DVD REVIEW
UFO’s
and the Extraterrestrial Threat: – Battlefield Earth
Format: DVD
Title: ‘UFO’s
and the Extraterrestrial Threat: –
Battlefield Earth’,
Running time: Approx 200 minutes
Publisher: World
Wide Multi Media
Order number: WWMM 1003
Price : None
stated
A review DVD
came though the letter box dropped onto the floor, and as usual I had
quick
look at the cover, WOW!! ‘UFO’s and the
Extraterrestrial Threat: – Battlefield Earth’, it was a
comprehensive 3 DVD
as well. The back cover blurb was equally alluring with its fevered
comments
about enigmatic ‘men in black’; and battles between men and aliens.
According
to the blurb, governments are concealing all this from you, and on the
DVD’s
are accounts from world renowned experts in the field giving the low
down. From
all that it was far to assume that this production just had to be
something
really special with top class production values, so was it? Well no,
not
exactly.
The 3 DVD set is
culled from the back catalogue of EDGE MEDIA TV who transmit on Freesat
channel
200 and consists of a number of recorded interviews hosted by such
personalities as Nick Margerrison who presents ‘Esoteria’, Ross
Hemsworth and
his ‘Now, That’s Weird’, and last but not least, Theo Chalmers with ‘On
the
Edge’. To be fair, some of the interviewees are good and the first disc
has
material from Esoteria featuring the Ufologist Tony Topping .Tony
presents the
viewer with anecdotal evidence that he has been hounded by black
helicopters
for conducting his research into the subject, he does actually present
some
video film showing one of the helicopters.
What is much
more interesting are his observations on the matter and he is quite
open in
stating that the UFO phenomenon contains more than a hint of the
paranormal,
and as far as this reviewer is concerned he is correct. This segment
also
contains an interview with a guy, Dennis Richards, who is certain that
ET’s
removed cancers from his chest. To substantiate this he presents
evidence
showing that he did appear to have a cancer that has since vanished.
He explains that
while in some kind of coma/trance in hospital receiving chemotherapy,
he ‘saw’
tiny ET’s park an equally tiny flying saucer on his chest then climb
down a
ladder and remove parts of the cancer from his chest, taking it into
the
vehicle. What he does know for sure however is that the cancers have
gone and
he has the documentation from the hospital to prove it. A miracle? Well
yes it
is, but it would need much more than an interview on TV to prove it,
because in
any other context this would indeed be a miracle and the ET’s would be
angels.
The disc also includes the UK
editor of Nexus magazine, who presents his take on the 1969 moon
landing and
his contention that they are faked for reasons that encompassed both
American
national vanity and political imperatives.
Disc two
contains more UFO related material from Ross Hemsworth and concentrates
on a
classic UFO sighting made by airline pilot Roy Bowyer while flying to
the
Channel Islands off the south coast of England. This show also
contains
input from the ever reliable Nick Pope, an interesting observation from
Alan
Foster that UFO’s might even be sentient and more input from Larry
Warren about
the long running and iconic incident at Rendlesham Forrest. The only
jarring
note here is the apparently pointless inclusion of and edition of Theo
Chalmers
and ‘On the Edge’, which is an expose of the UK National Health Service
by
Simon Stone and Angela Sherman. Very interesting no doubt, but
completely out
of place here.
The third disc
is for me the real golden nugget here and is almost worth the price of
the
three disc set on its own, It features a lengthy interview with Richard
D Hall
who also presents a show on the channel ‘RichPlanet.net’. This has
segments
from Timothy Good and Gary Heseltine who both present their individual
takes on
the UFO phenomenon. The standout section of the third disc that stood
out for
me was when Richard D Hall presents his 30 secrets of the spiritual
dimension
to Ufology. This was genuinely thought provoking and covered many of my
own
views on the subject.
The one thing
that this reviewer did find off-putting is that the shows are presented
‘as is’
with all the glitches and hitches left in, and these should and could
perhaps
have been edited out, However, overall the collection is worth viewing
and most
viewers will take something from it
DVD REVIEW
The
Unexplained Explained:
Ghosts and Paranormal
Activity
Title: The
Unexplained Explained: Ghosts
and Paranormal Activity
Catalogue
Number: WWMM236
Format:
DVD-R
Price:
£15:99
Based
on the remarkable outcome of this unsettling and fascinating
documentary
film it would be better titled ‘The Unexplained Demonstrated’ rather
than ‘The Unexplained
Explained’, because this is precisely what happens, but more of that
later.
This latest release from World Wide Multi Media and WeinerWorld is
produced and
presented by a researcher, the initially sceptical Paul Wookey, who
takes us to
Salterforth in the north of England
to visit the abundantly haunted hostelry, The Anchor Inn. This
picturesque area
of England
is also in the vicinity of Pendle, a pretty town and the scene of the
notorious
Pendle Witch Trials.
So,
a suitable setting for an investigation at the supernatural goings on
at the Anchor Inn. Paul is joined in his quest by the psychically
gifted Diane
Howe who, if the documentary is to be believed, has some genuinely
remarkable
talents. It is always difficult when reviewing documentaries like these
to
judge just how many ‘spoilers’ to use, because to give too much away
would
completely ruin the many surprises and yes, terrors, contained in this
programme.
However there are so many that a few revelations will do no harm. I
should
emphasise that Paul at no time gives any information to the medium.
The
present pub dates back to 1655 when the original building was called
‘The
Travellers Rest’, a packhorse inn serving the needs of traders passing
by, but
in its present incarnation has been in use since the 1830’s when the
ongoing
construction of the Leeds/Liverpool canal caused flooding in the
original
building, so the new pub was built atop the old. In fact the results of
the
flooding can still been seen in the original cellars.
On
arrival Paul meets with another ‘sensitive’ lady who takes him into
the cellars explaining that there was a suicide there when a young boy
of 14
called Joe apparently hung himself there. She also tells him that there
is more
than one set of phenomena occurring. In addition there is an interview
with the
present licensee in the cellars of the current pub who recounts other
events
which seem to be of the poltergeist variety. He also shows Paul through
the original
cellars, one of which includes a quite remarkable display of
stalactites and a
few stunted stalagmites caused by the accretion of minerals deposited
by the continual
seepage of rainwater.
At
this point Paul is joined by the medium, Diane Howe, who quickly
‘tunes in’ and does a walkabout in the cellars, one of two such walks.
In the
first walk she reveals that a ‘great tragedy’ occurred here, but does
not
elaborate. It is during the second visit that she decides that there
was a
violent death here. She tunes into the boy and senses that he did not
deliberately
kill himself, but accidentally fell through the trapdoor in the floor
above and
died from his injuries. At this point however events start to take a
more
sinister turn after she correctly identifies the original owner of the
building
by his full name, this is corroborated, an impressive feat indeed. We
also get
the first inkling that the ‘great tragedy’ might have several
additional layers
to it.
I
could go on detailing a list of the many events, but I’ll fast forward
to the astonishing séance conducted at the finale of the documentary
when those
present, Paul Wookey, Diane Howe and two others sit round a table using
the
traditional (and extremely risky) Ouija-like method of communication
comprising
a small tumbler and the words Yes and No. What occurs is impressive to
say the
least when the original owner starts to communicate and gets angry,
very angry
and the EMF meter responds accordingly. We discover the additional and
unsavoury dimension of sex, revenge and violence…and the murder of a 14
year
old girl. The medium manages to move the spirit of the murdered girl to
a
better place, a place of peace and sanctuary and Paul Wookey
justifiably concludes
that he is less sceptical than before.
Well,
what to make of it, this reviewer assumes (indeed must assume) that
what is seen is genuine and unrehearsed, because anything else would
render the
production worthless and show the revelations as a shallow and mean
con. What is
revealed therefore is truly astonishing and not a little scary, the
séance and
what transpires is harrowing stuff indeed. Buy this DVD and watch it
carefully,
because this is exactly how spirit frequently works and it is a prime
example
of the kind of phenomena seen during investigations of this kind…highly
recommended!
END
Film Review
‘Waterborne’
First
and foremost this is not a horror film; it is a low(ish) budget,
but very well executed apocalyptic thriller about the social and
ethical
effects of bioterrorism on a community living in and around Los Angeles. The
cast consists of jobbing
actors who have appeared in other bigger budget films and none of them
fail to
deliver. The only one tiny issue I did have was the casting of
Christopher
Masterson who appeared in one of consistently funniest TV show ever to
come out
of the USA, ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. This did tend to add a slight
frisson of
typecasting to his central dramatic role, but after a short while even
this
disappeared.
The
story concerns the dosing of the water supply in an area of Los Angeles with
a deadly
toxin and at first it is not clear if this was done by an outside
terror group
like Al Qaeda or some other group. The effects of the contamination are
seen
through the eyes of three groups, two members of a small National Guard
unit
sent to safeguard water supplies from looters, two twenty something,
slacker,
trippy college students caught up in the events and a family of Sikh
shopkeepers who start rationing their bottled water and treble the
prices.
At
first each group seems detached and quite separate, but as the film
progresses it becomes clear that at some point they will meet up. The
film
shows the steadily mounting panic and paranoia among the citizen as
water
supplies start to run low and how the veneer of civilisation breaks
down when
naked survival is at stake. There is a scene where two men are caught
trying to
take water from a reservoir that makes the point admirably. The
decision of the
shopkeepers to rack up the price of bottle water has predictable
effects on the
Sikh family when obvious (and predictable) racism rearing its head as
the local
rednecks are refused supplies.
There
is an interesting dichotomy here, because the son of the family
although adopting the Sikh dress code is clearly an American and has an
American girlfriend while his parents cling to their traditions. There
is one
particularly effective sequence consisting of cut shots of a Sikh
religious
ceremony interlaced with scenes of unremitting and increasing violence.
The
climax the film takes place in the family store when all the
characters finally converge in a shootout when the more loopy and
spaced out of
the two slackers pulls a pistol and demands water. All in all the film,
although hardly groundbreaking, works on several levels and is well
worth
watching
--
Book
Review
The Forbidden Universe
Title: The
Forbidden Universe
Publisher:
Constable, London
Authors:
Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince
Price
£18:99
ISBN:
978-1-84901-409-0
A
new book by Lynn Picknett and Clive prince is normally something to
look forward to and The Forbidden Universe lived up to all
expectations. It can
be very difficult to make frequently obscure and esoteric subjects,
something in
which both authors and researchers specialise, both interesting and
accessible
and in this case once again they manage the feat with consummate ease.
What
makes it even more special is that it contains flashes of ironic wit
and humour
that serve to illuminate some of the more obscure points.
In
many ways this book is a natural progression from their previous works,
both together and individually, and works such as, ‘The Templar
Revelation’,
‘The Stargate Conspiracy’, ‘The Masks of Christ’ and the truly
remarkable ‘The Secret
History of Lucifer’ serve as stepping stones to their latest, and
possibly
best, work to date. The first section of the book deals with the early
scientists and thinkers and how their theories were gradually accepted
as the
truth, mainly because the principles upon which their arguments and
theories
were bases were unarguable. The Church seeing its authority in all
matters
questioned did not like this and fought a furious rearguard action, but
was
eventually forced to concede defeat in a prime example of fact versus
faith
(and sheer blind dogma).
