Shop top categories that ship internationally
Buy used:
$16.44
Delivery Tuesday, January 7. Order within 22 hrs 39 mins
Or fastest delivery Monday, December 30
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by usedbooks2ya
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: Cover is clean/shows minor shelfwear, binding is excellent, pages are clean/unmarked.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Other sellers on Amazon
Used (4) from   $16.44
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Russell Miller
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Bare-faced Messiah: True Story of L. Ron Hubbard Hardcover – January 1, 1987

by Russell Miller (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 41 ratings
See all formats and editions
The founder and leader of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard was promoted for over 30 years as a romantic adventurer and philosopher with a mission to save the world. Miller has carefully researched Hubbard's life, and provides a biography unlike any of those the church has produced and interwoven with lies. 8 pages of photos.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    400 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Michael Joseph Ltd
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1987
  5. ISBN-10
    0718127641
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0718127640
  7. See all details
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michael Joseph Ltd (January 1, 1987)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0718127641
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0718127640
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.66 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 41 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Russell Miller

Russell Miller

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Russell Miller is an award-winning journalist, scriptwriter and author based in the United Kingdom. The movie "Lorenzo's Oil", starring Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon, was based on a feature he wrote for the Sunday Times Magazine. His first book, "Bunny, The Real Story of Playboy", was voted the best non-fiction book of the year and his biography of L.Ron Hubbard, exposing the lies promoted by the Church of Scientology about its founder, was the subject of ferocious litigation around the world and was eventually withdrawn from publication in the United States. Russell is currently working on a biography of Field Marshal Slim, the hero of the Burma campaign in the Second World War.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
41 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They praise the writing quality as fluid and competent, with good transitions between time periods.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityWriting quality
5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable. They say it's an important read for anyone interested in the subject.

"...L. Ron Hubbard's story by itself is worth the read...." Read more

"This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to know the truth about L Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology...." Read more

"...However, the book is important, anyone interested in the subject should be able to read it for themselves...." Read more

"...Overall, this was a great read - I had expected it to be a bit more damning and vindictive, based on other reviews..." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book. They find the story well-constructed and the author an excellent writer. The writing is fluid and competent for transitioning time periods.

"...The writing is fluid; with competent transitions for time periods, situations, dialogue, and subject matter...." Read more

"...I'm not finished reading it yet, but, impressed with the way it's written....and, the information I'm getting. All good." Read more

"...The writer has constructed the story quite well...." Read more

"...of an American icon, showing his true colors in an honest and well written biography. It proves that his "cult" is just that...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Joey R. Kong
5.0 out of 5 stars An Intimate and Entertaining Look into L. Ron Hubbard's Weird World
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
I became interested in L. Ron Hubbard Recently after I saw the movie, "The Master" by Paul Thomas Anderson, and wanted to know more about the man. My first stop was Wikipedia, and I was very intrigued by what I read. Needless to say I wanted a more comprehensive biography on him. This book is hands down the best job I think anyone could have done.

You can tell right out that Mr. Miller did his homework. He compiled quite a lot of media--testimonials, interviews, and written documentation from a range of sources to try and give as much credibility to this book as is humanly possible--for such a notorious figure as L. Ron Hubbard.

Russel Miller is a excellent author, and this book is a very well written. The writing is fluid; with competent transitions for time periods, situations, dialogue, and subject matter. The biggest strength of his writing however is really capturing Hubbard's aura on the pages, while still attempting to be no-biased despite the overwhelming evidence that Hubbard was just a motivated con artist.

The only knock I can give this book is that it is a bit slow at times, just because Hubbard's story really becomes sad and repetitive in his later years. All and all even with my previous knowledge of Hubbard's history this book was still some what entertaining to the last page.

