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Summary: Should be in every history classroom
Review: This book tells the underlying history of our planet and I wish I'd had it as a textbook when I was in school. It's a shame our knowledge in classrooms is restricted. This book should be a must read for everyone who has any interest in our future.
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Summary: Rule by Secrecy: The Hidden History That Connects ...
Review: Jim Marrs...you are the MAN! For all of you interested in what has been and what is really going on, READ THIS BOOK. I've done research on just about every chapter in his book by reading thousands of pages from historical writings and archives to modern and past news reports to declassified information. The information in this book concurs with the facts I've discovered. His accounts are honest and straightforward. No opinions or conjecture, just cold, hard facts. I suggest to everyone with a negative opinion of this book take the "BEFORE & AFTER" approach: do your own (serious and thorough) research and fact-finding BEFORE opening your mouth. I'm certain you'll sing a different tune AFTER you've done your homework! Knowledge is power...so empower yourselves. Get this book today and read it. Thank you Mr.Marrs!
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Summary: You have to be brain-dead not to appreciate the wealth
Review: of Information in this book. One of the best I've ever read. Covers alot with decent details and backup sources. A definite buy for those who want the whole conspiracy scoop. Buy it and be blown away. Can't wait for his next book.
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Summary: Oh Canada II
Review: To the chap from Canada I say: It is you, squire, who have a limited understanding of history; the clear attitude of a soi disant polymath; an insufferable penchant for literary flatulence; and a tragically closed mind. To other serious readers and researchers: PLEASE read this book; arrive at your own conclusions. You owe it to yourself (if not to those whom you may influence.) It is well- researched and -written, and much of the substance presented therein, readily verifiable. It is a splendid book -- arguably the best on the subject.
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Summary: Very Interesting, Not Too Far Fetched, Supporting Evidence
Review: Very good book with a lot of interesting, generally unknown information. Some things in the book I may disagree with, however it gives a lot of very interesting information about the past and present. For example, we all know about the Harken insider trading scandal with Bush currently in the news. The book discusses this, and it was written before he even became president. Very interesting info; Henry Ford receiving the highest civilian honor from Hitler for his anti-Semitism, the wealthiest families (Morgans, Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Kennedys, etc) and their role in politics, and the truth about the "Federal" Reserve and money. I just mentioned a couple things; there is MUCH more incredible information but I will let you find that out for yourself. This book is interesting and easy to read and the content is not too far fetched (Marrs saves that for his other books) definitely recommend... I've already ordered a few of his other books.
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Summary: Oh, Canada.....
Review: The highly critical review of this important book by our cousin to the desolate North is indicative of the bankrupt, socialist educational system in that backwater provence of the Old British empire. For all others not so inhibited by Fabian indoctrination, this is an enjoyable and credible read and an excellent starting point to endeavor to understand the conspirational theory of history. This theory holds, simply, that things don't happen by accident. How does one explain the Vietnam War? Only understanding it from the perspective of deliberate mismangement does it make sense. How does one explain the assassination of JFK and the truly absurd "magic bullet" theory? It only makes sense when viewed as a conspiracy hatched and abetted by those who profited from the demise of this dynamic young world leader. How does one explain Watergate, the elevation of Nelson Rockefeller to the Vice presidency, and the subsequent attempts to eliminate President Ford? Again, we must look to the unseen hand of conspirators to understand such things. Although written well in advance of the tragic events of 9/11/01, there are also clues herein to unravel this apparent mystery. To all with an open mind, this is a good and entertaining read. To Rod, have another beer and some Canadian bacon, whatever that is.