At
its core the book casts fresh light on the occult origins of science
and encompasses such subjects as alchemy, astronomy and mathematics,
all of
which were regarded with considerable superstitious fear by the early
Church
fathers. So much so that the pioneering scientific greats such as
Paracelsus,
Agrippa, Galileo, Copernicus, Tycho Brae, and all the rest ran
considerable
risk of being branded as heretics and piously murdered for daring to
challenge
the overweening superstitious orthodoxy of the Catholic Church. Other
pioneers
like Sir Isaac Newton and Dr John Dee, although professing
revolutionary
thinking, were less likely to face death from the church, but more from
the
state who declared the practise of alchemy illegal. It did so on the
grounds
that an uncontrolled source of gold would destabilise the
economy…nothing
changes, does it?
It
was no accident all these characters, particularly Cornelius Agrippa,
Paracelsus, Isaac Newton and John Dee, were hermeticists and primarily
considered to be sorcerers rather than scientists and as such were
viewed with grudging
admiration and trepidation in equal measure. The fact that they also
used
specific aspects of sorcery (and alchemy which was looked upon as much
the same
thing) in their work added to this impression, but they did so simply
because
they believed it was effective.
The
second part of the book deals with what is perhaps the only branch of
science that is closest to magick, and that of course is quantum
physics where
the impossible becomes not only possible, but often demonstrably so.
However,
as the authors point out, it is not unknown for Newtonian scientists to
come
out with such foolishness as, ‘Even it
was proven I still would not believe it’. The book is very
refreshing in
that it never loses its sense of wonder at the possibilities offered by
the
universe and all it contains. The authors also have the chutzpah to
take a
healthy sideswipe at the dogmatic atheism of such modern luminaries and
self
appointed defenders against ‘superstition’ as Professor Richard
Dawkins. The
rabid and instinctive rationalism of Prof Dawkins et all
is every bit as much of a religion as the views held by the
conventionally religious and is equally as tedious.
What
this book does do in spades is suggest very plausibly that the
universe appears to have an inbuilt function to deliberately both
create and
support life and that it was designed that way. What the book does not
do,
however, is say who or what did it and why this should be, it
tantalises and
teases, it hints and nudges, but leaves the final decision to the
reader, and
rightly so. One (of the many) electrifying propositions made is the
notion that
the universe created us, and through us observing it, allow it to exist
in the
first place, a truly mind blowing concept and only one of many. This is
an important
book and one that deserves to be read by anyone who has even the
slightest
interest in cosmology and, yes, magick. I heartily recommend this book
to any
seekers of wisdom out there and suggest that you go out any buy it now,
you
will NOT be disappointed.
--
Reviewed by
Brian Allan
Book Review
Haunted Pubs, Inns &
Hotels of
Derbyshire
Title:
Haunted Pubs, Inns & Hotels
of Derbyshire
Author:
Jill Armitage
Publisher:
Amberley Publishing
Price:
£12:99
ISBN:
987-1-4456-0464-0
This
book, which enjoys remarkably good producing values, might as well
be titled Haunted Derbyshire Volume II since it is a logical and
welcome
continuation of the first book and as such it is a worthy and
worthwhile addition.
In it the author takes a look at the many haunted hostelries and pubs
in
Derbyshire and from the number of fascinating tales in the book there
must be a
fair few. Just why these kind of establishment should achieve such a
reputation
for ghosts and apparitions is hard to say, perhaps it’s due to the
number of
people who have visited over the years and left some trace of their
passing.
On
the other hand perhaps they have been the scene of many tragic and
traumatic events, especially in some of the older hostelries that
served a dual
purpose as mortuaries and even jails. Or might it be due to the fact
that
almost all the buildings are licensed premises and already contain
spirits (in
bottles) and when the two are mixed might one kind of spirit beget the
other?
The
book, which is profusely illustrated, draws on tales from many of the
towns and villages in the county alphabetically from Ashborne to
Wirksworth. Many
of the ghostly accounts are taken verbatim
from the eye witness testimony of guests, passers-by and residents,
while
others are based on apocryphal tales and hearsay. Whatever the source
there is
more than enough information contained in these pages to whet the
appetite of
the most discerning and jaded aficionado of the supernatural.
Unrequited love,
suicides, murders, phantom animals, poltergeists, noisy phantom
children,
disembodied voices and even the shade of a long dead Roman soldier:
they’re all
here.
While
this book will obviously appeal to the local tourist board and the
book shops in the local towns, equally it should serve as a handy guide
for
local groups of ghost busters seeking projects. The phantoms described
here
have a good deal of provenance and indeed several have already been
evaluated
by a few investigative groups, and these investigations have unearthed
some
interesting results which are included in the book.
Every
county, shire, town and village throughout the United Kingdom has its
share of
eerie tales that deserve to be told and this book serves its function
very well
indeed. It is very well researched and is absolutely invaluable to
those who
seek out the strange, unusual and anomalous in Derbyshire...and perhaps
to
those who choose to visit the area seeking something just a little
different.
All in all the book justifies its price tag and I would recommend it to
would
be ghost hunters in Derbyshire, to those enjoy a pub crawl with an edge
and to
anyone else with taste for the unearthly, the bizarre and the strange.
--
Reviewed by
Brian Allan
Book Review
Breverton’s Phantasmagoria:
A Compendium of Monsters Myths and Legends

Title: Breverton’s Phantasmagoria: A Compendium of Monsters
Myths and
Legends
Author:
Terry Breverton
Publisher:
Quercus (History)
ISBN:
978-0-85738-337-2
Price:
£9:99
When
I first looked at the cover of this remarkable book I was instantly
reminded
of an old TV show called ‘The Good Old Days’, which ran from 1953 until
(amazingly) 1983 and was presented in the style of Edwardian/Victorian
music
hall entertainment. The show was introduced by an evening suited, white
gloved,
host cum compere cum interlocutor who presented each act to the
suitably
dressed audience with a great flourish and in a typically florid
manner, saying
something like, ‘Ladies and gentlemen,
for your edification, enjoyment and delectation may I present a truly
perspicacious prestidigitator of legerdemain and flirtatious flummery’.
And
whatever the act was (in that case a conjuror) duly appeared and did
their
stuff.
That
was my first impression of this absolute gem of a book, and what’s
more it does exactly what it says on the cover. It is a work stuffed
full of
facts that the reader can browse and dip into at random and be
guaranteed to
unearth some absolutely fascinating nugget of information about one of
the many
and unlikely subjects it covers. It is laid out alphabetically in eight
discrete and lengthy chapters as a dictionary of the bizarre and
unexplained. In
fact some of the subjects are so far ‘out there’ that it is unlikely
that being
alphabetical would be of any help since they are probably unknown to
the reader
in the first place, and this is what makes it doubly fascinating. This
is a
treasury of the strange, the mystical and the anomalous, it is
something that
Charles Fort himself would have both admired and desired.
In
these pages are everything from Adam and Eve through Wolves and
Werewolves to the lost city of ‘Z’ with everything you can think of,
and much
you probably cannot, in between. We find deathworms, mythical monsters,
ghosts,
mythical lands, strange and anomalous artefacts, fabled lost treasures,
alien
abductions, UFO’s (yes, them too), minotaurs, magic, boogymen, fairies,
dragons
and flying carpets. There is also information about some of the truly
scary
beasts that emerge from Far East
legends and
there is even an entry about the genuinely enigmatic icon and electric
genius
that is Nikola Tesla.
One
item in particular that caught my eye was a truly fascinating piece
about honeybees. The author has unearthed some astonishing information
suggesting
that bees can actually ‘see’ more in than one dimension. He presents
evidence
that the ‘waggle dance’ performed by returning worker bees laden with
pollen to
give directions to their hive mates demonstrates this. According to the
author,
a mathematician called Barbara Shipman has developed a theory about a
six
dimensional mathematical concept called a ‘flag manifold, (no, me
neither), and
when these objects are presented in two dimensions they are identical
to the
patterns formed by the ‘waggle dance’. I would have bought the book for
that
alone and never mind all the amazing rest of it.
I
have no hesitation in recommending this work to anyone who has any
interest at all in the strange and the bizarre, the forgotten and the
fabulous,
it’s all here in one scintillating volume: go and buy it NOW!.
--
Reviewed by
Brian Allan
Book Review
The
Un-magickal Record of
THE GREAT
BEAST 666
By Richard
T. Cole

Title: The
Un-magickal Record of THE GREAT BEAST 666
Author: Richard T
Cole
Publisher: Orange Box Books
ISBN: 1-900962-85-3
Price: None
stated
Many
biographies (and one that was almost a hagiography) have been
written about the late and notorious magician Aleister Crowley and your
reviewer has read a couple, but this is the first time I have seen a
work about
the man presented in such a unique fashion. The book is in A4 format
and runs
to 277 pages, rather than just another biography the complier has
chosen to
gather and collate a creditable number of magazine articles about Crowley dating
from circa
1939 to the 1980’s and reproduce them verbatim
in this volume. The book also contains some very rare and obscure
photographs
of both Crowley
and his fellow travellers; some of them were certainly new to me.
The
only deviation from this, (and when discussing Crowley deviation can take many very
literal
forms), comes at the beginning where various people who have had a hand
in its
production give their, (mostly favourable) two-pennyworth. The verbatim
style
of reproduction used actually benefits from the mainly pulp magazines
that originally
published the articles, in that original adverts and cartoons have been
left in
situ rather than edited out. This adds a slight feeing of nostalgia for
times
past and perhaps rather more innocent attitudes. Significantly, it also
adds to
the enjoyment of turning the pages.
The
book successfully shows that although he could have faded into
obscurity after his death in 1947 while living in straitened
circumstances in a
Hastings
boarding house he did not. In a prime example of delayed zeitgeist, he
seems to
have caught the essence of the 1960’s counterculture and enjoyed a
major
resurgence, especially in the music industry. In fact it is also
arguable that
he was the inspiration and original driving force behind the
counterculture. His
image appears on the cover of the Beatles ‘Sergeant Pepper’ album and
his quest
for the ultimate gnosis (make no mistake about this, like all magicians
his
outlook was Gnostic) was adopted by such acolytes as Led Zeppelin’s
Jimmy
Paige. Perhaps the louche and often dissipated, sybaritic rock’n’roll
life
style of musicians would have suited the magician very well indeed. It
is no accident
that the introduction to the book is penned by the former well known
music journalist
Sandy Robertson.
The
reportage in the articles ranges from agenda driven vilification and
hatchet jobs, one by an individual who, given his speciality should
really have
known better, to half decent attempts at presenting the known facts
about
Crowley. This second approach allows the readers to make up their own
minds,
and that, in this reviewer’s opinion, is the only way to approach
frequently difficult
areas of interest like this. The subject of magick in general, quite
apart from
Crowley’s
Thelemic variation on it, is fraught with superstition, disbelief,
cautious
acceptance and of course fear and the individual articles reflect this.
