The devils in the details
342573
It would have been easy to write this book without all the details and sub-plots. It just wouldn't have been written by King.
4186745
Treachery is a very detailed look at whether Roger Hollis was a GRU spy while he worked for and headed MI5. If Pincher had used more structure in the presentation of this book it would have been more powerful. The plot line evolves from one chapter to another without clear direction where the plot is headed. A clear introduction of the plot line outlining Pincher's case would have been very helpful.

  I also felt that Pincher assumed the reader would have a lot of background knowledge of espionage during the period described which goes on for over 30 years. I didn't have this and at times had a hard time following the plot.

  Despite these criticisms this is an amazing story. While the main thesis is that Hollis is Ellie, a top level GRU spy, I felt that his behavior was so bad that it didn't really matter. Hollis' behavior was so criminally negligent if he was not a spy, he should have been severely punished one way or another.

  The complete compromise of British intelligence in MI5 and MI6 is hard to believe. One thing that is striking about this is the role that class played in these deceptions. One of the main problems the British had was the refusal to beleive that a "gentleman" who had gone to the right schools could ever engage in espionage. This elitist attitude leads to a complete refusal to even do the most basic investigations.

  What is also disturbing is the collusion of Dick White and Hollis to cover up their complete ineptitude (or active spying) to protect their own jobs and the reputations of their agencies. One wonders how often this type of cover up is still taking place in government agencies in the US and Britain.

  Pincher is to be commended for his meticulous research and detail. At times I found the narrative dragged a bit, but overall it is an excellent read. It offers insight into a very important aspect of the Cold War which is just coming to light with the release of documents from the Soviet archives.
3394444
So many stories of crazy bizarre happening are from twenty to hundreds of years ago in a time with less government and less ease of communication. I am amazed at the details of this occult family living in the last frontier of Alaska. The point of view and tedious National Park law descriptions are bumps to get over to get to the real juice of the story which I believe could have been told more dramatically-however this is non fiction after all. Overall a good read!
790568
This part can be a little cheesy at times but it is probably my fav after the original. (Best scene) When police agents raid a house thinking the people inside are selling drugs, and what they find is astounding. The culprits are actually Devil worshippers selling human heads to other satanic cults for sacrificial purposes. The agents find a video tape and it shows some of the cland horrendous murders that they have committed. There are some other good parts to. I don't know why but I really like this part of the quadrilogy.
746477
Tony Healey crafted a fast moving story about a female detective dealing with her own devils and a mentally twisted devil.  There are several layers to the story that get intertwined and finally resolved in an action packed conclusion.  A good read that gets your attention quickly, forcing the reader to keep turning pages.
1647081
Compelling.  Bound to evoke deep thoughts about the subject of The Devil.  Believe or do not believe but read this book.  A well-crafted tale offering some factual accounts from history which by no means offer proof of there being such an entity as the devil, however the details offer provocative thoughts of the subject.  Anyone who follows the news will associate some of the offerings from this book of recent events such as fires, unprecedented weather events and even certain religious related findings and perhaps the prominence of never ending wars in the name of religion which have been raging for many centuries. Mentions of Hilda of Bingen who few have heard of and Nostradamus, a more recognizable name.  But the historical facts are easily checked and verifiable.  This author has done a superb job of reintroducing a religious figure whose title seems to be less bandied about these days.  Check the website offered by the author at the books end.  A fine work worth the investment of the time to read, with an engaging plot and likely to remain in the readers thoughts long past the finish.
1260296
Confrontation with Evil by Steven A. LaChance was received direct from the publisher.  The story that the book The Exorcist was based on.  We have all heard that before from different folks and venues but what "possessed" me to want to believe this one before I even cracked the book open?  As I started to read, I believed it, as I grew up near this house but only knew the real exorcism was that in the area.  I knew of no specifics that I now have.  This book will take the reader into detail about the 1949 case and teach the reader many things about theology and demon possession.  If this interests you or someone you need to but a gift for, this book is a winner.

