True As the Stars Above - Softcover

Spencer, Neil

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0575067691 ISBN 13: 9780575067691

Publisher: Orion Pub Co, 2002

Synopsis

What do Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and the leaders of the Third Reich have in common? They all consulted astrologers. Why? How does astrology work, and if scientists like Richard Dawkins go out of their way to rubbish it, why has it never been so popular? Most books on astrology have either been how-to manuals, cheap guides to the year ahead, or forbidding academic tomes on subjects like the transits of Pluto - until now. True as the Stars Above is a irreverent, intelligent defence of astrology, and an examination of the extraordinary role it has played in the past and still plays today. Among some of the revelations in the book: Margaret Thatcher sought astrological advice after the Brighton bomb. A significant number of the world's major financial institutions have an astrologer or two on their payroll. British intelligence employed an astrologer during WWII because they were convinced Hitler was doing the same. Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff (to his fury) was forced to keep a colour coded calendar, with green for good days, red for bad days and yellow for 'iffy' days, in line with the views of Nancy's astrologer. This is astrology demystified, whether it's the ongoing row over statistical evidence for astrology; the myth of The Age of Aquarius; computer dating by star sign or why Gone With The Wind's Scarlett O'Hara is definitely an Aries.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Despite the dominance of scientific thought in the modern era, the ancient practice of astrology has staged an astonishing revival over the last hundred years. Newspaper astrologers become millionaires, financial stargazers advise stock market players, and powerful corporations and astro–psychologists offer to unravel the secrets of the psyche. Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan, Carl Jung, and Ted Hughes are just some of the prominent figures who regularly consulted astrologers. Now this erudite book examines the deep–rooted significance of astrology in the contemporary world. Exploring its language and appeal, Neil Spencer looks at the extraordinary role astrology has played in the history of ideas. Irreverent, surprising, and eminently readable, this is astrology demystified. Neil Spencer is the astrology columnist for Britain’s THE OBSERVER.

About the Author:

Neil Spencer was Editor of the NME during its halcyon years in the late seventies and early eighties, where he made the paper a byword for provocative criticism and flamboyant writing. Since then he has worked for the Face, Arena,20/20, the Labour Party and Thames and Hudson. He is now a music critic for t

About this edition

• Publisher: Orion Pub Co
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0575067691
• ISBN 13: 9780575067691
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276