The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer
| The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer | |
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| Author(s) | James Randi |
| Country | United States |
| Publisher | Prometheus Books |
| Publication date | 1993 [1990] |
| Media type | Paperback (1993), Hardcover (1990) |
| Pages | 256 pp |
| ISBN | 0879758309 |
| OCLC Number | 27034316 |
| Dewey Decimal | 133.3/092 B |
| LC Classification | BF1815.N8 R35 1993 |
The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer is a 1993 paperback book by magician and skeptic James Randi, originally published as a hardcover in 1990. Randi's biography looks past the mask of Nostradamus with a critical look of some of the alleged prophecies. He explains how people have rewritten his prophecies to suit history, and the tactics Nostradamus used to make his prophecies seem authentic.
Nostradamus' grandfather was Jewish, though converting to Catholicism, Nostradamus was looked upon with suspicion.[1] However, by packaging himself as a diviner and prophet he was able to curry favor with the king and avoid discrimination normally suffered by others in France.[1]
New Scientist wrote the book was a good biography exploring how people rewrite Nostradamus's predictions to give the illusion of fulfilled predictions.[2] The Skeptic's Dictionary cites Randi as debunking Nostradamus' claimed predictions of Adolf Hitler.[3]
John Koontz wrote about the book that "Randi can provide a much more parsimonious explanation than any given by true believers in prophecy".[4]
John Blanton explains that in the book Randi described prophecy's believers willingness to bend the meanings of words in favor of their claims about Nostradamus.[5]
Contents |
[edit] Editions
- French edition by Editions Griot, 1994, as Le vrai visage de Nostradamus;
- Polish edition, 1994, as Nostradamus Bez Maski;
- Italian edition by Avverbi, 2001, as La maschera di Nostradamus;
- Chinese edition, 2001.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Randi, James (1995). "An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural: Nostradamus". St. Martin's Press. http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/Nostradamus.html. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- ^ Grossman, Wendi (10 November 1990). "Review: There are no prophets with honour". New Scientist (issue 1742). http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12817425.200-review-there-are-no-prophets-with-honour-.html. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- ^ Carroll, Robert (2007). "Nostradamus". The Skeptic's Dictionary. http://skepdic.com/nostrada.html. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- ^ Koontz, John (February 1998). "Nostradamus" (PDF). The Atheist. http://www.atheist-community.org/library/newsletters/1998-02.pdf. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- ^ Blanton, John (February 2003). "Nostradamus". North Texas Skeptics. http://www.ntskeptics.org/2003/2003february/february2003.htm#victor. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Description from Prometheus Books
- Description from the author, James Randi
- Nostradamus listed in Randi's Encyclopedia