4 stars
3535109
Mary Beth Norton has managed to take an oft-examined event, the Salem Witchraft Crisis of 1692, and added a fresh perspective to it.  In the Devil's Snare is a fascinating book.  It is not as thrilling and easy to read as some other histories of the event (such as the re-released Francis Hill book) but looking at the conflict on the frontiers of the territories with the Indians and its impact on pushing the witchcraft crisis to greater heights will interest those who have read other accounts.  The fit is not always perfect but it does give one much to consider.  The book is well researched and of particular interest will be the gossip networks unearthed by the author showing how information was spread from distant counties.  It's a small New England world after all.  A fresh look at a horrific event and strongly recommended for anyone wishing to understand this event.
866916
A tract arguing for the fallibilities of all men and the the corruptibility of mankind, the work leads the reader through a trip through variously increasing levels of malfeasance paralleling the supposed advancement in the level of the perpetrator.  The work perhaps is the foundation of the Novel, though one can argue that it may owe a good deal to Dante's Inferno, in this respect and perhaps had some modeling after that work's progression through the various rings of Hell.
While not in verse form, and being a good deal shorter than the first work of Dante's trilogy, the work is entertaining and moves at a good pace.  It likely has some unclear references to parties of the time, though the limited knowledge of this period in the Iberian peninsula and of the author himself, makes it more difficult to consider annotation than the work of 14th Century Tuscany.
2442337
The path from a just and civil society to a brutal Nazi regime is paved with the intentions of what were once "good" men.  They sold their souls to sell a few more uniforms or get a better teaching post. Worked great until the devil came to collect.....youd think the country that gave us Faust would know better.....
2635692
Great read although it does tend to get a little heavy on the details. Some will.like that(I did). Some of the premises are a little scary when compared to current events.
2752681
The Devil In History by Vladimir Tismaneanu is a terrific analysis of Leninism and Stalinism and how they stand in comparison to Nazism and Fascism.  I am still in the middle of reading it and page by page it is revealing and illuminating.  It also has a message for today - but no spoilers - read it!

Cantor Bob
457019
This is a technical book easy to read. Even if it gets a bit complicated sometimes, the devil is in the details. "Devil's Derivatives" captures a story of greed and shifting blame, o story of markets manipulation and pure egocentric capitalism. I liked it so much, that I made a review on my investing blog at [...]. And yes, it is visionary, since the last chapter ponders on the bond governments and on Greece...
681791
Frances Hill does what her subtitle (A Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials) promises. In a Delusion of Satan, the author tells the grippping and horrifying story from beginning to end in a fast-paced narrative that takes the reader through every pertinent detail. Along the way, she discusses motives, both psychological and material, that may have influenced the participants, as well as briefly glancing at the number of theories that have arisen in our more modern times. The author does not provide a large historical context in which to slide the events into, perhpas, but she does give just enough details to keep this story comprehensible and fascinating. The book does not dwell on modern analogies (they are too painfully obvious, at any rate). A recommended look at this terrible time.
1915734
Mysterious and absorbing. Angels and devils in Adelaide South Australia.
4337946
The title is like a dark joke: Crisis of Character? Neither of them have character. They don't know what the word means. Just a couple of schemers and grifters. The book is an interesting read that reveals a lot of inside details.
3088372
Essays in Satanism has left a lasting impression on me as it stands out as a milestone of profound Satanic insight. The volume contains essays covering a large variety of topics which are examined with unexcelled clarity, bringing many hidden key aspects to the reader's attention and leaving no sacred cow unharmed. The conclusions drawn are a 110 per cent accurate and uncompromisingly aim at the very core of the given subject. One by one, the pipe dreams proliferating in current herd culture are precisely revealed as such.

Furthermore, in the auto-biographical section, the exceptional individual of the author himself is being introduced and I was immediately caught by the incredible suspense that results from following him all the way through his evilution. The world that I have had the chance to catch a glimpse of turned out to be one of the most exciting arenas filled with vivid heroic spirit. The author demonstrates a degree of precision and focus that reminds of a top elite air force flying unit determined to carry out their mission minutely. He has truly studied the human animal in all his facets including the abyss that lurks underneath the surface. It is the often denied cruel aspects deep down there that he derives profound insight from.