Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism and the Politics of Identity

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Summary: Excellent Panorama of the Far Right, But Becoming Dated
Review: A handbook for anyone interested in contemporary Nazism and the far political right. It is, however, becoming a little dated as some of the movements have changes names and directions, and some of the personalities have moved to new things.
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke writes with an air of intelligence and knowledgeability, so I was somewhat puzzled to find a reference on page 296 to the ENGLISH Royal Family. As far as I am aware, there is no such thing ! Perhaps the author is American and does not know that England is just one part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The correct term would have been the United Kingdom Royal Family, and British Royal family would have been acceptable, but English, never !
The author leads the reader through the whole gamut of the extreme right, from the sinister to the plain ridiculous. From large worldwide organisations to the individuals with ludicrous conspiracy theories. Fascinating reading which will give you lead after lead for personal research.
Goodrick-Clarke's conclusion highlights the negative consequences which could result if the current trend of forcing multiculturalism on a reluctant indiginous population continues to be pursued. Disaffection with mainstream politics, and a new rise of the extreme right, could bring major divisive change. Here in Europe we are already seeing the beginnings of what he warns of, with the entry of the extreme right into mainstream politics via political parties with rapidly growing memberships.

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Summary: A Disappointing Look At NeoNazism.
Review: In this book, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke tries to give an account of the continuation of much of the Nazi philosophy after the demise of the Third Reich. However, after his previous work _The Occult Roots of Nazism_ this book is surely a large disappointment. The book presents chapters on the American NeoNazis (especially Rockwell), British Nazis (including Colin Jordan and "Combat 18"), Julius Evola, Francis Parker Yockey and James Madole, Savitri Devi, a collection of "mysterious" and occult phenomena surrounding the Third Reich, Wilhelm Landig, UFOs and Antarctic underground bases, Miguel Serrano, black metal, Nazi Satanism, Christian Identity, Nordic paganism, and conspiracy beliefs regarding the New World Order. Unfortunately, there is very little holding this book together and it is rather poorly written. Although the book is entertaining, some of the weirdest things you are likely to read about, it fails to achieve any sort of conclusion at all and resorts to gratuitous references to terrorism (the events of September 11, unconnected with Nazism at all).

For a much better account of NeoNazi and far right beliefs read either: _Arktos_ by Joscelyn Godwin or _Dreamer of the Day_ by Kevin Coogan.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointing Look At NeoNazism.
Review: In this book, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke tries to give an account of the continuation of much of the Nazi philosophy after the demise of the Third Reich. However, after his previous work _The Occult Roots of Nazism_ this book is surely a large disappointment. The book presents chapters on the American NeoNazis (especially Rockwell), British Nazis (including Colin Jordan and "Combat 18"), Julius Evola, Francis Parker Yockey and James Madole, Savitri Devi, a collection of "mysterious" and occult phenomena surrounding the Third Reich, Wilhelm Landig, UFOs and Antarctic underground bases, Miguel Serrano, black metal, Nazi Satanism, Christian Identity, Nordic paganism, and conspiracy beliefs regarding the New World Order. Unfortunately, there is very little holding this book together and it is rather poorly written. Although the book is entertaining, some of the weirdest things you are likely to read about, it fails to achieve any sort of conclusion at all and resorts to gratuitous references to terrorism (the events of September 11, unconnected with Nazism at all).

For a much better account of NeoNazi and far right beliefs read either: _Arktos_ by Joscelyn Godwin or _Dreamer of the Day_ by Kevin Coogan.

Rating:
Summary: Better than most, despite its flaws
Review: Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke has written two outstanding books on Nazism and its links to religious/occult philosophies and figures: "The Occult Roots of Nazism" and "Hitler's Priestess." In both of those previous books (the first based on his doctoral dissertation at Oxford), he engaged in prodigious original source research and showed a bright light on subjects that had previously received either little attention or sloppy sensationalistic treatment.