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Summary: Believable to the Completely Gullible
Review: Well where to begin with this one? In my quest for a conspiracy book that would stand up, against even common sense logic, Marrs, one of the giants of conspiracy theory, falls flat on his face. I bought the book on the assumption that maybe Marrs would come up with a workable definition of "conspiracy" or even "secret society" and then rigourously subject his examples to scientific rigour and logic. Maybe he would end up with a barely believable and thought provoking book. Unfortunately this book will only appeal to those people who already have a paranoia that needs proving. It is not even a particularly good read. Marrs seemingly starts with rough premise eg. Is the Trilateral Commission a secret society? He then produces a series of facts stating such banal things that this international organisation is made up of powerful people... who are international specialists. Well surpise on that one --- that is precisely why and what the organisation was founded for -- to study international society in order to stimulate cooperation and agreement across a number of levels. The above example betrays a few traits of the muddle-headed thinking of conspiracy theorists: 1) Basic lack of any notion of political theory. Marrs had better read a few text books on International Relations. There the central question of IR is how does one resolve conflict in the era of sovereign states? One of the way to do this --- and it has been around since Hobbes and Kant --- is to discuss overarching levels of government to enhance cooperation and integration. The EEU and other international organisations are examples of this. Indeed it is one of constants of history that states emerge from county and regional entities. At some point with higher development of states it is stupid to think that one nation can 100% control its own destiny, it must cooperate and concede authority in certain areas to overarching political institutions (the UN, NATO, Red Cross, etc.) -- that is also one of the central issues of US and world foreign policy --- how does the the US deals with this challenge. This is a subject for political science and economics to work out --- it has nothing to do with conspiracy theories. 2) Marrs is not just a TERRIBLE historian, he has no idea of the discipline whatsoever (no adequate footnotes, a bibliography that includes ONLY secondary sources of his fellow conspiracy theorists, no first sources, and, what is worst, he has not cited a single authoritative reference for any historical event he decsribes --- you will find no authoritative sources on WWI, WWII, Vietnam or the Korean War.... or any other historical event he describes). His understanding of both international organisations and the events that spawned them is not just facile, it is plain puerile. Marr's Cook's tour of every historical event and organisation may sound interesting (I would never say convincing, because I would like to believe that the average reader is smarter than Marrs would have us believe); eg, His idea that Woodrow Wilson was a member of secret society that tried to foist the League of Nations on the US is plainly, forgive me, retarded in the extreme --- read some books on this era Mr. Marrs! WWI assailed the conscience of Mankind. It changed the way people thought necessarily, and forced them to look at the only real way of avoiding or dampening conflict --- a world body with the authority to censure members --- the League of Nations. It was before its time, but it is function of political and historical analysis, not secret societies. 3) Marrs obviously has no idea what constitutes science. He has not been taught to reason from a basic premise and subject his thoughts to scrutiny and empirical analysis. His ideas are all over the place. He can cite some facts, such as that the people on the trilateral commission are important and influential --- but not a shred of evidence that these people are engaged in a conspiracy. Such is a real waste of paper. Everyone knows that politcally motivated people join groups: I can predict that the National Republican Committee is filled with influential people --- I cannot prove that it is a conspiratorial organisation. And Marrs has not a single shred of proof that these organisations are conspiratorial in the sense that they "engage in the secret planning for the detriment of the nation." Marrs' logic is very contradictory: he calls upon us to be open-minded and consider all examples "however crazy." In the next paragraph he then states that his task is not to consider groups like Heavens Gate or other such societies since they are cleary inconsequential and local. I cannot think of a more whacked out group than Heaven's Gate, so why not analyse them? He then ends up by the end of the book throwing in every mythical, mystical group or concept ever invented since Shirley Maclaine went on an bad acid trip. Atlantis, UFOs etc. The only thing missing is the land of Mu and the tooth fairy. 4) Unlike books like "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," which have a somewhat interesting idea and analysis of a group that is developed with somewhat interesting historical detail --- you can learn something from reading Holy Blood! --- You can learn nothing from Marrs except how to think poorly about the world around you. Once again a real good antidote for this book would be some popular science by Carl Sagan, a good read of any International Relations textbook, a good read of some history in general and a few editions of the Skeptical Inquirer. As is so often the case with mystics and the crooked thinkers, Marrs thinks that a cursory look at a subject will reveal true knowledge and understanding. He is in fact treading on not just swampy logic but appears to lack even rudimentary knowledge of science, history or any other proper education that would innoculate him against the plague of gross mistaken thinking that he so admirably displays in this book. I would challenge him to try to refute the above. My email is above.
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Summary: Threatening to Deliver
Review: Marrs puts a lot into the title, and precious little into the content. The book meanders thru lists and brief bios of conspiracies without much of a point. So there are a bunch of people consipiring to promote their self interest? Whoopedy du! I was expecting a lot more, like are these people bad? Marrs tells us that they want "one world government", but neglects to describe how that is sinister, maybe it would be groovy! Marrs then stretches to tie every wacko outfit in history together with Sitchin's work on Summerian translations, (Read the 12th planet by Sitchin, its interesting, but widely disregarded by experts) to conclude that were all part of, may I say it, some "Alien Agenda". I guess as fiction goes, this could be turned into something impressive. As non-fiction, it only threatens to deliver.
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Summary: Outstanding
Review: A good friend gave me this book after we had engaged in several political discussions. After reading this book, my perspective on the American political scene has been forever altered. Now I understand clearly that there is really little difference between the major political parties. Witness the last Presidential election. The four ticket leaders, Bush, Cheney, Gore, and Lieberman had one thing in common that most Americans know nothing about and that influences their policies more than anything else. That one thing is membership in the Council on Foreign Relations. Once I understood this and continued to read history from a more enlightened and less dogmatic perspective, I came to understand many of the mysteries of world and US history. For instance, how did the Korean War so quickly develop into a stale mate? Why was American constrained from wining the war in Vietnam? How did a small group of disorganized radicals come to topple the government of Russia in 1917 and later become the second leading world power? Why did the Great Depression of 1929 occur sixteen short years after the Federal Reserve System, supposedly put in place to prevent such a thing, went into being? These and many more puzzles of our time are revealed in this fascinating book.
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Summary: Don't Ever Be Fooled Again
Review: Read this book and learn what is really going on in this world. It will only be when enough of us "know" that we can put an end to it.
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