The Master Plan by Heather Pringle
Acclaimed science writer Heather Pringle uncovers the true story of the scientists and archaeologists Heinrich Himmler deployed to find proof for his theories of a prehistoric Aryan master race. What happens when science falls prey to a political agenda? Pre-history, according to Heinrich Himmler, must be re-written. Himmler, the chief of the SS and architect of the Nazi network of death camps, was obsessed with re-writing history. He was convinced that archaeologists had long ignored the great accomplishments of ancient Germanic peoples. Himmler believed that Germany's ancestors - the tall, blue-eyed, blond-haired Aryans - had evolved not in the savannahs of Africa with the rest of humanity, but in the icy barrens of the Arctic. There, refined and distilled by natural selection in a bitter land, they had become an invincible master race. But some 12,000 years ago, theorized Himmler, a natural cataclysm shook the earth, decimating the scattered Aryan colonies and now, only in select parts of the world - most notably northern Europe - did some true Aryan blood remain. Himmler's history was pure fiction, but his conviction was unshakable. In 1935 he founded the 'Ahnenerbe' - a research institute to manufacture archaeological evidence for political purposes - appointed himself president, and set about recruiting a bizarre mix of adventurers, mystics, careerists and reputable archaeologists to help write a new chapter in the ancient history of the Aryan race. Expeditions went sent out to Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Greenland and beyond, each backed by the power of the Third Reich to realize this bizarre scientific dream. "The Master Plan" is also an expose of the German scientists and scholars who allowed their research to be used to justify extermination - many of whom resumed their academic positions at war's end. Intensely compelling and comprehensively researched, "The Master Plan" is a story of delusion and excess; of scientific and political abuse on a global scale. It has all the energy of an adventure, but also the chilling truth of a terrifying episode in twentieth-century history.
'This is an exceptional piece of work, for those with a very deep interest in the intellectual structures of tyranny, in Heinrich Himmler, in how monsters workDictators always have theories, and always find scholars to prove them. THE MASTER PLAN is the detailed history of one such effort, but it sheds abundant light on all of them.' Alan Furst Praise for THE MUMMY CONGRESS: 'Guaranteed to fascinate and entertain.' Anthony Sattin, The Sunday Times 'The Mummy Congress is wide ranging in every sense. Heather Pringle's lively prose takes us across the centuries, across the globe, and across scientific disciplines ! Enthralling.' Jonathan Sale, Independent 'Heather Pringle takes care to tell you the icky things you really wanted to know, while eloquently touring the world of present-day mummy studies.' Francis Spufford, Evening Standard
Heather Pringle is a journalist and author who has written on archaeology and ancient cultures in numerous magazines including Discover, National Geographic Traveler, New Scientist, Science and Geo. In January 2002, she won the American Association for the Advancement of Science award for Magazine Journalism. She is the author fo three books, including THE MUMMY CONGRESS. She lives in Vancouver, Canada.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780007148127 |
| ISBN 10 | 0007148127 |
| Title | The Master Plan |
| Author | Heather Pringle |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Year published | 2006-02-20 |
| Number of pages | 480 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |