Louis de Wohl
Shady Astrologer, MI5 Recruit, Christian Storyteller
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21363147 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Darren J N Middleton (0000-0002-9854-1969, Baylor University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue | 1110 |
| Pages | 179-189 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | New Blackfriars (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0028-4289 • E-ISSN: 1741-2005 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1111/nbfr.12806 |
| OpenAlex | W4319791080 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
Using files declassified and released to Great Britain's National Archives, this article shows how Britain's domestic spy agency, MI5, recruited Louis de Wohl (1903-61), a flashy Hungarian astrologer and Christian writer to create horoscopes for Adolf Hitler during World War II. De Wohl was a controversial figure. His origin story does not check out. His MI5 handlers found him showy. And recent journalists dismiss him as a ‘persuasive fake’. Yet his pre-war fictions were adapted for cinema, his later theological novels remain bestsellers, and his personal story deserves greater attention if we are to better understand Christian historical fiction's popularity
Agency (philosophy) · Art · Art history · Literature · Political science · Popularity · Historical and Architectural Studies · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |