NEW BOOK - Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia

[I told you I was trouble]

Jose's story has been kept quiet for a long time - there were only a few handful of peeps who knew and "we" were leaving it up to Jose to tell it as he wished. Steve was told about it several years ago (I dunno by who) and he's managed to get it in print.

I know what you mean about being unable to put it down - it's a total page-turner and I just sat and read it whenever I could and finished it in less than 3 days.

The cult has had no answer to it here in Oz - I think they just don't have the personnel (and that includes public "volunteers") to do anything other than a few whinges about Steve. "Ignore Tech" at its best and most effective.

Thanks for that info Scoots (about Jose) ... if you are in touch with him please pass on how much his story impinged on many of us. I hope his life is good now.

I'll be back reading it again in a moment (I'm on chapter 11) and I have to say that it is all so much worse than I realised, hubbard really was a gold plated creep who apparently despised his "followers" ... it isn't always easy to read (I have moments of thinking "was I really that easily manipulated"?) but it's possibly the most factual book about the cult that I have read (fact checked with precision) and the info about the early days is incredible, awful but incredible.

It's fantastic to be free of the constant gnawing madness.

 

[RogerB]

Oh, boy! That is perhaps the very, very best interview I can imagine on the subject of Scientology and the exposing of its lies and criminality.

Steve not only demonstrates what an amazing memory he has but, also the exactitude of his research.

I know for a fact that he read every word of testimony, and a monster it is, given at the Melbourne Inquiry . . . the Anderson Report is long enough: but to go through the verbiage of the year's long testimony shows his absolute dedication to the truth.

Well done Steve!!!

RogerB

 

[CommunicatorIC]

Mike Rinder Reviews Fair Game: The incredible untold story of Scientology

Mike Rinder Reviews Fair Game: The incredible untold story of Scientology in Australia, by Steve Cannane

http://www.mikerindersblog.org/steve-cannanes-fair-game/

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

I have just finished reading Australian national journalist Steve Cannane’s book Fair Game.

I highly recommend it as a very well written and researched account of scientology’s history and a revealing expose of newly disclosed and little known information. Steve had earlier commented that I had prompted him to embark on this exercise when I had mentioned the important role Australia had played in the history of scientology — from the first government inquiry and ban to the Australian High Court decision defining religion and the precedent setting role of Australian media unintimidated by scientology’s threats. And the personalities who had had pivotal roles, from Yvonne Jentzsch and family to Jan Eastgate and Senator Nick Xenophon to James Packer and Rupert Murdoch and sons.

His book is oriented around the history of scientology in Australia — but don’t let that fool you into thinking it does not have much greater relevance in the overall narrative about scientology and its place in the world.

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *

 

[CommunicatorIC]

Fair Game: The incredible untold story of Scientology in Australia by Steve Cannane now being recorded as an audio book.

https://twitter.com/SteveCannane/status/789388685061926912

 

[I told you I was trouble]

The final chapter "Mike Rinder leaves the building" is a doozy ... I've always liked Mike and he comes across in the book as a very well balanced, down to earth, real person. His comments about his children and his regret about the way they were brought up brought tears to my eyes.

I agree with his review of the book. Everyone should read it, it isn't "just" about Oz ... not by a long shot.

Steve Cannane doesn't back away from the (well fact checked) issues and he has written a very readable book

 

[Free to shine]

Here’s an article by Steve Cannane, this is about Rupert Murdoch:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-05/rupert-murdoch-and-the-scientologists/7987408

Evening the score: Rupert Murdoch and the Scientologists

As hard as it has tried, the Church of Scientology has yet to avenge a decades-long crusade against it by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, writes Steve Cannane.

What was Rupert Murdoch thinking?

The veteran media mogul launched an extraordinary attack on Scientology in July 2012, following the marriage breakdown of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

"Scientology back in news," Murdoch tweeted. "Very weird cult, but big, big money involved with Tom Cruise either No. 2 or 3 in hierarchy."

 

[Bost_Bobby]

Fair game: The incredible untold story of Scientology in Australia author interview

I don't know if this has been posted yet or not and I have not yet had a chance to watch it. I hope it's a good one. https://youtu.be/91YWrejC71o

 

[Caroline]

Gerry has posted a “fact checker’s review” for the publisher of Steve Cannane’s just released book Fair Game.

The day after emailing my comments and corrigenda (below) to HarperCollins and Steve Cannane, I emailed him again because I had just received the paper edition he had sent me:

Dear Steve:
Fair Game has arrived. Thanks very much.

Further to my fact correction of the book, please also see this recent correction of Jon Atack/Tony Ortega’s fact errors relevant to areas you discuss in Fair Game: http://gerryarmstrong.ca/archives/1832

Regards,

Gerry

Cannane emailed me and said he is on assignment, and when he’s back he will go through my suggested corrections and cross check and then come back to me with what changes he will make. I haven’t heard back from HarperCollins.

Then I thought that my research, fact-checking, and commentary — essentially, from my perspective, my book review — could be educational and helpful for the book’s readers. Just keeping the record straight, to the degree I can, is in the public interest, and here it is a good personal defensive action against the Scientologists’ anticipated attacks coming out of Fair Game. So I’m posting: [...]

Rest of Gerry's review: Speaking Up About Fair Game.