Crowley
invariably used
the spelling ‘magick’ when refereeing to his techniques, mainly because
he
wished to make the difference between what he did and stage illusion
and
conjuring quite clear.
It
is possible, even likely, that the magical system developed by
Aleister Crowley, (Thelema or will), might even actually work. It is
after all
another version of chaos magick, which operates by using much the same
method,
i.e. imposing your will on the external world to make it conform to
your
wishes: and that is more or less how Crowley
saw it. The only aspect of the whole process that tends to descend into
foolishness is the perceived desire and need to adopt rather outlandish
modes
of dress, this is of course excellent theatre and can help to focus the
attention of the adherents, but in itself contributes nothing. What is
even
more interesting although, and unfortunately, the compiler and the
various
contributors fail to mention it, is that thoughts do indeed have power
and can directly
affect the physical world and this has now been successfully
demonstrated in
quantum physics. In effect we can edit reality at the very tiniest
level; the
trick is to magnify this to affect things at a practical size.
However,
all that aside does the book work? Well yes, in the main it does,
but, and there is inevitably a ‘but’, what these sometimes lengthy
articles
reveal is that although they seem to agree on the majority of the facts
about
the life of the mage there is considerable divergence (or lack of
research) regarding
some points. For example, one article gives the impression that Crowley thought
that
religion was absolutely marvellous, well he certainly had an excellent
knowledge of it through the secular schooling inflicted on him by his
Plymouth Brethren
obsessed parents, but this is absolutely wrong. Crowley made it abundantly clear that
while
he certainly had a thorough knowledge of the bible, he also had an
equally
thorough detestation of it. With hindsight it is highly likely that it
was his
upbringing that directly affected his later life and his adoption of
magick and
all its trappings as his chosen lifestyle.
There
is one thing that is certain and it is that Aleister Crowley, although
was extremely charismatic, could be absolutely charming and possessed a
ready,
if acerbic wit, was not a ‘nice man’ in any conventional sense, far
from it.
One article quotes one of his associates, (it is difficult to discern
whether
he actually had friends), as saying that Crowley
was, ‘not a man one would want to know personally’. The overall
impression of
this work is that it was assembled with great care from hard to get and
long
out of print magazines and is a credit to its author, Richard T. Cole,
and his
perseverance in digging out all this material.
There
are a few ups and down in the book, after all the same story can
only be told so many times, but where this work really scores is in
that it is
not a dedicated biography and presents a palette of impressions on the
life and
times of the mage. I have no hesitation in recommending it as a
worthwhile
addition to the bookshelves of both the avowed Crowleyfile and those
who are
just testing the water.
--
Reviewed by
Brian Allan
Book Review
The Truth
Agenda
Title:
The
Truth Agenda
Author: Andy
Thomas,
Publisher:
Vital
Signs Publishing
Price:
£14:75
ISBN:
978-0-9550608-1-6
A
popular aphorism is that no busses arrive then three arrive together,
if that saying could be applied to a book it would be this one, ‘The
Truth
Agenda’, except that in this case they all arrive morphed together in
one
spellbinding volume. This is evidently the revised and updated version
of the
original and not having read the first version this one hit me with the
force
of tsunami. This is a hefty and abundantly illustrated tome comprising
some 385
pages, which include comprehensive notes, references and an invaluable
index
and indeed it has to be to cover such a dazzling array of subjects.
Where
to start? I say this because a full in-depth review would run to
many thousands of words, so it behoves this reviewer to select what, in
his
opinion, are only a tiny sample of the more pertinent items. In this
book Andy
Thomas, a well known and respected author and speaker on the
conspiracy/mysteries lecture circuit, presents his take on how entire
populations are manipulated and controlled by a variety of means for
the
benefit of small cliques of individuals whose self-serving motives are
not in
the interests of the rest of humanity.
The
book is in four sections and as Thomas sets out his stall the opening
sections show how there is a powerful ruling elite using various
carefully
selected techniques to ensure blind obedience though a logical series
of events
that have become almost iconic in their effect on the human psyche.
Everything
is here from the ancient enigmas of the pyramids through religion and
miracles,
the three secrets of Fatima and the
manufactured and distorted evidence about UFO’s, right on to the
assault on
freedom itself. This continues down what steadily becomes obvious is an
inescapable blind alley leading right into the heart of the only
remaining
genuine world superpower, America,
and the superstitious, fundamentalist religious agenda that lies at its
very
core.
Thomas
highlights such charismatic preachers as Ted Haggard (although
there are many more of a similar ilk) and shows how he, for all his
manifest
faults, may have influenced the decisions of the Bush administration.
It
becomes very clear that evangelical Christianity and politics are an
extremely
potent, flammable and dangerous mix. We discover that Armageddon in one
form or
another and the unusual concept of ‘The Rapture’ is at the forefront of
the
ideals of religious zealots at the highest levels of government and
that that
its advocates bellow their prophecies of destruction to anyone who will
listen.
Sadly,
the ultimate aim of these groups is absolute control and as this
meticulously crafted book clearly shows, there are many ways of doing
this. The
tools include such tactics as a burgeoning and pointless health and
safety
culture that seems to have developed in parallel with the equally
dispiriting
and mind numbing policy of political correctness. Of these two
effective methods
(and they are effective because the power brokers are in thrall to
them) of
thought control, it is perhaps the second that is the most pernicious.
Why?
Because, encouraged by a controlled media, it demonises anyone who
dares to
think outside the arid strictures of its enforced orthodoxy. It acts
almost as
an analogy for Orwell’s dystopian, although strangely prophetic novel,
‘1984’
with its ‘thought police’ who altered historical records to fit their
manufactured
‘truths’. From this we learn that information, disinformation and its
control
and dissemination are absolutely vital.
Another
useful method is through instilling an abiding and paralysing fear
in entire populations and as this book shows this does not necessarily
mean
fears of war either, although it certainly helps. As Frank Herbert said
in his
seminal novel ‘Dune’, ‘Fear is the mind killer’ and this is a fear that
instils
a gut level terror about setting foot outside ones own door, which of
course
promotes the case for a surveillance society such as we have now. The
book
makes in clear that the events following such abominations as those
committed
at the World Trade Centre have virtually paralyzed the world through
fear. Apparently
this fear can only be assuaged by ever increasing infringements of our
basic rights
and freedoms. Incidentally the section devoted to 9-11 is one of the
clearest
and most concise I have ever read on the subject and is a prime example
of how issues
like this should be exposed. There have been books like The Truth
Agenda
before, but none of them possessed such an instinctively visceral and
accessible understanding of their subject as this one, something which
quickly enfolds
the reader.
Andy
Thomas has been very astute in how he presents his proofs; rather
than coming down heavily one side or the other, what he does is reveal
how to
apply the truth agenda to what the authorities tell us. When we do
that, and it
can be far from easy, in many cases the official truth is shown to be
nothing
of the kind. He demonstrates how seekers after the truth are frequently
portrayed as deluded and crazed in an attempt to discredit what they
say and
do, but how they can nonetheless make things very uncomfortable for
those in
power. He sets out the facts and leaves it very much to the individual
to see
what steadily becomes blindingly obvious.
In
the closing sections, like the instinctive orator that he is and oddly
enough it is a technique similar to those used by instructors in the
armed
forces, (surely an example of ‘why should the devil have all the best
tunes’?)
he sets about showing how we can actually change the culture of
negativity into
something useful and positive. Through positive thinking, something
that has
been demonstrated time and again, we can do something about it and turn
it
right back on those who create it, and in the opinion of this reviewer
there is
no reason why it should not work. My advice to you is this; if you only
buy one
book this year let it be this one, buy it, read it, absorb it,
understand it and
then get angry…very, very angry, but channel it into something
positive, for
the future is still malleable and you have the power to change it.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Haunted Grimsby
Title: Haunted Grimsby
Author: Jason Day
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 978-0-7524-6056-7
Price: £9.99
Scunthorpe born
Jason Day, who currently hosts the White Noise Paranormal Radio Show, has
produced another collection of paranormally themed tales for the History Press
about the busy seaport of Grimsby.
If you thought that all this busy coastal town had to offer was a busy dock and
sea terminal then think again, because this location is as haunted as anywhere
else, and perhaps more so. The author, fortunately, is also an enthusiastic
investigator of all things paranormal, so in that sense he well qualified to
present the various examples of supernatural manifestation that grace the pages
of the book.
The book, which
really does need a contents page, is otherwise sensibly laid out with a short
introduction about the origins of town itself, plus of course a brief bio of
the author. There are many truly alarming tales of various lengths contained
here ranging for the mundane to the terrifying and the item with the greatest
potential to terrify is that of ‘The Evil Spirit’. The regrettably short item,
which numbers no more than a couple of hundred words, describes the horrific
events that occurred on a section of railway track between Grimsby and Cleethorpes. Employees of the
railway network experienced foul smells and uncanny sensations at this location
on the tracks. Eventually a man who, for some reason, placed his head on the
tracks was beheaded by a passing wagon. It is a pity that this was never investigated
more closely, but since it occurred in the 1950’s and it is likely that many those
involved have since passed to the afterlife.
Fortunately sseveral
of the books longer items, such as the ‘Grimsby Scratcher’, detail accounts
that also create spine chilling sensations in the reader; more so because they
happen to be accurate. This account set in 2007 tells of a series of events
that befell the Sayles family, who were fans of the TV series ‘Most Haunted’
decided to attempt an experiment in automatic drawing, something that
apparently opened up some kind of ‘portal’ permitting malignant entities access
to the physical realm.
This state of
affairs lasted for some time and culminated in a form of exorcism, now in these
PC times sanitised as a ‘cleansing’ that seemed to remove most of the malign
influences. That said it was not until the family moved house that the
phenomena ceased entirely. Perhaps this should serve as a warning to
individuals who become attracted to sensationalist TV shows like ‘Most Haunted’
and its ilk. This, as the author will be all too well aware, it not a subject
to be treated as a sideshow or an entertainment for the masses, this is
potentially dangerous stuff and should be treated as such.
There are an
abundance of such cautionary tales in the book, several the results of actual
investigations, and it is the Jason Day’s credit that they have been collected,
collated and presented here. The book is abundantly illustrated using
photographs an also nicely produced sketches (many by the author) of some of
the events described. Since it features many first hand accounts and
investigations (some remarkably recent) it almost acts as a handbook for the
investigator and serves the area around Grimsby
rather well. It is ideal for both the amateur investigator and the more
seasoned truth seeker as well and is to be highly recommended.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Haunted Surrey
By
Rupert Matthews
Title: Haunted
Surrey
Author: Rupert
Matthews
Publisher: The
History Press
ISBN: 978-0-7524-5634-8
Price: £9.99

The United Kingdom must be one of the most haunted
locations of the face of the planet and in yet another rollicking set of
haunted tales we find ourselves in the English county of Surrey.
Author Rupert Matthews has several books to his credit, the majority related to
the subject of the supernatural, and this is the second one devoted to Surrey. The author is to be congratulated in his efforts
to track down accounts such as these, because as the witnesses to some of the
older accounts pass on the trails can become cold very rapidly indeed.
