HISTORY · BIOGRAPHY
Benson Bobrick
Benson Bobrick is an American author of several critically acclaimed works.
I see a cloud, a little bigger now than a man's hand, gathering in the north, and in the west, and all around, and soon the whole northern heavens will be lighted up with a fire that you cannot quench."
— from Testament, 2008
Most acclaimed
The fated sky
2006
"From ancient times to the present day, astrology has captured the imagination -- is it possible that human fate is influenced by the stars? Astrologers throughout the ages have advised the powerful, from popes to presidents to royalty, and their influence can be seen as a hidden history behind the great events of the past. In The Fated Sky, historian Benson Bobrick writes the first serious history of astrology and takes a fascinating look at its origins and impact on human events. Astrology is the origin of science itself, as astronomy, mathematics, and other disciplines arose in part to make possible the calculations necessary in casting horoscopes. In earlier times, it was a science that won the respect and allegiance of the greatest thinkers and rulers of the ancient world, and eventually claimed adherents among the great astronomers of the scientific revolution -- Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton among them. Statesmen such as Churchill and de Gaulle consulted astrologers, and St. Thomas Aquinas thought astrology not incompatible with Christian doctrine. It is even said the Incas submitted to the Spanish conquistadors without a fight because their arrival coincided with an astrological prophecy. And astrology permeates our cultural consciousness, from references in the Bible and Shakespeare to expressions such as "ill-starred" or "lucky stars." Rich in historical anecdote and astrological lore, The Fated Sky shows us that while the true power of astrology may be open to debate, the belief in its power has been -- and continues to be -- an enduring and intriguing influence on history and the history of ideas."--Publisher's website. An exploration of astrology's impact on history considers such topics as the fervent observance of astrology by notable Greeks and Romans, and the astrological consultations of such modern figures as Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan.
Testament
2008
"Das 'Testament: Heft II' gehört zu den wenigen handschriftlichen Aufzeichnungen Magnus Hirschfelds, welche die Plünderung seines Instituts für Sexualwissenschaft, die Zerstörung seines Lebenswerks und sein Exil überdauert haben. Es wurde buchstäblich vom Müllhaufen der Geschichte gerettet und befindet sich heute im Archiv der Magnus-Hirschfeld-Gesellschaft in Berlin. Es handelt sich nicht um ein Testament im wörtlichen Sinne, sondern um eine Mischung von Chronik, Richtlinien u. Testament . Die Aufzeichnungen reichen von 1928 bis 1935. Sie geben Auskunft über die letzten sieben Lebensjahre Hirschfelds: die Bemühungen, sein Lebenswerk für die Zukunft zu sichern (1928-1930), die Weltreise (1930-1932) mit den Notizen von der Reise durch die USA, die nicht in der Weltreise eines Sexualforschers enthalten sind, und die Zeit des Exils in Österreich, der Schweiz und Frankreich bis zu Hirschfelds Tod (1932-1935)"--provided by publisher.