Book description
Taking the most famous 'prophet' of recent times, David Koresh, as a
starting point, this is an analytical look at the troubled history of
charlatan messiahs around the world. But Koresh was neither the first,
nor the most excessive, nor even the most misguided, and Colin Wilson
looks at cult leaders from the early days of Christianity through,
among others, the 'Rev' Jim Jones and Jeffrey Lundgren.
He goes on to consider what it is that makes these messiahs believe
they are who they claim to be, and what makes people give up
everything to follow them - a messiah is nothing without someone to
believe in him. This comprehensive study untangles the history of the
charlatan messiahs and explores their world view.
Colin Wilson's remarkable career has led him to write on subjects as
diverse as archaeology, astronomy, cosmology, Egyptology, crime and
the paranormal. His other books have been translated into many
languages and he travels the world, lecturing and holding workshops.
Colin Wilson burst upon the scene in 1956, at the age of 25, with his
bestselling book,
The Outsider
. In the course of a remarkable career as an explorer of the human
psyche, he has written on a wide range of subjects - archaeology,
astronomy, cosmology, crime, Egyptology and the paranormal. His books,
which include
Alien Dawn
and
From Atlantis to the Sphinx,
have been translated into many languages and Colin travels the world,
holding workshops and lecturing.
