Behind the Bastards
Book Recommendations

Behind the Bastards

There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of th...

Episodes 1,988
Books 1,560
The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? Cover

Steven Heller

The Swastika

Symbol Beyond Redemption?

It was recommended as a good and readable book for listeners who want to learn more about the history and significance of the swastika, particularly the challenges surrounding its use.

"

If you want a really good book on the subject, The Swastika symbol beyond redemption, question mark by Stephen Heller.

— Episode: Part Two: Behind the Swastika

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Episode: Part Two: Behind the Swastika

It was recommended as a good and readable book for listeners who want to learn more about the history and significance of the swastika, particularly the challenges surrounding its use.

"

If you want a really good book on the subject, The Swastika symbol beyond redemption, question mark by Stephen Heller.

Stephen usually gets interviewed by like the journalists writing about it because he's just like the guy who writes about this.

Very good book. I do recommend it if you're interested in more detail.

Urban ReLeaf Chemo Relief Nausea & Side Effects Aromatherapy! Fast Help! Soothe Upset Stomach, Queasy Medication Illness! 100% Natural Herbal Support, Essential Oils! Cover

Urban ReLeaf Chemo Relief Nausea & Side Effects Aromatherapy! Fast Help! Soothe Upset Stomach, Queasy Medication Illness! 100% Natural Herbal Support, Essential Oils!

The book 'Hoxie Therapy: When Natural Cures for Cancer Became Illegal' was mentioned as being available on Amazon alongside several other sources for information about the Hoxie treatment.

"

but there are just as many positive sources about Hoxie on the first page of Google results, including the Amazon page for the book Hoxie therapy. When natural cures for science became illegal.

— Episode: Part Two: The Founding Father of Fake Ca...

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Episode: Part Two: The Founding Father of Fake Cancer Cures

The book 'Hoxie Therapy: When Natural Cures for Cancer Became Illegal' was mentioned as being available on Amazon alongside several other sources for information about the Hoxie treatment.

"

but there are just as many positive sources about Hoxie on the first page of Google results, including the Amazon page for the book Hoxie therapy. When natural cures for science became illegal.

The Swastika Symbol in Navajo Textiles Cover

Dennis J. Aigner

The Swastika Symbol in Navajo Textiles

It was mentioned in the context of the swastika's presence in the American Southwest, with the author referencing Thomas Wilson's earlier research from the 1890s.

"

In his book, The Swastika Symbol in Navajo Textiles, Dennis J. Anger cites Thomas Wilson's research in the 1890s that the earliest evidence of the swastika in America was found in exc...

— Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

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Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

It was mentioned in the context of the swastika's presence in the American Southwest, with the author referencing Thomas Wilson's earlier research from the 1890s.

"

In his book, The Swastika Symbol in Navajo Textiles, Dennis J. Anger cites Thomas Wilson's research in the 1890s that the earliest evidence of the swastika in America was found in excavations in Tennessee and Ohio, that the swastika found its way to the Western Hemisphere in prehistoric times cannot be doubted.

Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik Cover

Jill Rubalcaba

Digging for Troy

From Homer to Hisarlik

It was briefly cited for its criticism of Heinrich Schliemann's harsh and destructive excavation methods at Troy.

"

His methods, a note Jill Rubicalba and Eric H. Klein in Digging for Troy from Homer to Hisarlik were savage and brutal, even by the standards of the 19th century.

— Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

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Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

It was briefly cited for its criticism of Heinrich Schliemann's harsh and destructive excavation methods at Troy.

"

His methods, a note Jill Rubicalba and Eric H. Klein in Digging for Troy from Homer to Hisarlik were savage and brutal, even by the standards of the 19th century.

Swastika Night Cover

Katharine Burdekin

Swastika Night

It was described as a dystopian novel about a future Nazi-dominated world where women are primarily used for breeding, and it was noted to have possibly inspired George Orwell's 1984.

"

I actually read, you may find this fascinating, Jocelyne, I read a book recently. It's called Swastika Night, and it is a kind of dystopian future fiction about a future world where l...

— Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

It was described as a dystopian novel about a future Nazi-dominated world where women are primarily used for breeding, and it was noted to have possibly inspired George Orwell's 1984.

"

I actually read, you may find this fascinating, Jocelyne, I read a book recently. It's called Swastika Night, and it is a kind of dystopian future fiction about a future world where like the Nazis and Japan kind of split the world between them. And 700 years after the victory of the Nazis, they have basically wiped out the concept of women as like a part of the human race. They're only used for breeding.

Mein Kampf: A Translation Controversy Cover

Michael Ford

Mein Kampf

A Translation Controversy

It was referenced when discussing Hitler's desire for a powerful symbol for the Nazi party, and a passage was read aloud about the need for a unifying emblem.

"

In excerpts from Mein Kampf, devoted to symbolism, he wrote in a stupefyingly formal prose replete with euphemisms and epithets that enforced his own self-styled heroism, yet convinci...

— Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

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Episode: Part One: Behind the Swastika

It was referenced when discussing Hitler's desire for a powerful symbol for the Nazi party, and a passage was read aloud about the need for a unifying emblem.

"

In excerpts from Mein Kampf, devoted to symbolism, he wrote in a stupefyingly formal prose replete with euphemisms and epithets that enforced his own self-styled heroism, yet convincingly argued the need for a powerful symbol emblem logo for his nascent party.

Democracy – The God That Failed: The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy and Natural Order (Perspectives on Democratic Practice) Cover

Hans-Hermann Hoppe

Democracy – The God That Failed

The Economics and Politics of Monarchy, Democracy and Natural Order (Perspectives on Democratic Practice)

In 2001 Curtis Yarvin, also known as Mincius Moldbug, wrote Democracy, the God that Failed. The book follows a series of blog essays that became very influential among Silicon Valley proto fascists. Yarvin's basic idea was that the U.S. and most of Western society was controlled by what he called the "cathedral," a group of professors and journalists who acted like a dominating Brahmin class enforcing a progressive state religion.

"

Democracy, the God that Failed

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 96

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Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 96

In 2001 Curtis Yarvin, also known as Mincius Moldbug, wrote Democracy, the God that Failed. The book follows a series of blog essays that became very influential among Silicon Valley proto fascists. Yarvin's basic idea was that the U.S. and most of Western society was controlled by what he called the "cathedral," a group of professors and journalists who acted like a dominating Brahmin class enforcing a progressive state religion.

"

Democracy, the God that Failed

Bronze Age Mindset Cover

Bronze Age Pervert

Bronze Age Mindset

Bronze Age Pervert wrote Bronze Age Mindset in 2018. The book was at one point in the top 150 books on Amazon, and a former Trump White House official told Politico in 2019 that if you were a young person, intelligent, and right leaning, you would likely have heard of the book.

"

Bronze Age Mindset

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 96

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 96

Bronze Age Pervert wrote Bronze Age Mindset in 2018. The book was at one point in the top 150 books on Amazon, and a former Trump White House official told Politico in 2019 that if you were a young person, intelligent, and right leaning, you would likely have heard of the book.

"

Bronze Age Mindset

Bronze Age Mindset

should the tyranny that has descended on our age ever gain the power it seeks and then be challenged enough to feel itself in danger? The mass annihilations that will be carried out by homosexual, transsexual and especially lesbian commissars will exceed in scale and cruelty anything that has yet happened in known history. Imagine lesbian mulatta commissars with young Martin Sheen face and haircut manning the future Bergen Belsen's installations that will span tens of miles.

I consider myself a connoisseur of brilliant lunatics, and I have a high tolerance for their lunacy if it has compensating virtues of, say, humor or ingenuity. But even I find BAP worrisome. What starts as comedy can become something more sinister and BAP shtick, while sometimes hilarious, shows every sign of transforming into a mode of new far right radicalism.

Lightning In The Sun A History of Florida Power Corporation 1899-1974 Cover

Al Parsons

Lightning In The Sun A History of Florida Power Corporation 1899-1974

It was seen as her magnum opus, in which she outlined her views on Hitler as a central figure in a new Trinity that challenged traditional Christianity, connecting him to figures like Akhenaten and Genghis Khan.

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to the godlike individual of our times, the man against time, the greatest European of all times both sun and lightning.

— Episode: Part Two: Savitri Devi: The Woman Who Tu...

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Episode: Part Two: Savitri Devi: The Woman Who Turned Nazis...

It was seen as her magnum opus, in which she outlined her views on Hitler as a central figure in a new Trinity that challenged traditional Christianity, connecting him to figures like Akhenaten and Genghis Khan.

"

to the godlike individual of our times, the man against time, the greatest European of all times both sun and lightning.

Long-Whiskers and the Two-Legged Goddess, or The True Story of a Most Objectionable Nazi and. . . half-a-dozen Cats by Savitri Devi (2013-04-16) Cover

Savitri Devi

Long-Whiskers and the Two-Legged Goddess, or The True Story of a Most Objectionable Nazi and. . . half-a-dozen Cats by Savitri Devi (2013-04-16)

It was a children's fable written by Savitri Devi that retold her first trip back to Europe in a fantastical way, and features a self-insert cat-loving Nazi character.

"

no human feelings in the ordinary sense of the word

— Episode: Part Two: Savitri Devi: The Woman Who Tu...

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Episode: Part Two: Savitri Devi: The Woman Who Turned Nazis...

It was a children's fable written by Savitri Devi that retold her first trip back to Europe in a fantastical way, and features a self-insert cat-loving Nazi character.

"

no human feelings in the ordinary sense of the word

She had been from her very childhood much to profoundly shocked at the behavior of man towards animals to have any sympathy for people suffering an account of their being Jews.

Ilium: A novel Cover

Lea Carpenter

Ilium

A novel

It was discussed as a science fiction book where rich people become gods and recreate the Trojan War, with some moments of bigotry mentioned.

"

It's it's fun. It's it's quite a series except for the weird moments of bigotry.