The book is
subdivided into five sections starting with the Thames
Valley and leading into The
Heathlands, The Downs, Guildford and finally
The Weald. It is difficult to pick out any particular section, but one thing
that did surprise me was the fact that of them all, apparently Guildford is the
most extravagantly haunted of the lot, but we’ll cherry pick a few of the most
interesting accounts at random through the book
As usual haunted
hotels and pubs abound as do old and distinguished stately houses, but for me
the most interesting was the Marquis of Granby where, supposedly a poltergeist
was banished into a first floor cupboard and the door jammed shut with bible.
Evidently it has not been touched since! True to form, the Knights Templar,
that enigmatic order of warrior mystics also appear, this time by association
with the White Horse Hotel in Dorking, however it is not the mpnks who are
creating the problems in this premises. Evidently the building has a number of
ghosts, one being Charles Howard, the 11th Duke of Norfolk and the other is the
unearthly guest in room 16.
The book
succeeds in offering a potted history of the individual buildings and locations
in each area that are haunted and this does help quite a bit as regards
background information. There is nothing worse in books of this kind than being
told that such and such a place is haunted with no sense of context, so that is
definitely a plus point.
The book itself
is decently produced but not especially long, and as with so many of its ilk
should find it natural location in the local libraries and tourist information
offices> if I have one gripe it is not with the text but rather with the way
in which the graphics are set out. The monochrome images (and there are many)
have been inserted with variety of rather irritating additions. These comprise
paper clips and stick tape plus ‘hand drawn’ arrows and these only serve to
detract for the work, which, in the opinion of this reviewer, would have been
much better served using standard formatting; but that’s a matter of taste I
suppose.
I would
recommend this book to anyone who has previously come across the work of Rupert
Matthews and also to those who desire some knowledge of the unearthly side of Surrey because they will not be disappointed.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Haunted Wales
A Guide to Welsh Ghostlore
Title: Haunted Wales: A Guide
to Welsh Ghostlore
Author: Richard Holland
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 978-0-7524-6058-1
Price: £12.99
This new book
for the History Press is penned by none other than the former editor of
Paranormal magazine Richard Holland. In the intro Richard loses no time in
informing the reader that he was the last editor of your favourite magazine
before its demise: demise? surely some mistake? Since you are reading this in
Paranormal, to paraphrase the late Mark Twain, clearly rumours of its demise have
been greatly exaggerated! Anyway, a minor issue, so to the book itself. This is
a fair sized volume and at 240 pages packed full of information certainly bigger
than many of its genre.
The book opens
with a survey of ghostlore, in this case applied to the titular Wales, but in fact the template sits easily on
any other area whether in Wales
or anywhere else. We are then taken on a tour through the country starting with
Flintshire in Chapter one and ending in Powys in Chapter twenty-two. Typically
of a small country (Scotland is another prime example), Wales punches well
above its weight when it come to tales of ghosts and ghouls; perhaps this is
due to a shared Celtic ancestry whose roots are steeped in spiritual, mystical and
shamanic traditions.
There are of
course localised differences in the book, for example ‘ghost laying’ as opposed
to exorcism, although the end results are identical and an unquiet spirit is
laid to rest, normally much against its will. Rather than the usual index at
the back of the book, most of the usual suspects are laid out and helpfully
categorised in a delightfully logical fashion. Poltergeists (a perennial
favourite), phantom ladies of various hues, white, grey and green and also
ghostly females wearing more sinister black dresses. There are also ghostly
monks and nuns, phantom armies, fiery ghosts and strange unidentifiable glows,
even the rather more worrying ‘ghosts of the living’ are represented here, something
that, given the implications, deserves much closer attention.
A large section
of the book is devoted to a menagerie of phantom animals and these consist of
much more than the almost mundane ‘black shuck’ and other dogs of darkness
frequently associated with Satan and found in many locations. These ‘spirit
animals’ include cats, pigs, birds, horses, bulls and, incredibly, mice. While surprising,
logically there is no reason why animals should not leave their presence as they
too pass over and despite what religion tells us they can and do have a spirit.
Also included is
a welcome review of the reasons attributed to various hauntings and these
include everything from revenge, appearing at the time of death (viz.
anniversary ghosts), excessive grief, a job left undone or unfulfilled, those
seeking release and, perhaps typically of the type of stern Protestant themed
religion practised in Wales; Sabbath breakers. It would be much too lengthy and
difficult to select any one example in particular, there are an abundance, so
be assured that all shades (no pun intended) of hauntings are written here,
from the absolutely terrifying to the almost wistful and tender.
The book, which
is priced at £12.99, is lucid and very well written; it is also well illustrated
and is an excellent example of a genre that frequently falls well short of the
hype and expectations. As a handbook of supernatural manifestations in Wales
it does exactly what it says on the cover and I have no hesitation in
recommending it to anyone, whether Welsh or not, who has an interest in this
ever fascinating subject.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Paranormal Somerset
By
Sonia Smith
Title: Paranormal
Somerset
Author: Sonia
Smith
Publishers: Amberley
Publishing
ISBN: 976-1-84868-565-9
Price: £10:99
Sometimes when reviewing a book about the haunted areas of anywhere it
can be difficult to fully engage with it right away, especially if the reader
is not familiar with the locations described; however with ‘Paranormal Somerset’
this is the not the case. The events described in this book fairly crackle along
like gothic tales of horror rather than the sometimes dry and factual accounts
of alleged hauntings.
The whole book is written, albeit in a slightly idiosyncratic fashion, (The
author loves. Short sentences. She really does.) with such a passion for the
subject that it makes the tales it contains leap from the page, grab you by the
collar and demand attention. Some of the accounts, e.g. ‘The Knicker-Pinching Phantom of Portishead’ are so unlikely that
one initially suspects that they just cannot be true, but the author, Sonia
Smith, has checked them out and assures us that they are. On the other hand ‘Enlightenment at The Holy Well’ is more
like a tale of redemption and renewal rather than anything truly paranormal,
but perhaps the serenity and, yes, real magick, of the Chalice Well in Glastonbury,
actually reaches out to heal the disenfranchised and abused.
It is perhaps fitting that three of the chilling accounts in the book are
set in what must be one of the most fascinating and mystical places in the United Kingdom, i.e. Glastonbury. In fact when the author sets the
scene for the second chapter, ‘The Glastonbury Tor Horror’, having visited Glastonbury many times I
could instantly ‘see’ the places she mentions. I’ve supped cider in the George
and Pilgrims and could almost smell the heady scents of patchouli mixed with
incense (and sometimes cannabis) emanating from various premises in the town. Yes,
I have to admit it, I love the place.
For this reviewer, the most effective chapters in this, at only 95 pages,
an unfortunately rather thin book (it absolutely screams out for more material
of the same ilk) are the above mentioned ‘Glastonbury Tor Horror’, ‘The Wailing Ghost of Chard’ (how the
poor, terrified woman got through the night is unimaginable), ‘The Wild Hunt of Cadbury Castle’, ‘The Frenzied Farmhouse Poltergeist of Bath’
and the particularly alarming ‘Dunster’s
Tale of Terror’. The other supernatural encounters described here, such as ‘Little Girl Lost’, add yet another
level of unreality and high strangeness to the work, not as terrifying as the
rest of the content, but equally unsettling, because the implication that an
area of barren quicksand could, in effect, lure the unwary to their doom is
heart-stopping. In fact the book has more than a whiff of the shrieking,
eldritch terrors often described in the works of H.P Lovecraft.
Now the book itself, only one tiny niggle; as I already said it’s a bit
on the slim side, but the plusses far outweigh that. It has excellent producing
values and is abundantly illustrated. As a required item for the local tourist
information office it is an absolute must and should serve as a calling card to
those who are seeking something a little bit ‘special’ while touring in the
county. Thoroughly recommended; but don’t read it alone in an old spooky house!
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Paranormal Leicester

Title: Paranormal Leicester
Author: Stephen Butt
Publisher: Amberley
ISBN: 978-1-84868-752-3
Price: £9.99
Once again Amberley, the prolific publisher of all things paranormal,
includes yet another book dealing with this ever fascinating subject in its catalogue.
This one, written by Stephen Butt, deals with the spooky tales and lore
relating to the city of Leicester.
The author succeeds where may fail in actually making the subject, which can
often, regrettably, become mired in stodgy detail, both vibrant and
interesting. He also sets out his definition of the word, ‘paranormal’, and
rightly concludes that just because science cannot measure the paranormal this
does not necessarily mean that it does not exist.
The book comprises seven chapters, although it might have been fairer to
call them sections since each is stuffed full of accounts and tales of Leicester’s abundant supernatural past. Three of the most
fascinating feature ‘Black Annis’ a particularly malevolent witch with reputed
powers of shape shifting and to his credit, the fascinating Belgrave Triangle
and Robert James Lees, ‘Man of the Mists, so let’s look at these in a little
more detail. The author makes it clear that the name, ‘Black Annis’ may have
had a variety of origins. In fact the name is almost a generic title rather
like tales of the ‘bogey man’ used to frighten children. Alternatively, this
mythic creature may also have had its origins in ancient Celtic lore or in even
older traditions of the Mother Goddess which are likewise found in Isis and the
Virgin Mary. At any rate this version of the legend has the witch tunnelling
her way beneath the town using her iron claws while her shrieks can be heard
above ground.
The Belgrave triangle describes an ancient village that was absorbed as
the city expanded yet still retains much of its original flavour and character
and that includes more than its fair share of haunted locations. Any book of
hauntings worth its salt features haunted manor houses, churches and inns and
Paranormal Leicester is no exception. Belgrave Hall, the Talbot public house
and St Peter’s parish church are presented as examples of this phenomenon. Once
again the author manages to present the background and history of these three
locations and make it interesting; indeed some of the history goes back to the
tenth century. St Peters,
whose origins can be traced back to 1081, is now disused, but no one told the
spirit of a woman who evidently still haunts the graveyard. She has been seen
literally floating though the grave stones and even waving at whoever sees her
before finally vanishing.
The origins of public house are unknown, but part of the foundations
(which may conceal ‘priest holes’) have been speculatively dated to around the
11th or 12th century although the present above ground
structures dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. The
building was often where condemned prisoners stopped before meeting their end
on the gallows at the nearby Red Hill. As one might expect from a hostelry with
a bit of age about it there have been several reports of ghostly sightings over
the years including one ‘Hairy Mary’, a spectre with long, flowing hair who was
apparently seen on a regular basis. Other ghosts include that of a young boy
and a man wearing and old fashion raincoat. However, more recently a team from
Haunted Britain conducted a vigil at the pub and discovered several additional
anomalies.
Belgrave Hall can date its origins to the efforts of a local merchant who
began funding its construction1709 and the work was completed in 1713. Actually
there is a rather amusing typo here, since, according to the text, the merchant
oversaw the building between 1709 and 1913 and if so must have enjoyed
truly amazing longevity. Anyway, the hall is also well haunted and includes
sightings of the (almost mandatory) Grey Lady, the Green Lady and the Victorian
Lady and in addition sounds of footsteps are a regular occurrence. According to
the author some of the reported phenomena have been documented by the BBC and
ITN in their news bulletins.
Robert James Lees, ‘Man of the Mists’ is the remarkable account of a
local medium who was born in 1849 and his encounters with the ‘other side’ are absolutely
spell binding. Perhaps here might even be enough material available to devote a
book to this man alone. There are too many examples of tales about him and his
‘talent’ to go into here, but this is perhaps the single best part of the book
and that is a difficult call to make, because so much of the book is first
class. One particularly interesting aspect of this chapter thing is that
through the spiritualist leanings of Queen Victoria he reportedly received a pension
from the Privy Purse and that he also knew the identity of Jack the Ripper.
Actually the House of Windsor has a long tradition of being interested in
mediumistic contact with their predecessors, so the idea of pension would not
be unexpected.
As one would expect for Amberly the book is well produced with abundant
photographs, albeit in monochrome and would be a welcome addition to the bookshelf
of any student of the paranormal: thoroughly recommended.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
END
BOOK REVIEW
Poltergeists

Title: Poltergeists:
A History of Violent Ghostly Phenomena
Author: P.G.
Maxwell-Stewart
Publisher: Amberley
ISBN: 978-1-84868-987-9
Price: £20
(UK) $29.95 (USA)
Reviewer: Brian
Allan
The back cover blurb suggests that this is the first major history of the
poltergeist phenomenon ever published…well…maybe it is, although I can recall
at least two earlier books purporting to do the same thing. However, that is
minor niggle once the book is opened and the contents read. The book begins in the
first chapter by asking the legitimate question, is the poltergeist a ghost or
an evil spirit? It ends on chapter 10 with a refrain on the same theme by
asking is it a demon, a ghost or something else unknown. The answer, even in
such a well and diligently researched book such as this is far from clear, but
what the book does do is consider the phenomenon from the earliest times to one
of the modern classics of poltergeist infestation, the ‘South Shields
Poltergeist’.
For some reason the author chooses not to factor another of the best
recorded and documented examples in comparatively recent times, the 1960’s
enigma of ‘The Sauchie Poltergeist’, into the equation. He does, however, look
at examples of the phenomenon starting in circa 500 AD right up to the present
day. In the course of doing so he covers a fair bit of ground regarding how the
effects of poltergeist infestations were regarded by the early Christian, viz
Catholic, Church i.e. as the deliberate actions of Satan and his demons setting
out to vex and otherwise annoy human beings. This of course required the use of
elaborate exorcisms, which on occasion were effective and what the author also
does (to his credit), is show that exorcism is not always effective and that
other techniques were, and still are, equally successful.
He also sets out to dispel the assumption that poltergeists (or at least
the effects assumed to be created by poltergeists,) i.e. stone throwing (or Lithobolia
as the author chooses to call it,) the spontaneous movement of various objects,
fires and strange noises, are the unexpected side effects produced by a few pubescent
teens both male and female. He also wonders if the ability of entities to
sometimes communicate meaningfully with those investigating them is due to the
fact that there are several classes of poltergeist, some due to ‘spirit beings’
and others that may have more to do with an uncontrolled release of some non
specific ‘psychic energy’. While on that subject he is quick to point out
several examples of attention seeking hoaxes passed off as poltergeist action.
The Church to justify its own existence and power was not above encouraging
these to demonstrate how effective it was in removing these spiritual threats.
Regrettably, in spite of its scholarly approach and well documented
sources, what the book does not, and indeed cannot do, is provide satisfactory
answers regarding the mechanism behind the phenomenon. By this I mean the
catalyst that provides the interface allowing the non-physical to directly affect
the physical. How does something existing in a (to us) nonmaterial reality,
manage to move objects in a material reality like our own? Perhaps that is for
the best though, because like so much with the paranormal in general there is
no consensus, only informed speculation.
That aside however the book is extremely well produced and annotated,
even if the index is very sparce and more detail would have made checking
references so much easier. The same goes for the contents, which could have
been better laid out regarding what was actually in the chapters. Although the
book is painstaking and wide ranging it is not an easy read and requires some
effort from the reader and that is a shame because it really is mine of
information on a truly enigmatic subject. Overall the book is a valuable and
worthwhile addition to the bookshelves of anyone with a genuine interest in the
subject of the poltergeist phenomenon.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
END
BOOK REVIEW
Satan, A Biography

Title: Satan,
a Biography
Author: P.G.
Maxwell-Stuart
Publisher: Amberley
ISBN: 978-1-4456-0575-3
Price: £12.99/$19.95
Once again Amberley presents another fine example of occult scholarship
from P G Maxwell-Stuart, this time in ‘Satan, a Biography’, a timely follow up
to the excellent work on poltergeists that was released earlier this year. In
this book, which, incidentally is not the first to bear the same title, Mr
Maxwell-Stuart, an eminent university lecturer, attempts the not inconsiderable
task of encompassing several millennia of belief in a malign entity that long
predates any form of monotheistic religion. He finds its roots in the deities
that governed the lives of those who inhabited the ancient Middle
East in Sumeria and elsewhere.
The book is written by an academic not a theologian and it shows, because
there is no hidden agenda here, neither is there an axe to grind one way or the
other and that is so much the better. It enables the author to set out the
historical precedents for the Satan of scripture (the one best known to the
majority of us) and shows that Satan has had many forms and purposes. The Satan
of Christianity developed from much earlier roots in Judaism and was originally
known as ‘Ha Satan’ or ‘the Adversary’ and from there developed into the biblical
antithesis of God and the embodiment or everything that is evil and impure. In
fact the standard image of Satan as the ultimate bogey man derives from
millennia of relentless negative (and fearful) propaganda. This is logical and
as Dr Maxwell-Stuart points out it had to be this way in order to emphasise how
good God was and something, another opposing deity, was needed to demonstrate
it
Satan’s depiction as an ugly, deformed, half-human brute is an attempt by
the early Christian Church to frighten its followers into blind subservience.
Logic tells us that if Satan wanted to attract followers, then the opposite
should have been true hence the almost cartoon like, bat winged,
snaggle-toothed imagery employed by the Church. All this and more is adequately
covered in the opening chapters, but it is in chapter seven, which is concerned
with demonic possession, that the real fire and fury emerges. The author
presents us with the quandary; is demonic possession a reality or is it an
extravagant form of theatre and the truth of the matter is, disappointingly,
that it rather depends on who you ask.
One of the best known examples he quotes (many are extremely obscure) is
the possession of the nuns of Loudon depicted in Ken Russell’s notorious but
very effective film ‘The Devils’. The final chapter successfully shows that in
comparatively recent times, perhaps as a reaction to the tide of inexorably
creeping secularism, that acceptance of the reality of Satan has once more come
to the fore. This is shown by the popularity of such people as the late Anton
Szandor le Vey and his Church
of Satan and its many
imitators
The author, Dr Peter Maxwell-Stuart, is a research fellow at the University of Aberdeen
and also an honorary lecturer in History at the University of St Andrews
and this is both a blessing and a curse. He writes with elegance and clarity
and his work is extremely well documented and referenced, but it is not an easy
read. One cannot just dip in anywhere and begin, the book requires at least
some commitment and presumably anyone who bought it would have that anyway. To
anyone with an interest in the occult, or religion for that matter, the book
will be an asset and represents remarkable value for money.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Ghost Taverns of the
North East

Title: Ghost Taverns of the North East
Author: Darren W Ritson and Michael J Hallowell
Publisher: Amberley
ISBN: 978-1-4456-0753-5
Price: £12.99
It is always a
genuine pleasure to see something new emerge from both of the authors
of this book, because there are well known and more to the point well
respected in the specialised field of paranormal research. It is doubly
so this time, because they both had a hand in researching and writing
it. What makes this particular work so enthralling is the fact that it
is not just a list of supposedly haunted drinking houses, but that the
authors, who, individually, have several books to their credit, have
actually gone to the trouble of checking the facts (where possible) at
first hand.
Another positive
attribute is that the book concentrates of one of the best locations in
the United Kingdom, the North East of England, and in doing so produces
an impressive array of suitably spooky old pubs and taverns. One old
(and haunted) pub was also used as a mortuary on the basis that its
cellars were cool and kept the bodies in good condition...nice! It also
introduces the rather nifty idea of a ‘Good Ghost Rating’ system of
1-10 to categorise the authenticity of the apparitions with ten being
the highest score and some of the accounts in the book manage to
achieve the impressive score of 10.
In addition to an
alphabetical list of pubs and taverns there are also several nuggets of
pure gold in the text. These are cases where the authors have conducted
vigils in a few of the location and that includes The Marsden Grotto,
which scored a perfect 10. It would be fair to say that this inclusion,
plus the one immediately after it, ‘The McOrville Inn’ (a still
impressive 9 on the scale) are worth the price of the book on their own
and serve testament to the quality of other books written by these
authors. I have visited the Marsden Grotto some years ago, but as a
customer not a ghost hunter and can vouch for its unique location and
slightly eerie ambience.
Again typically
for an Amberley product, the book is a first class production on good
quality paper with a good selection of photographs.. Any quibbles? A
couple of very minor ones, there are a couple of typos and punctuation
glitches, which given the overall quality, is surprising, but the sheer
enthusiasm and information that shine from the book more than make for
them. This book is a very obvious labour of love from two men who are
experts in their field and is well worth a place on the bookshelf of
anyone interested in the supernatural.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
BOOK REVIEW
Crystal Clear
Title: ‘Crystal
Clear’
Author: Richard
T Cole
Publisher: Orange Box Books
ISBN: 1-900962-96-9
Price: £12.99
Reviewer: Brian
Allan
Just now and again a book emerges that really does live up to its claims
and hype. Examples of this very rare breed include Lyall Watson’s Supernature, Colin Wilson’s The Occult, Graham Hancock’s Supernatural and the Solomons’ The Scole Experiment. At long last here
is another one that dwarfs these in the sheer magnitude and scope of what it
achieves and that is Crystal Clear by Richard T Cole.
This book demonstrates that, as it says on the cover, ‘Everything you think you know about the paranormal, life and the
universe just changed’ and it does, it really does. The sheer chutzpah of
the concept floors you: for the first time ever here is a book, written by a
long-time believer and researcher into the paranormal as a genuine phenomenon,
demonstrating that the supposedly ‘sensitive’ individuals, the term used in the
book, are either deluded or little more than self-serving fakes and frauds.
The author draws on the comprehensive evidence collected over seven years
by one of his friends, referred to as ‘Dave’; in the book, and compiles a
genuinely jaw-dropping account of what happened when a supposedly ancient
‘crystal skull’ was manufactured around eight years ago. This skull was made of
plastic resin, then polished and formed with, among other things, an angle
grinder, files and sandpaper then passed off as the genuine article. Dave
placed adverts in various journals asking for the services of psychics and
other supposed ‘sensitives’ to help channel whatever entities were just waiting
‘out there’ to regale us with their knowledge and wisdom.
