What do Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and the leaders of the Third Reich have in common? They all consulted astrologers. True as the Stars Above is a irreverent, intelligent defence of astrology, and an examination of the extraordinary role it has played in the past and still plays today. Among some of the revelations in the book: Margaret Thatcher sought astrological advice after the Brighton bomb. A significant number of the world's major financial institutions have an astrologer or two on their payroll. British intelligence employed an astrologer during WWII because they were convinced Hitler was doing the same. Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff (to his fury) was forced to keep a colour coded calendar, with green for good days, red for bad days and yellow for 'iffy' days, in line with the views of Nancy's astrologer. This is astrology demystified, whether it's the ongoing row over statistical evidence for astrology or why Gone With The Wind's Scarlett O'Hara is definitely an Aries.

About the Author

Neil Spencer was Editor of the NME during its halcyon years in the late seventies and early eighties, where he made the paper a byword for provocative criticism and flamboyant writing. Since then he has worked for the Face, Arena, 20/20, the Labour Party and Thames and Hudson. He is now a music critic for the Observer.

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	70% buy the item featured on this page: True As The Stars Above 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
	30% buy The Contemporary Astrologer's Handbook: An In-Depth Guide to Interpreting Your Horoscope (Astrology Now) 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �16.14

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The whole truth about modern astrology, 9 Jun 2002

By A Customer

Or as near as one can get to such a thing! Neil Spencer has put together a first class comprehensive overview of the position of astrology in contemporary Western society. It is entertaining, balanced, intelligent and often very funny. "Believers" and "sceptics" can both benefit from reading this book.

Early on there is a brief guide to the basics of astrology itself, followed by a quick look at the history of the subject over the last few hundred years. Most of the book is taken up with considerations of every possible aspect (pun intended) over the last century. The rise of newspaper horoscopes, psychological astrology as self-development, statistical evidence or lack of it, the use of astrology by the likes of Ronald Reagan and Princess Diana, successes and failures in predicting the future.

Spencer does a good job of exploding many popular ideas that are held by many e.g. being born on the cusp (you are actually either one sign or another) and the ever-present myth of the Age of Aquarius (highly dubious as to what it actually is). Although Spencer's own astrological input takes a back seat most of the time, countless examples of astrology in action are scattered throughout. The chart comparison between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky is an entertaining example!

Read this book if you REALLY want to know what astrology is all about.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An informed, humorous account of astrology's history for the, 6 Jan 2002

By	jenni.harte@dial.pipex.com (Surrey, England) - See all my reviews

Spencer's book should be recommended to anyone with an interest in astrology. It's intelligent, well-infomed and often very funny. In fact, non-astrologers could well find this is the book they've been looking for. Highly recommended.

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