Some very important precedents, which I hope other ex leaders of Scientology do, in their future books, is discuss Hubbard's private writings.
Marty does discuss private despatch traffic that very much influenced the early 1980s tumultuous period of top ranks Scientology. The Mission All Clear (MAC) mission was the priority that we see was behind the scenes, something on Hubbard's mind, to Hubbard's final days. Marty's book includes the raw interview Marty did with Sarge Steven Pfauth, where Pfauth tells firsthand accounts and many more details about Hubbard, in Hubbard's final months. For this alone, this book is a must read, for this new Hubbard biographical info.
In all cases, experts will need to read all of the senior ex members' books. Of Marty's 3 books so far, though, for academics, I think they need read mainly this 3rd book of Marty's.
Any scholars wishing to do the whole hog study of Hubbard, there's now a growing list of good books.
Professor Dave Touretzky at Carnegie Mellon University has started online editions of most of the past several decades of critical books on Scientology.
Google "Secret Library of Scientology" for all those free online past great books.
The top two councils managing Scientology are Watchdog Committee and the Executive Strata. Books by those people (Amy Scobee, Jeff Hawkins, Nancy Many, Mark Headley, even though the last two were not technically in WDC or Exec Strata, they were in equivalent or parallel units near Scientology "top management").
Books to compare with Marty Rathbun's trio of books, will be Jesse Prince's book, when Jesse's comes out. Marty's book give leads to other major players, who hopefully will be interviewed or write their own accounts, or at least answer and comment on the major history points Marty's attributes to them. The Reisdorf sisters, Terri Gamboa, Bill Franks, Gerry Armstrong, I hope all answer Marty's take on history.
And I'm hoping Ken Urquhart, who was Hubbard's butler and Hubbard's Personal Communicator, and spent way more facetime with Hubbard compared to Marty Rathbun, will be coming out with Ken's memoirs I hope, before Ken dies.
Of the ex member leader's books, this final book in Marty's trio of books, if you aren't an expert, maybe wait until the price comes down, since 19 bucks is awfully high for a very thin paper back.
This book is for well informed Scientology watchers. Marty's blindspots on some aspects of Scientology's legal history, particularly Marty has a conspiracy view of the US Justice Dept officials, which seems preposterous. To me, it seems more that Scientology was so believed to be a con job fraudulent "religion" that the Scientology movement was even fair game to the US Justice Dept hush hush sting operations. Had Scientologist leaders had amongst them wiser heads, but with Hubbard still alive, and Hubbard spouting science fiction fantasy as if that were truth, I cannot blame the US Justice Dept from being as skeptical as they were about Scientology. Marty's chapters on his dealings with the mafia and US Justice Dept are excellent stories none the less.
The "Farsec" discussion, is worth the book alone, for experts. There were numerous other despatches from Hubbard, I know, I read many others similar to the Farsec despatch, which are important for judging Hubbard, from Hubbard's viewpoint of himself and the universe.
The discussion of Pat Broeker's final writings that Hubbard authorized, which told a nice story, a nice story that had to be rescinded from the membership, is important to hear the behind the scenes details of that story.
Buy and read if you are an expert, or just curious, and you're in the ex Scientologist community and know who Marty is.
Marty was once a "small cheeze" on the rise up, and because he worked on the communication lines, and worked close to the Commodore's Messengers who were battling, sort of, amongst themselves for supremacy, in those crucial moments when L. Ron Hubbard "moved off the lines", Marty was there, and his chapters 11, 12 and 13 are worth the price of the book, though, for experts and the curious for another insider viewpoint for the 1979 - 1981 years, at La Quinta and the Hemet secret headquarters.
Chapter 14 is worth the price of the book, and a must read for experts. I hope this chapter alone draws Bill Franks and Terri Gamboa into discussions about what Marty's written. Bill was the Executive Director International. Terri was Marty's superior during this period and for the following years when Terri was the Executive Director of ASI.
Marty's detailing the exact moment when current leader David Miscavige inserted himself into the communication line between Hubbard, who was in hiding, and the other leaders where Marty was stationed, is excellent.
It's a complicated story, but experts who've followed the details for years from other accounts, will appreciate what Marty explains. I'm sure some of what Marty says will be challenged by Bill Franks and Terri, though. Other Commodore's Messengers, now out, like the Reisdorf sisters, and Janis Grady, there is much additional information out. Experts should google "Gang of Five" articles, on the Scientology-Cult website, for some of the best information from the viewpoint of the LRH messengers who lived David Miscavige's "power push", when Miscavige was blaming Bill Franks as being one of the heads of what Hubbard accepted as the "power push" against Scientology. Marty's Epilogue does a tying together and brings in the power push theme again, and pins the power push pattern much on Hubbard.
To Marty's credit, in the eyes of harsh critics of Scientology's patent ludicrousness, Marty takes aim at several of the pillars of Hubbard's organized church, and Hubbard's own major hand in the power push politics that always was existent at the top of the movement. Sounds like Terri Gamboa behind the scenes has talked to Marty, and another reason I hope Terri someday writes or lets a good writer more in depth historian of Scientology history interview her more extensively.
Marty's book explains the weaknesses of the personalities around Hubbard, including Mary Sue, and gives an account of the reasons things went as they did.
Too bad Mary Sue is dead and cannot speak her thoughts. In any event, Marty's praise of Mary Sue for her loyalty to Hubbard, and some of Marty's positive firsthand stories about Mary Sue are important additions to Scientology history.
For beginners, this book isn't worth the 19 bucks, unless you have that kind of expendable income, and have an interest in some very fine details of the top ranks turmoil in the Scientology movement.
Beginners ought to read Lawrence Wright's "Going Clear" instead, if you are just trying as a newbie to get a grip on Scientology's first 60 or so years of existence!
Wright broke some blockbuster news, gotten from Sarge Steven Pfauth, the man who was Hubbard's security and ranch hand and friend and a Scientologist who lived and cooked and did errands for Hubbard, for Hubbard's final years. Pfauth signed Hubbard's death certificate. Marty's interview with Pfauth gives even more details of Hubbard's final years and month of life, compared to Wright's "Going Clear."
But this book is far better and more insightful about Marty's own character, even people who thought they knew Marty, will find a lot more to Mark Marty Rathbun reading this more personal book which covers a lot of his life's struggles and why Scientology suited him, as well as his disagreements with Scientology's ways.
And it will hopefully cause more of the ex senior leaders go public, hopefully, of more of that tumultuous period in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s in Scientology upper history, as Hubbard was drawing away from full control of the movement.
It's a must read book for experts.
Left to go, in terms of senior ex leaders of the Scientology movement, would be books by Pat Broeker, the Reisdorf sisters and Terri Gamboa. All of whom Marty's book takes up these people. I hope they are stirred to comment and add history, especially Pat Broeker and Terri Gamboa.
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