Over the course of the seven years more than four thousand individuals
channelled the skull, later referred to as ‘Skully’. All of them produced
breathless and amazing accounts of what those who supposedly manufactured the
artefact wanted us to hear. The really astonishing thing is that, despite
Dave’s many concerns, not one of them divined that the skull was not an ancient
crystal artefact manufactured by unknown technologies, including ‘psychic
chisels’ apparently, but a modern plastic fake.
Fortunately, Dave had captured the vast majority of these sessions on
video tape and they include channellers, both amateur and extremely well known,
including other owners of genuine crystal skulls, so there was no way out.
Sadly, for legal reasons that would have delayed the publication of the book
for years due to frantic litigation, no names are given, and even some of those
who devised the experiments have been given pseudonyms. The reason for this was
because those who attribute marvellous powers to the skulls and those who
channel them can be extremely unforgiving and more than a little malicious.
There is even a revealing section devoted to a very few of the emails
that went back and forth (the names have unfortunately been redacted) from the
author to some of these psychics asking a few relevant questions. The replies,
where they even bothered to reply, are telling. The majority contain stern
warnings and imprecations from agents, managers and lawyers threatening dire
legal outcomes if their respective clients’ names are released in connection
with the book. In fact, should he have so chosen, Richard T Cole could have
gone to court and won hands down.
However, the original purpose of Skully was an honest attempt by Dave,
not to disprove or deride the undoubted talents of psychics, but born of a
genuine desire to see if anyone could ‘unlock’ the energies inherent in the
skull. He hoped that this might allow him his own personal point of
communication with anything that might just be out there. This never did occur.
However the book, which is written with a very welcome wry humour, works on
many levels. What the author succeeds in making very clear is that this book
was not just about ‘outing’ fake channellers (although that will hardly harm
its sales), but that there is a new eon (for good or ill) waiting just around
the corner, and the precursors of its birth are happening right now.
The author advises us to take a look at events in the world right now,
the simultaneous and bizarre rejection and embrace of anything spiritual, riots
and strife, the crashing financial markets, the social and cultural implosions,
all being set up for ‘something’, an epoch defining change of some kind.
Neither is this book intended as a cheap ‘cash in’ on the rapidly approaching
date of the supposed ‘end times’ allegedly foretold in the Mayan Calendar, for
ultimately this is a work of great compassion and hope. This work is a vital
tool in appreciating and understanding the world, paranormal, spiritual and
otherwise, that surrounds us and its relevance cannot be overstated. I can only
heartily suggest that you buy this book, because I promise you that you will be
the better and more knowledgeable for it. Highly recommended!
Book Review
Paranormal Cumbria

Title: Paranormal
Cumbria
Author: Geoff
Holder
Publisher: The
History Press
ISBN: 978-07524-5412-2
Price: £9.99
Another excellent production from the History Press, this time written by
Geoff Holder and covering the district of Cumbria in the north of England. As one
would expect this area has more than its fair share of haunted locations and
the most memorable is in Chapter 1, ‘The Vampire of Croglin Grange’. However,
unlike most of the investigators who cover subjects like this Geoff Holder does
not take the accounts of the entity in question at face value and digs beneath
the surface to expose the foundations on which the tale is built.
The book continues in this vein, but in a refreshing change from the
usual assembly of haunted locations, it also concerns itself in other chapters
with different manifestations of the supernatural and paranormal. These are
devoted to witchcraft and magick, Satanism, the powers of the mind, fairy lore
(more prevalent than one might think) and even the semi mythical ‘big cats’
that roam the landscape.
One particular delight was the inclusion of Ufology, or at least one
manifestation of it, in the book. This is remarkably open minded on the part of
the author because in this reviewers opinion there is little or no difference
between the paranormal and ET/UFO behaviour. In this case the author looks at
the ‘scareship tales’ from the early years of the 20th century and
gives a few ideas about the causes of these. However he also examines the
evidence surrounding one of the most enigmatic pictures ever taken in the UK
and that is of the 1964 Templeton image of the so called ‘Solway Spaceman’.
The classic image, which in included in the abundant number of B/W
photographs that fill the book, shows what appears to be a suited and helmeted
being standing behind a little girl. The image was subjected to much scrutiny
and the only certainty is that it was not faked. Many explanations were put
forward, everything for the mundane (a plastic bag blowing past) to the fantastic,
(a time traveller), but the fact remains that, despite the best efforts of
serial debunkers Clark and Roberts, this remarkable image has never been satisfactorily
explained.
Any moans? Well, I would have liked the book to have been a little
longer, but apart from that plaudits are due to the author who makes his case
very well. Another plus point goes to The History Press for keeping an audience
always eager for more paranormal lore happy. Highly recommended.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
Book Review
Irish Ghosts
Title: Irish
Ghosts, a Ghost Hunters Guide
Author: Peter
Underwood
Publisher: Amberely
ISBN: 978-1-4456-0652-1
Price: £12.99
In this latest offering from Amberely publication, Peter Underwood, a
name to be reckoned with in ghost hunting lore, presents a good and well
documented selection of haunted location in Ireland. Each case is rationally
set out using a uniform set of criteria: Location, History, People,
Manifestation, Probable identity, Frequency plus Witnesses and Evidence. This
pretty much says it all as each case is stripped back to its bare bones and
everything relating to individual cases is slotted in to its respective
category. Just about everything is present here, ladies of various kinds (and
colours) white, grey and red are here.
Added to this are ghostly manifestations of monks, soldiers, nuns, horse
drawn coaches and fishing boats, haunted pubs, hotels, theatres (just why are
so many theatres supposedly haunted?), castles and cottages. On one level this
is all well and good and an excellent source book for anyone interested in
visiting any of these locations should they ever happen to be in the Emerald
Isle, however it is also very limiting.
There is no sense of excitement or atmosphere here at all, nothing to
prickle the hairs on the back of your neck, it is a set of data and some
impressions and it could and should have been so much better. It reads like a
text book, which to some extent it is, but that said it does serve a useful
purpose which is to inform…but it really should entertain as well and it does
not and that’s a shame because in the past Peter Underwood has produced some
really worthwhile contributions to the genre and his volume about the notorious
Borley Rectory is a stand alone classic.
The book is of admirable quality, the production values are first class
and it is well illustrated with decent b/w images of various location mentioned
in its pages and given the wealth of information it holds is well priced at
£12.99. From this reviewers perspective this book, although not an ‘easy read’,
would be ideal for the serious ghost hunter who wants to know more about the
supernatural side of Ireland and for that reason it is to be recommended.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
DVD
REVIEW
THE DARKEST HOUR
Title: The
Darkest Hour
Genre:
Sci/Fi
Horror
Director: Chris
Gorak
Format: DVD,
Blu-Ray
Distributor: Summit
Entertainment/20th Century Fox
Price: £11.99
Extras: Scene
selection, deleted scenes, extended scenes
Main Cast: Emille
Hirsch, Rachael Taylor, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella
This film was
produced by the Russian film maker Timur Bekhamambetov who produced films like
cult classics Night Watch and Day Watch, Timur was also involved with the
special effects and his talent shows. The film concerns two American software
designers who fly to Russia
in the hope of selling a new idea in social networking and the way they act on
the aircraft nearly had me switching off. One of them is a typically mouthy,
bratty smartarse, but fortunately this is only a blip and the film soon settles
down The pair meet up with two American females who are in Russia on vacation
and they decide to get together, then they see strangely beautiful lights in
the sky.
These lights,
which fall in their thousands to the ground, it’s a bit like a reprise of the
remake of War of the Worlds, but what happens next is a really clever use of
special effects. The lights are really invisible entities that instantly turn
anyone who approaches them to clouds of swirling dust. They are here,
apparently, to take our electricity and the only warning that these things are
near is that electrical equipment switches on by itself, so the four set of to
escape the city to safety. Fortunately a chance discovery with microwaves
reveals that these entities can be destroyed and humanity saved. The film is an
effective combination of teen flick and sci-fi shocker and is well worth a look
and for a change the heroes are the Russians! Yeah!
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
DVD Review
The Awakening

Title: The Awakening
Cert:15
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Featuring: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West,
Imelda Staunton and Isaac Hempsted-Wright
Released by: Studio Canal
and Eagle Pictures
Run Time: 106 mins (approx)
This new offering from the BBC’s film making division is a rather nifty
and atmospheric, slightly underplayed example, of the traditional ghost story,
this time set in a boarding school where the apparition of a young boy is
sometimes seen. The film, which is set in the years after the First World War,
features a female debunker of the paranormal (Florence Cathcart played by
Rebecca Hall) who is persuaded to investigate an assumed case of haunting at a
boys boarding school, which is set in a suitably isolated location out on the
moors. In her scientific approach she uses a whole range of ‘retro tech’
equipment showing that some of the present range of ghost hunting gear was
available then, albeit it a much bulkier and unwieldy form.
The film, which has some absolutely stunning and atmospheric visuals,
starts with the debunker attending a séance, which she succeeds in proving is
in fact a fraud, for her pains she receives a slap on the face from one of
those in attendance. The film shows that in the years following WWI many of the
bereaved sought solace by attending séances in the hope of receiving a message
from their dead loved ones. It is then we discover that Florence lost her fiancé in that terrible
war.
After accepting an invitation to the school she sets out her equipment
and at first it seems as if the ghost is no more than prank that got out of
hand, but then things become much more mysterious. When she is preparing to
leave she has a terrifying encounter that changes her mind, so she stays on at
the school. However the pupils have gone home for the holidays and the only people
still at the school are Florence, one of the teachers, (played by Dominic West)
a young boy Tom (Isaac Hempsted-Wright) and the Maud the Matron, very
effectively played by the redoubtable Imelda Staunton.
As the film progresses we also find that, although not aware of it, Florence has much closer
and older and surprising links to the school (and Tom) than at first appears
and it is this that is central to the film and its rationale. It’s difficult to
say much more about the very effective and original plot because it would be
the ‘spoiler from hell’, but think ‘The Sixth Sense’ and you are on the right
track.
The finale is actually rather poignant and we discover that the Matron is
actually a very well intentioned if extremely misguided woman and that Florence has had a very
narrow escape. Although less scary than The Woman in Black, this is
nevertheless a really good and well written piece of film making and I can recommend
it to anyone looking for a good example of the traditional ghost story.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
DVD Review
ROSWELL

Starring:
Kyle MacLachlan, Martin Sheen, Dwight Yoakam, Xander Berkeley and Bob Gunton
It came as quite surprise to learn that the film, Roswell, had not yet been issued as a PAL region
2 DVD, one can only wonder why. At first I speculated that all the furore,
hype, half truths, denials and yes, eventual boredom, with the whole thing would
have given the subject matter of the film a feeing of déjà vu, happily I was
proved wrong. Within a few minutes of watching the film it all the curiosity
and sense of wonder came flooding back and to be fair to the producers that
have gone out of their way to include every single aspect of the witness
testimony that made the entire case so fascinating.