If "Black Sun" is a trifle disappointing, it is so only by comparision with his own earlier achievements. This latest work is much more journalistic and relies, unfortunately, on others' research more often than not. Moreover, Goodrick-Clarke, in attempting a survey of current aryan/Neo-Nazi/Satanic/far right groups and writings, ends up covering ground already covered in books like Joscelyn Godwin's "Arktos," Kevin Coogan's "Dreamer of the Day," and his own "Hitler's Priestess" (which is about Savitri Devi, who combined Hinduism and Hitlerism).

It is not as if Goodrick-Clarke didn't spend his time in the trenches: it appears that he engaged in extensive correspondence with a number of his subjects and, as always, he has obviously read and digested much of the material that he summarizes in a clear-cut fashion. His chapter on Miguel Serrano breaks new ground in reporting on the extent of that author/diplomat's eccentric Hitler worship. But on other figures of the neo-nazi fringe, such as David Myatt, one is left with the impression that Goodrick-Clarke may have given too much credence to their own self-presentation or, conversely, to the hyperbole of their critics.

Make no mistake, this is as good a summary of present neo-nazi, extreme right ideas and personae as one is likely to find, but in dealing with the current scene - in a book that was written over the course of nearly a decade - "Black Sun" falls prey to the criticism, (voiced in some other reviews here,) that it is not entirely accurate or up to date. Especially in dealing with the knotty and ambiguous area of neo-nazi and Satanic overlaps, Goodrick-Clarke would have benefitted from inside information which was apparently beyond his grasp.

Still, it is never quite cricket to criticize a book for what a critic thinks it should be or might have been. There is much information here that cannot be found anywhere else, and with the caveat that one should double check any facts that may have been superceded by subsequent events, "Black Sun" is a compelling read.

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Summary: Black Sun
Review: The Black Sun is a very good book. It deals with info no other book has ever dealt with. I'm not sure why so many of these reviewers have dissed this book so. I imagine some people just don't want this info out.

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Summary: Sieg Heil is Alive and Well
Review: The transfixing qualities of Adolph Hitler's mystique have remained intact as evidenced by the plethora of hate groups around the world who still pledge total allegiance to the man. The perennial fascination with the failed tyrant covers a rather broad and dubious spectrum, ranging from the lofty, esoteric erudition of the Italian fascist mystic Julius Evola down to the more gutter level echelons of trailer trash White Power/Survivalist movements concentrated mostly in errant states such as Idaho. In spite of the presence of such a suspect bandwidth in which evil can manifest itself through a multi-varied bewilderment of cults, orders, and other related sectarian heresies, the fundamental trappings of Nazi inspired racism and its violent repercussions remain the same. In the book Black Sun by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, the author meticulously documents how the virus of Nazism has promoted itself using unconditionally willing hosts such as Hardcore Skinhead punk bands, various 'New Age' and Christian Identity groups, the World Wide Web, holocaust deniers, and various other cretinous conduits of the Quasi-Ãœbermensch fringe. Clarke paints a most chilling picture of just how entrenched, networked and proactivated these groups are within the pathologized meshes of our social fabric. No longer are these renegade outcasts at odds with the majority of society (I recommend checking out the documentary Hate.Com or Blood in the Face if you think otherwise). Rather, they have insinuated themselves into various power structures, in unassuming and suavely clandestine ways. Their methods deserve the kind of unforgiving scrutiny that Clarke offers in his much welcome book.