— Episode: The Sam Bankman-Fried Update

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Episode: The Sam Bankman-Fried Update

It was discussed as a science fiction book where rich people become gods and recreate the Trojan War, with some moments of bigotry mentioned.

"

It's it's fun. It's it's quite a series except for the weird moments of bigotry.

I forget the name of the author, but the premise of the book is that like in the future, a bunch of rich guys turn themselves into gods and decide to like recreate the Trojan War with themselves as the Greek gods.

Oh, it's I think Ilium and Olympus.

Trujillo: Little Caesar of the Caribbean Cover

Germán E Ornes

Trujillo

Little Caesar of the Caribbean

It was mentioned as a biography of Trujillo, and a fun anecdote was shared about how he had people killed or tortured for using his childhood nickname 'bottle cap'.

"

Somehow the nickname was eventually eliminated as a result of one of Trujillo's earliest biographical rewrites to accomplish this however he had to banish the word from the language m...

— Episode: Part Two: Rafael Trujillo: The Most Brut...

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Episode: Part Two: Rafael Trujillo: The Most Brutal Dictato...

It was mentioned as a biography of Trujillo, and a fun anecdote was shared about how he had people killed or tortured for using his childhood nickname 'bottle cap'.

"

Somehow the nickname was eventually eliminated as a result of one of Trujillo's earliest biographical rewrites to accomplish this however he had to banish the word from the language many people who stubbornly disregarded the prohibition paid dearly for their daring though successful in suppressing the word the generalissimo has failed to abolish its meaning the natural and probably innocent boyhood passion for collecting meaningless trifles remains with him to this day although considerably changed in scope in his maturity Trujillo collects medals and decorations of which he possesses more than 50

Trujillo: Little Caesar of the Caribbean Cover

Germán E Ornes

Trujillo

Little Caesar of the Caribbean

It was mentioned as one of the better biographies of Trujillo, providing insights into his upbringing and personality, particularly his early troublemaking in San Cristobal.

"

But if the children did not learn much at school, the dusty streets which separated in those days the monotonous rows of San Cristobal shacks provided them with an excellent schooling in lawlessness.

— Episode: Part One: Rafael Trujillo: The Most Brut...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Part One: Rafael Trujillo: The Most Brutal Dictato...

It was mentioned as one of the better biographies of Trujillo, providing insights into his upbringing and personality, particularly his early troublemaking in San Cristobal.

"

But if the children did not learn much at school, the dusty streets which separated in those days the monotonous rows of San Cristobal shacks provided them with an excellent schooling in lawlessness.

To survive the rowdyism of the neighborhood kids, a boy had to be tougher than the others, or at least as in the Trujillo's case, he had to belong to a large clannish family.

In frequent street brawls, the solid front of the Trujillo boys proved good enough to lick all opposition, a fact they never forgot later in life. From such an environment, Rafael emerged as a resourceful, headstrong character.

As a boy, Trujillo was always in trouble, recalls one of his neighbors, always trying to cheat someone, always bragging about how he would one day make big money without much effort.

The Americans in Santo Domingo Cover

Melvin M. Knight

The Americans in Santo Domingo

It was cited to describe the brutality of the US occupation, including assassinations and torture by the Marines, and how those practices influenced Trujillo's later behavior.

"

a number of Dominicans, we may be certain that nobody knows exactly how many were put to death offhand by the Marines and some were tortured without ever having their day in court at all.

— Episode: Part One: Rafael Trujillo: The Most Brut...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Part One: Rafael Trujillo: The Most Brutal Dictato...

It was cited to describe the brutality of the US occupation, including assassinations and torture by the Marines, and how those practices influenced Trujillo's later behavior.

"

a number of Dominicans, we may be certain that nobody knows exactly how many were put to death offhand by the Marines and some were tortured without ever having their day in court at all.

In fairness, however, it must be said that Captain Merkley's end was appropriate to his corrupt practice.

The assassinations by Captain Merkley were repudiated by his superiors and he committed suicide while awaiting for trial, asserts Knight.

Nevertheless, if Merkley himself paid dearly for his cruelty and sadism, his methods unfortunately did not disappear with him.

And young Trujillo, he left behind a keen, proficient disciple who has carried on the sadistic tradition long after his teacher's name is no longer remembered.

Meu sol de primavera (Portuguese Edition) Cover

Queren Ane

Meu sol de primavera (Portuguese Edition)

It was his first published book of poetry, which contained powerfully erotic content and was almost banned by the priests at his boarding school, but ultimately praised for its lyrical quality and use of the Italian language.

"

I laid you on the water lilies and kissed you with convulsed lips, crying, you are mine like a viper. You writhed and groaned.

— Episode: Part One: The Man Who Invented Fascism

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Episode: Part One: The Man Who Invented Fascism

It was his first published book of poetry, which contained powerfully erotic content and was almost banned by the priests at his boarding school, but ultimately praised for its lyrical quality and use of the Italian language.

"

I laid you on the water lilies and kissed you with convulsed lips, crying, you are mine like a viper. You writhed and groaned.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.