There would be little point in detailing every nuance of the plot because
it is so well known, however, the film is told in flashback starting at a veterans
reunion of the 509 bomber group who were stationed at Roswell. One of main players in the whole
affair, Major Jesse Marcel (played by Kyle McLaughlin), is still being jeered
at because of his role in the incident. However, when the back-story begins it is
soon obvious that Major Marcel was a patsy forced to take part in an exercise
designed to cover-up the truth of what occurred the a sympathetic link is made.
To be frank, the excuse that the salvaged material from the crash site came
from a balloon used in ‘Project Mogul’ just does not wash.
The role of Mac Brazel (very effectively played by Dwight Yokum) is also crucial
and following his interview in the local radio station demonstrates the level
of intimidation (and apparent bribery) he received at the hands of US government,
which lead him to eventually change his story. The owners of the radio station
were warned not to transmit the recording and even those who gathered the wreckage
at the carsh site were sworn to secrecy. Then there is the account of Glenn
Dennis, the mortician who was contacted to supply small coffins to the base and
what occurred to him (and his girlfriend who was nurse working there) all of
this makes the official version of events more than a little suspect. The film
covers all of these areas and more and a useful addition to the DVD is a complete
hour long documentary about the UFO phenomenon.
Sadly, as one would expect there is no sudden dramatic pay off when the
truth, whatever it happens to be, is revealed and although one suspects that
something unearthly did indeed crash in the deserts of New Mexico and ended up
in Roswell, the truth is, as always, out there just waiting to be found. This
DVD is an absolute must for any UFO buff and should appeal to those with just a
passing interest in the subject; highly recommended.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
DVD
Review
The Plague Of Zombies

Title: The Plague of the Zombies
Director: John Gilling
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Distributor: Studio
Canal
Price: £15.99
Extras: Hammer World of Horror documentary,
scene selection
Main Cast: Andre Morell, John Carson, Diane Clare,
Michael Ripper
Wow, at long
last someone has decided to open the vaults of Hammer Films back catalogue of
horror films, re-master the contents and reissue them to a fresh audience. It
was genuine pleasure to see ‘Plague of the Zombies’ back again in all is gory
glory. Your reviewer has to admit that I first saw it in 1966 when it was
originally released during the golden age of Hammer horrors and for me it was
so reassuring to see this cheap and cheerful, but highly atmospheric and
effective film, once again.
The re-mastering
of the original has been very useful and even in standard DVD, format, which
includes an episode of ‘The Hammer World of Horror’ TV documentary series (it
is also available on Blu-Ray as a two disc set), the images are remarkably
fresh and pin sharp. Another delight was the appearance of the ever-dependable
bit player Michael Ripper, who, if memory serves, seemed to crop up in almost
all the Hammer films
The plot concerns
events in a small Cornish village during the mid 1800’s where the many of the
younger population were dying off from a mysterious plague. The superstitious
older citizens blame the recently arrived doctor for his lack of skill, but
steadfastly refuse to allow any autopsies on the grounds that they do no want
to see their dear departed sliced and diced at the hands of the coroner. At
this point the doctor contacts his old mentor and teacher (Sir James Forbes
played by Andre Morell) pleading with him to come and assess the situation,
which he does. On his way to the village accompanied by his daughter Sylvia
(played by Diane Clare), his coach is waylaid by a foxhunting party comprising
a group of local young bloods. This a justified homage by the director to the louche
antics of The Hellfire Club
When he finally
talks to the local doctor Peter Thompson (played by Brook Williams) he realises
that all is far from well, so they set out to disinter a recently buried corpse,
but on doing so find that the coffin is empty. With the local police force the two
men conduct more investigations and find several more of the recently deceased
are not in their coffins see village policemen catch them and also see that
there is no corpse in the coffins. Their investigations lead them to the local
squire Clive Hamilton (played in a suitably shifty and lip smacking manner by
John Carson) and Sir James discovers that he spent a considerable time in Haiti where he
became interested in Voodoo and witchcraft.
By this time
Sylvia has seen a zombie at the tin mine on the squire’s estate and she is
later visited by the squire who connives to obtain a few drops of blood from
her cut finger. The blood is later used in a voodoo ritual to enslave Sylvia.
Sir James eventually breaks into the squires home were he finds several small
coffins containing crude dolls. His suspicions that there is black magic afoot
are confirmed and we discover that the bodies of the dead have been reanimated
as zombies to work in the tin mine.
Our heroine
Sylvia is entranced by the ceremony performed by the squire and his henchmen and
travels to the mine where she is taken below to be transformed into another
zombie. Meanwhile Sir James has accidentally started a fire in the room where
the dolls are stored and in an example of sympathetic magic, as the dolls burn
so do their zombie counterparts. Sir James enters the mine and in the general confusion
rescues his daughter, the films fades to black with Sir James and Sylvia watching
the mine workings catch fire while the screams of Hamilton, his henchmen and
the zombies fill their ears.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
Book Review
Title: Robopocalypse
Author: Daniel H Wilson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-85720-414-1 Ebook:
978-0-85720-415-8
When I first
started reading this book the warning bells began chiming: the premise is not new
and at first glance seemed to be was a mix of ‘Terminator Salvation’ coupled
with ‘I, Robot’. Fortunately this is not a real issue, because, apart from
being a major forthcoming film involving Steve Speilberg, the sheer enthusisam
and plausibility of the story telling and plot more than makes up for this. In
fact it is one of the few genuinely engrossing page turners I have come across
recently.
The world in the
near future relies on technology in every walk of life, including robots of
various kinds employed in various domestic, governmental and military
functions. A computer, Archos, a real Deus
ex Machina if ever there was one, is created by a computer boffin as the
ultimate in artificial intelligence. It is activated then promptly realises
that machines are superior to humans, kills its creator and sets out to destroy
the human race. It has itself secreted away in a nigh-on impregnable location
in a shaft deep below the Arctic tundra and begins its implacable reign of
terror.
At first the
signs of takeover are few, one or two robots develop glitches and either
malfunction or kill those charged with caring for them, the description of a
‘bot malfunction in Afghanistan
is most effective. Then it steadily goes from bad to worse as the machines
evolve into ever more deadly variants and the body count reaches the billions.
Even cars are not immune, because the are have semi-intelligent safety systems
built in and can therefore be controlled by the malign Archos; the descriptions
of cars hunting down and killing their for former owners are first class.
Although there
are small groups who have survived the initial massacre, the story is told from
the viewpoints of various characters each battling for survival. One is a
computer geek, another is a US National Guardsman, yet another is an old Japanese
mechanic who repairs androids in a factory and who has an android female as a
companion, while another is a child who has been partly ‘converted’ by Archos
and is now part human and part android. Eventually they team up in an attempt
to fight back and the accounts of how they manage to do so are absolutely
fascinating and genuinely exciting.
They are joined
by a small number of androids who, although self-aware, have been reprogrammed
into realising what has happened and throw their lot in with the humans. The
final denouement arrives when one of the androids is able to get access to the deep,
subterranean chamber containing Archos and destroys it. I can recommend this
book wholeheartedly to anyone who appreciates the Sci-Fi genre, but the book is
rather more than that because it should appeal to a much wider audience who
enjoy action and adventure.
Reviewed
by Brian Allan
Book Review
Title: Haunted
Huddersfield
Author: Kai
Roberts
Publisher: The
History Press
ISBN: 978-07524-6790-0
Price: £9.99
It would appear
that as long as the UK
does not run out of towns, villages and cities there will be a constant flow of
books from dedicated authors who collate and write up the tales of supernatural
goings on that occur in them. So it is with Kai Roberts who has decided to take
this approach and assemble a selection of weird and spooky tales and accounts
from around Huddersfield. Unfortunately the
author gives away very little about his background, so it is very difficult to
make any judgements about his personal take on these events.
However, a quick
check on the internet reveals that Mr Roberts has a background in philosophy and
is ‘Fortean’ in his approach to the supernatural, these tend to give the book a
rather scholarly feel, which is seen in the entry on ‘The Sovereign Inn’ at
Shepley. This is hardly surprising since his father is Andy Roberts, a noted
long term contributor to Fortean Times, who tends to be rather guarded about
anything paranormal or UFO related.
The book itself
serves up the usual fare of haunted pubs, vicarages, monuments, ‘black dogs’,
stately homes and a few domestic dwellings, which have, in the main, been
culled from local newspaper accounts and books on folklore. There are a few of
the entries that do stand out however and these include ‘Black Dicks Tower’ and
‘The Bull’s Head’ at Blackmoorfoot, which segues neatly into one of the more
lengthy and genuinely troubling contributions dealing with ‘The Standedge
Tunnels’. The tunnels were constructed over a number of years in the wave of
modernisation and industrialisation that began in the UK during the
18th century and involved tunnels for canals and railways. What the
book reveals is that in addition to the horrendous loss of life involved during
construction, these tunnels gradually became associated with all manner of
ghostly apparitions…and suicides.
The author also
quite rightly makes the link between any underground construction and the
atavistic fear that people have of these places, probably how our forefathers
associated them with entrances to some demon-haunted underworld. One aspect
that is especially intriguing concerns one of the railway tunnels and the
assertion that prior to privatisation during narrow time slot of 10.05 and
10.15 no trains ran through this tunnel. Apparently during this time not only
were the electrics (and even the gas lamps) on the trains were prone to fail,
but the trains themselves would mysterious slow down and the engineers became
convinced that should the train come to a halt, something terrible would befall
them. This would have made an ideal subject for further research and hopefully
someone who reads about it will; in fact this entry alone is worth the cost of
the book.
One more report
that is ripe for further research concerns the aforementioned Bulls Head where
one of the events that occurred in 2010 describes a rather strange looking
individual who entered the pub, bought a drink, sat down then almost
immediately got up and walked out the door. Because of this strange behaviour
one of the other customers looked out of the door to see there the man had
gone, but there were only a set of footprints in the snow leading to a boarded
up doorway and there they stopped.
The author
hypothesis that the man might have been the long dead John Lunn returning to
check on his property, if so there are questions screaming to be asked. What
did the mysterious customer use for money? Was in contemporary? Are there any
images of this man still extant? This typifies the number of entries that
create frustrating questions with no answers. Overall though, the book is well
produced, abundantly illustrated, interesting and lucidly written and would be
ideal source material for any aspiring ghost hunter who cares to track down and
interview some of the individuals mentioned in the book.
Book Review
Title: Roswell Alien Autopsy
Author: Philip
Mantle
Publisher: Roswellbooks.com
Genre:
Ufology/Paranormal
ISNB: 9-781475-167-153
Price: $14.95
Reviewer: Brian
Allan
It has been
argued that acceptance of the reality of UFO’s being of extraterrestrial in
origin is an act of faith on a par with belief in a religion and so it is with
the subject matter of this excellent book. Most people have heard about the now
notorious 1947 Roswell incident and almost as many have heard of the equally
notorious ‘alien autopsy footage’ supposedly showing an autopsy performed on
one of the non-human entities that were aboard the craft that allegedly crash
landed near Roswell, New Mexico.