According to some would be fascist hopefuls documented in Black Sun, Hitler is still alive in the Hollow Earth, hobnobbing with other Aryan underworld émigrés who tan themselves by taking advantage of the earth's inner sun. Others, nearly not quite as delusional opt for more street level strategies in which to worship their hero, like having 'most Aryan woman' contests and Aryan weddings (and hopefully nonstop Aryan funerals to come) to insure the continuance of the endangered master race into a much anticipated, post-mongrel future free of racial inferiors of all persuasions. Most intriguing in Black Sun is the authors exposé of Savitri Devi, the Hitler worshipper who was convinced that the Führer was a divine embodiment of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of preservation. After her visionary experiences of what she assumed was the Aryan avatar, she compelled herself to travel to India to have her convictions verified by a variety of suspect gurus more than willing to bolster her hopes of Hitler's inevitable, incarnational return. In fact, after the war, she traveled to various sites such as Hitler's Eagle's Nest retreat, Wewelsburg Castle (which housed Heinrich Himmler and the ilk of his inner SS) and other places as if they were holy pilgrimage sites. As I read the chapter describing the erroneous metaphysics of Ms. Devi, I intuited that she is trapped on the lower astral plane, as evidenced by her disturbed, discarnated presence flitting about in my living space, which seemed to be pleading for help. Many of these disembodied Aryans, from Heinrich Himmler to Dietrich Eckhart roam the lower astral plane and adhere to spiritually inept people, using them as vehicles in attempts to further promote their lost cause. When a person is in a state of suspended animation/fascination, they are more susceptible to being influenced by entities and other third rate, ethereal gutter snipes such as these. This certainly was/is the case with Hitler and his league of worshippers. In fact that was Hitler's role all along, in the esoteric scheme of things: merely to entrance and let the titanic powers do all the rest. A master of entertainment (the word literally means: to hold between two states) , Adolph not only spellbound a nation, but encouraged a form of mass demonic possession amongst its citizenry as well. Carl Jung recognized this phenomena in its basic form, but could have elaborated on his intuitive perception much further than he actually did. There were very few who had the ability to break free of the ongoing trance inducements during the holocaust. Only the spiritually, morally and intellectually evolved managed to escape the seductions intact.

In spite of such precarious allurements that these various hate groups and their leaders take advantage of, Clarke manages to keep his personal sanity intact via a patented kind of scholarship which enables him to maintain a safe distance from his subject matter. A wise strategy considering how easy it is to fall prey to Aryan promises of superhuman power and inevitable world domination no matter how skeptical one is. I found myself pouring over the photos in the back of Black Sun, depicting various hate mongers such as Matt Koehl, the Reverend William Butler and Miguel Serrano, the Chilean fascist poet who knew both Herman Hesse and Carl Jung. I found it hard to break free of the gravity of such fascinating icons as George Lincoln Rockwell who successfully enraged discontented, middle class whites with promises of an inevitable overthrow of the lesser races, races who threatened job security and available housing amongst other things. Francis Parker Yockey, another fascist albeit Ivy League charmer, who was arrested in the early sixties for his attempts to unite the extreme right in a most relentless, international fashion is also covered in Black Sun. (
Black Sun should awaken us all to the real possibility of a fascist dictator coming to power in America, hiding behind the bland guise of a so called 'democratically elected' president. One only need to consider the degree of disorientation, fear and malaise amongst the American populace in the wake of the 9-11 tragedy, a strange socio-political brew very much similar to the one fermenting in Germany prior to the rise of Hitler, to see the likelihood of such a thing happening. Perhaps it already has. Fortunately, works such as the one offered by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke may very well keep such political aberrations as our current 'president' in much needed check.

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Summary: Black Sun! An informative book on Nazi occultism
Review: _Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism and the Politics of Identity_ by the scholar Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is an excellent overview of the extremely bizarre beliefs and personages involved in neo-Nazi occultism. I will keep this review short for the sake of not flogging a dead horse.

The cover features the "Black Sun," supposedly a mystical Aryan symbol representing the pure and undiluted blood and power of the Germanic race, inscribed on the floor of Himmler's SS castle-headquarters. The book itself is very well written and logically organized. Neo-Nazi and pagan cosmology, Christian Identity beliefs regarding the Bible and New Age (i.e. anti-Christian) conspiracy theories (best exemplified by anarcho-libertarians Bill Cooper and David Icke) have striking similarities to the ancient dualist heresies of Gnosticism and Manicheanism. _Black Sun_ is an excellent book for anyone interested in the world's dark undercurrents of religious extremism and elitist beliefs about the cosmic clash of good versus evil manifested on the material plane.