An interesting book but not what the title led me to believe.

I thought it was going to be about a psychic who conducted seances with and for Hitler, finding his way into the highest reaches of Nazidom.

But it was mainly the story of a charlatan in Germany, Europe and other places, how he became what he was, and how he tricked and turned on people.

He got close to one guy among the Nazis, the leader of the stormtroopers, and manipulated him. Finally, one day, he did a seance for another group, told of Hitler's victory, and, supposedly, let a few secrets out.

Next thing, he's arrested, and killed.

Not exactly earth-shaking, and not unexpected. He isn't a sympathetic character, because he was a Jew who turned a blind eye to all that was happening around him.

That's as close as he got to Hitler. A big letdown, to be honest.

Though the topic (Jewish mystic/advisor & friend to the Nazis, Erik Jan Hanussen) could have been interesting, it was rendered fairly dull in this book. That's a shame since the subject was supposed to have charisma & hypnotic abilities -- the book had neither. I suppose this is meant to be a biography, but the writing is a jumbled mess. The author jumps around, contradicts himself, inserts his opinion in various places, & goes off on tangents that don't really have a lot to do with the topic. The book is very unevenly & poorly written, as well as seeming under-researched. A disappointment, imo. Read the Wikipedia entry if you're curious about Hanussen -- it's more succinct & to the point.

This is definitely one of the most interesting and unique reading experiences for me this year. The moment I saw the title of this book, I felt it would be an interesting one to read, and it did not disappoint. If you enjoy history, especially reading about lesser known topics or more obscure things, this may be a book for you. If you enjoy reading about performers, mentalists, clairvoyants, etc., this may be a good book for you as well as it does have some discussion of that trade as well, including quotes and comments from Teller (of Penn & Teller). And if you happen to be a World War II or Nazi Germany history buff, you may to grab this one. In other words, there is something to interest various folks.

The strength of the book is in the narrative. Magida writes this book as if it was a novel. And even if you know the fate of Erik Jan Hanussen, the psychic in question, you still want to read through it. There are moments when you feel sympathy for the guy and moments when you say, "what was he thinking? Is he really that blind?" Those moments in reading help show that Hanussen was a complex individual. True: he was swindler; he was very selfish (looking after numero uno, so to speak), and he was quite the charmer able to live off his wits. But the guy was also quite the performer struggling to move in a world that was collapsing around him. It is quite the tragic story. It is well written, and the pace just moves along.

In addition, the book is very well researched as evident from the extensive notes at the end of the book. Also, there are some revelations (well, maybe to some). For example, where the Nazis stood when it came to the occult. It is commonly asserted that the Nazis were big on it, yet this book argues that it varied: some Nazis were indifferent, others embraced it. Also fascinating to see was how the Nazis used the clairvoyant for more than just his abilities. Hanussen often lent them money and bailed them out of debts, something he thought he could use as leverage. That and the fact that he pretty much became a Nazi mouthpiece, at least until they turned against him, and by then, it was the end. This detail may make a lot of readers wonder: why did he not leave Germany when he could? How could he not see what the Nazis would do? So on.

Overall, this is an excellent book that I do recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It was engaging, informative, and what a story!

The title is a little misleading, but nonetheless this is a really interesting account of pre-war Germany with a cast of colourful characters.

An interesting look at a little known figure connected to Nazi Party members. My one major gripe is that in the grand scheme of things Hanussen wasn't really a part of Hitler's circle. Yes, he did know and was owed favors by prominent members of the party but he didn't play a significant role in Hitler's actions. An interesting side bit of pre WW2 history but nothing more.