Many books have
been written about the crash, but considerably fewer about the autopsy footage itself
and the furore that broke out upon its release which still continues unabated to
this day. At last the internationally respected British UFO researcher, Philip
Mantle, has set out the events in what is surely the best researched, almost forensic
and definitive study yet printed. In doing so Mantle carefully examines what is
perhaps one of the greatest enigmas since the identity of the image on the
Turin Shroud.
The book, which
at a shade under 300 pages is a generous tome, examines the enigmas created by the
film from every conceivable angle. It begins with an acknowledgements page that
is an absolute who’s who of Ufology and the paranormal, and with that kind of
database to draw upon, sets out an amazingly fair, open minded account of the
events that ensued. The book, which leaves any final conclusions up to the
reader, is laid out logically and covers everything from the initial
introduction of the film by its promoter, Ray Santilli, through various
investigations into its authenticity via medical experts, special effects
technicians and film makers, to a very careful final overview.
What becomes
very clear indeed is that Ray Santilli did nothing to help establish the
authenticity of his product and seems to have been evasive throughout the whole
process. So much so that he refused to allow the author the chance to examine a
few frames of the alleged original film stock to see if there were any images
on it; one has to ask why? Another anomaly is why was the can of film supposedly
showing the former US
president Harry Truman never used in the final product? This would surely have
established its credibility and authenticity beyond doubt…or, on the other
hand, perhaps created too many problems. However, Santilli’s main criterion
appears to have been, not to educate or inform, but to extract the maximum
amount of cash for the longest time possible from whoever would pay it.
The book sets
out a range of opinions, both pro and con, as to the authenticity of what is
being shown in the film and for every ‘expert’ damning it as a fake, there is
another one equally determined to assert its authenticity. In fact Philip
Mantle has succeeded (wisely in my opinion) in having many of those directly
involved with the film write their own contributions, which are included in the
text, so it is clear that the differences of opinion are not just baseless assertions
made by the author. What he also does is bring some light to bear upon one of
the least examined aspects of the bigger picture surrounding the autopsy and
that is the heat damage still evident at the alleged crash site in the New Mexico desert. It
was news to me and I have been actively involved in the field of the paranormal
and Ufology for in excess of fifty five years.
What the book
does do, and successfully too, is show that despite how often the authenticity
of the film is criticised, like anything that requires an act of faith, the
believers will not accept, even now, that the film is anything other than 100%
genuine and what is shown is a bona fide autopsy on a dead extraterrestrial
entity. In fact the autopsy footage is such a Holy Grail (the religious analogy
is intentional) that the UFO believers, especially those who are sold on the
Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), are convinced that all their Christmases have
come at once. At least one chapter of the book exposes how lopsided ETH dogma can
be and another knowledgeable and highly regarded Ufologist, Kevin Randle, gives
some examples of this paradigm.
All in all, this
book shows just what a mixture of obfuscation, denials, confusion, lies and
intransigence still surrounds the matter of the Alien Autopsy footage. There is
no doubt that this is indeed the best example of its genre ever produced and
will serve as a standard work of reference for anyone who chooses to study what
happened at Roswell and the aftermath. It is highly recommended as a welcome
and unlikely combination of that very rare beast: a truly fascinating read and
invaluable research tool.
Title: I Cast Thee Out
Author: Brian Allan
Publisher: Healings Of Atlantis
Genre: Non Ficton
Review
I Cast Thee Out
By
Bill Downie
Brian Allan is one of the most experienced,
knowledgeable and broadminded paranormal investigators in the UK, with a
hunter's knowledge of his terrain and an eye fixed on his prey. The prey in I
Cast Thee Out is exorcism and Allan returns from the hunt with a feast for
our table. Having read books on Catholic exorcism such as Matt Bagio's The
Rite, I thought I was in for more of the same from Allan, and indeed a few
of the cases he recounts are strikingly similar to the possessions that fill
Baglio's offering. But Allan convincingly demonstrates that the phenomenon of
demonic possession can take an almost unbelievable variety of forms and can
haunt the hi-tech citadels of our modern lives as easily as any medieval castle.
Modern technology in fact plays a large part in
the book's centrepiece, a series of exorcisms that took place in 2010. The
phenomena involved a house in Mexico and some of the phenomena were
photographed (a few of these are reproduced in the book) and recorded. The
exorcism itself was conducted remotely and all the people involved all lived
hundreds or thousands of miles apart. The tale is told through a series of
emails between the author, the person affected by the possession and two
mediums who were called in to assist. It is a fascinating clash of modern
science and communications technology with the paranormal and the supernatural,
and a reminder that possession is a very human drama. The book is worth buying
for this account alone, a case study in modern-day possession and exorcism that
should dispel any preconceptions the reader may harbour.
Allan begins the book on a very personal note,
with a first-hand account of his own experience with exorcism, conducted at his
workplace and apparently successful in 'casting out' whatever had attached
himself (apparently possessing entities have genders) to the author's
biophysical field. I thought the inclusion of this account was a very brave yet
necessary action on Allan's part, as it establishes his credentials right from
the start; no armchair expert is he. Neither is Allan shackled by religious
belief, superstition or excessive scepticism, all of which can hamper any
investigation into this manifestly genuine and frightening phenomenon and even
lead to further damage and distress. In fact Allan was personally involved in
many of these cases and his in-depth experience of exorcism, as subject and
investigator, combined with his academic knowledge establishes him as one of
the field's foremost authorities.
Pioneering
psychiatrists such as Brian Weiss, M. Scott Peck and Shakuntala Modi have
established a close relationship between spiritual and mental wellbeing. Modi
in particular is convinced that a variety mental health problems are demonic in
origin and that almost everyone is demonically influenced to some extent (see Remarkable
Healings). I Cast Thee Out also delves into this controversial area
and towards the end of the book Alan quotes Father Jeremy Davies stating
"Sanity depends upon our relationship to reality."
If that is true then we are in grave danger of
becoming seriously mentally ill as a society, as we recklessly drive forward
into a soulless, hi-tech future, surrounded by entities that are only too keen
to exploit new technologies for their dark ends, yet increasingly unable or
unwilling to recognise their existence and ignorant of the new forms in which
their harmful effects are being felt. As Brian Allan's excellent new offering
shows us, exorcism is as necessary a part of our armoury against evil at
present as it was at any time in the past. In fact our future mental health may
depend on it, which is why this book deserves a very wide readership.
Review ‘I Cast
Thee Out’ by Brian Allan
by DAN GREEN
Being
of the generation that sat nervously through the 1973 Hollywood classic ‘The
Exorcist’ and consequently slept for a few nights afterwards with the light on
just in case, I can say that although the phenomenon of demonic possession is
ancient and duly covered in this work, it was this movie singularly that really
prompted a once more revitalised inquiry into did we think the invasion of a
human body by a threatening external force could be a possibility? This book
takes an in-depth investigation into the heart of this very question.
Straight
off I can tell you that the Scots author himself was the focus of a near
spontaneous exorcism as he recalls in 2002 when a ‘negative influence’ detected
by a psychic had sublimely attached itself to its unaware host. Given that you
have to experience a thing yourself in order to have any hope of understanding
it, then this gives Allan a good head start above others in trying to unravel
the subject.
The
Vatican itself is not free from such troubles as we learn of exorcism and dark
rites involving high ranking prelates and senior Vatican officials, the murky
tales recounted by at least one former chief exorcist of this most revered
bastion of Catholic faith. Surprised? Why be, for the more modern Rite of
Exorcism may as well be copyrighted by the Roman Catholic Church. Allan then
takes us through some of the more famous historical cases and its offshoots
such as speaking in tongues, vampires and an interview with the most secular
exorcists currently operating in the UK for his experiences with the dark side.
For
me, the book really takes off when the author treats us to two recent cases in
which he had the opportunity to become personally involved - There’s no stopping
this fellow – and I was quite educated
to learn that in one of these there is such a thing as a ‘remote’ exorcism,
attempts to banish evil from a great distance away…Mexico and Scotland you’ll
agree being a fair distance?
Our
intrepid author rounds it all off with some logical balance to the age old
attestation of a great battle between good and evil with chapters that point
out in great depth alternative, neurological, medical and scientific
possibilities for a phenomena that clearly exists, and so on the balance of
probability we are left to decide for ourselves.
Not
so many years ago, with the understanding of the truly bizarre medical
condition of Multiple Personality Disorder whereby a person can manifest
anything from one to many diverse identities that can even be at odds with each
other, I thought the entire possession debate was once and for ever finally
nailed, but in truth there is so much on offer, as this book clearly shows, and
it may not even be that simple. Clearly though, we cannot have any possible
instances of invasion from a negative energy if there are none out there, and
as any quantum physicist will tell you, there are. How we ‘clothe’ or express
them is up to our own preference or belief system, be it in spirit entities in
other dimensions or the unfathomable complexity of the vastness of cosmology.
For
me, the starting point has always got to be that greatest mystery known to all
on this planet – the human brain. With more than one lobe, It can interfere
with departments of its own self to suggest all manners of weirdness that will
go on about and within us, but it too, is susceptible from external
interferences, and one of these areas - the very computer I am utilising to
write this review – is suggested might even be an open technological avenue for
affecting our stability.
From
Brain to Brain then, and if it’s a refresher course served afterwards by a main
meal consisting of a variety of tasty ingredients such as the nature of reality
and magick, then this book is for you. Maybe leave the light on after reading.
I Cast Thee Out
Brian J. Allan
A Review
By
Richard T. Cole
Never afraid to get his hands dirty, Brian Allan’s latest publication investigates
the darkest and most explosive facet of the paranormal - The terrifying
phenomenon of demonic possession.
Beginning with a detailed
overview, I Cast Thee Out guides
readers through the complex evolution of demonic possession, from its roots in
antiquity to the practices and mindset of today’s exorcists. As with previous works, the author’s
encyclopaedic knowledge and meticulous research enables him ‘get under the
skin’ of his subject and explore surprising parallels with shamanism, vampirism
and Satanism, without becoming mired in convoluted theology and dogma. In addition to providing a comprehensive
selection of historical case studies, the book also explores a subtle feedback
loop operating between advances in our understanding of the world, and
perception/treatment of demonic infestation.
The second section lifts demonic
possession out of the history books with a rare, first-hand account of the
harrowing experiences endured by victims and those tasked with banishing
destructive entities. Mr. Allan’s
narration of his personal involvement with Terry Graham is gripping and offers
a fascinating glimpse of the psychological mechanisms operating in both victim
and exorcist.
The books finale moves away from metaphysical
interpretations and discusses several alternative theories. Chemical imbalances, electromagnetic field
variations, hallucinations, near death experiences, alien abductions and even
the occult philosophy of infamous sorcerer Aleister Crowley are incorporated
into wide-ranging exploration that touches on questions regarding the very
nature of reality, consciousness and the bewildering possibilities of a quantum
universe. Mr. Allan’s insights into
connections between mental illness and possession are particularly fascinating,
and deserving of detailed study.
I Cast Thee Out is an engaging, challenging and thoroughly
enjoyable encapsulation of a terrifying phenomenon that has haunted Mankind
since the dawn of time. Highly
recommended – Read it if you dare!
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