuff is out there and is often nefarious enough by itself.

Not a perfect book, and in a few areas a touch dated (released in 1986) but I have absolutely no regrets for the time I spent reading it.

Mr. Ralph Epperson has comprised such a complete synopsis of the historical events from A-Z that are backed/supported w/evidence and that truly stand as the NWO bible. Remarkable. If you saw my first copy that was purchased in 1993 you'd think it had stood the test of time through about 2 world wars due to it's many years of service as Reference Manual. Since '93' I have purchsed at least a case of "The Unseen Hand" to spread the Word Worth Sending everyone I care about and whose intellect can handle the TRUTH. Remarkable to have ONE book that covers everything. Every book on the subject (Nearly) uses a quote from Epperson. If not a direct quote, then a broad summarized version that leaves out the poignant details necessary for the reader/novice/historian to clearly articulate. Can't say enough about THE UNSEEN HAND AND Epperson's years of research that truly leave nothing to question and clarity of the past, present, and future.