COMMENT:A history of 20th century (mainly first half) occultism and irrationalism, with special attention to its relations to politics, particularly of the totalitarian variety. German occultism, its connections to Slav irrationalisms, British "illuminated politics" between the Wars, occult and particularly Russian anti-Semitism and its influence on Western Europe, The Nazi-occult relationship, psychoanalysis as a secularizing of occult ideas, modern art, sixties politics, hippies and drug irrationalism, and science fiction. Almost all aspects (and many of the interesting personalities) of the 20th century penetration of esoteric thought into the ordinary, to the extent of creating Establishments of its own, are covered. With the focus on anti-rational attitudes, the book at times implicitly identifies what the occult is against as an embodiment of rationality, but Webb's history, such minor flaws aside, is an invaluable resource.