L. Ron Hubbard's story by itself is worth the read. If twenty percent of everything in this book is true then he was by far the most despicable, selfish, pathetic, yet magnificently accomplished P.O.S. I've ever heard of. He is the type of guy in a more simple time, without mass media, written records, critical observation, and law that would have probably started a really successful 'religion'. He did start a mockery of one, that makes money-- I won't go in to all that.
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Leslie M.
5.0 out of 5 stars A seminal biography of L Ron Hubbard
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to know the truth about L Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology. His peculiarly American brand of tin-pot religious fascism mixed with con artistry and racism is especially relevant right now, whether it's Trump, Alex Jones, or DeSantis. Even if you don't care about the cult he founded by exploiting the undue regard given to "religion" in this country, it will teach you a lot about America.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
myanais
5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewing the Bare Faced Messiah
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2011
Verified Purchase
I was very pleased with the whole experience, buying through Amazon. Great price, speedy delivery and the fact that I was able to purchase this book at all was really great. I know the book is out of print, that many copies had been bought up by Scientologists in order to prevent the material being widely available. However, the book is important, anyone interested in the subject should be able to read it for themselves. I'm not finished reading it yet, but, impressed with the way it's written....and, the information I'm getting. All good.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Vidlyvid
4.0 out of 5 stars Great reading for the Summer of Scientology
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2005
Verified Purchase
No, that's not an official title. But Summer '05 has definitely been the Summer of Scientology in the media, and I realized that to participate in the debate, I needed to know more about the Church and its founder. And while the author of this book (a former Fleet Street journalist) is clearly no friend of L Ron, it's hard to blame him in light of the simple facts surrounding the church, its history, and its founder. I don't think anyone, celebrities included, could put a positive spin on Operation Snow White, Scientology's attempt to steal and destroy government documents related to the church, performed via "covert operatives" over a period of ten years or more. Yes, they were busted. And why don't people talk about this when talking about the Church? Not sure. They also don't talk about L Ron's abandonment of his first two wives, and his eagerness to let the third take the fall for Snow White when it all shook out. It makes you wonder about the geniuses in the marketing department over in Clearwater.

But the book isn't as much about the Church as it is about the man who founded it - a fascinating guy, by any account, even his own. As the book says, L Ron didn't need to embellish and manipulate his life's story nearly as much as he did, since the facts of his upbringing, education, and career are pretty amazing in and of themselves. Friends of psychology and psychiatry will recognize a narcissist when they see one, although a very entertaining one.

Overall, this was a great read - I had expected it to be a bit more damning and vindictive, based on other reviews (and the crazy paperback cover, which looks like a soft core/science fiction novel). But after reading it, I was very impressed with the author's restraint.
71 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
M. Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars The original bio of L. Ron Hubbard, suppressed by Scientology and finally be re-released in the U.S.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is one of the two must-reads of the history of Scientology and its founder. Miller was the object of litigation, threats, and finally the suppression of his book here because the publisher in past decades was legitimately fearful of the harassment that had already started. Now things are changing and it's time for everyone to see what L. Ron Hubbard perpetrated. Beautifully researched and as even-handed as it is possible to be.

This is an addition: The other must-read is Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky. Jon Atack was harassed and attacked also, especially as he had been a Scientologist. Russell Miller used his library as a major resource in putting together Bare-Faced Messiah. Those two books together will tell you most of what you want to know about L. Ron Hubbard and his "religion."
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Matthew Faulkerson
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book On LRH's Early History to Death
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
Unlike many other books about LRH and Scientology this book goes into depth about his early years and family history. The writer has constructed the story quite well. The authors took care to check out their sources and investigate LRH's outlandish claims about his life. Guaranteed for anyone who wants to learn about the story of the fraudulent messiah.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Linda White
5.0 out of 5 stars Not a "Messiah" in any way...
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
This really, clearly shows the man to be a charlatan in almost every conceivable way. It made me angry, as the daughter of a 27 year military veteran of three wars, to read about the faked war record.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Anorakus
5.0 out of 5 stars Anatomy of a monster
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2011
Verified Purchase
Where does one start writing about L. Ron Hubbard? A charismatic and prolific (if not particularly talented) pulp sci-fi writer, who invented his own religion in an effort to make a fast buck, and ended up believing his own fantasy.

This could have easily been a comedy, were it not for LRH being such a thoroughly odious individual and causing so much suffering to those around him. You can draw your own conclusions about whether his legacy, Scientology, is a force for good or evil.

A fascinating and disturbing read.
Report