Erich Von Daniken has had a long and illustrious (some might say infamous) career as one of the leading proponents of extraterrestrial visitations to Earth, the ‘ancient astronaut’ theory.
     His 1968 bestseller, Chariots of the Gods, has sold millions of copies and was one of the first popular books about possible alien intervention in human affairs. Von Daniken authored many more books and remains one of the most well known non-fiction authors in the world.
     His latest book, History Is Wrong, is along the same lines of subject matter that made him famous: ancient mysteries, and perhaps more notably, the mainstream backlash this kind of expression attracts.
     Unlike Chariots of the Gods, that covered a lot of ground, in History Is Wrong Von Daniken narrows his exploration to four main subjects: The Voynich Manuscript, the Book of Enoch, the hidden labyrinth beneath Ecuador, and Peru’s Nazca Lines.
     He ties all these subjects together with findings from years of research in order to point out that most of our history is completely unknown although clues remain as to what really happened in pre-historical times.
     In the first section, Von Daniken gives us a run-down on the Voynich Manuscript, a still un-deciphered book supposedly written around the 14th century. Named after its finder, eccentric book dealer Wilfred Voynich, the manuscript was written in an elaborate, unknown language, and is filled with equally mysterious drawings of astrological charts and plants not known to modern man.
     Voynich claimed 13th century polymath Roger Bacon or possibly English Court occultist Dr. John Dee wrote it. Voynich tried to sell the manuscript at a huge price, but never succeeded. It now resides in the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript library at Yale University.
     Von Daniken has no solutions for the meaning of manuscript either, but says it is an example of information passed down through the centuries in code, to be broken at a future time when it is truly needed.
     Next, he takes us further back into the mists of time to explore the Book of Enoch, one of the texts not included in the Bible and suppressed by the early Church.
     Enoch is a biblical figure who made contact with a higher intelligence and angels. He ended up leaving his family and followers to be with God, or the ‘Great Glory’.
     Von Daniken claims this is another example of people trying to explain things beyond their understanding. The ‘angels’ and ‘Great Glory’ could be described in modern terminology as visiting aliens with their captain, claims Von Daniken. They made Enoch write down more than 300 texts on the future of mankind with a ‘reed of quick writing’, even dousing him in ‘sacred’ fluid and dressing him accordingly before he met the ‘Great Glory’. Disinfectant and a space suit anyone?
     Next up is Von Daniken’s thorough re-telling of the trials and tribulations that presented him in the publication of his 1972 book, Gold of the Gods, particularly his visits to Ecuador and his unsuccessful attempts to find a subterranean library filled with golden books, statues and other artefacts.
     Explorer Juan Moricz was said to have found the entrance, hidden by the jungle, which led to a vast underground city in an isolated Ecuadorian mountain range.
     Von Daniken visited many times and supposedly made it to a side entrance to the city. What comes after the publication of his accounts in Gold of the Gods proves to be the real reason for this chapter.
     For his entire career as an author, the mainstream press has ridiculed Von Daniken. Telling the world about vast golden libraries got him what some might say a ‘right royal kicking’. Proof was demanded of Von Daniken. Expeditions were planned but never materialised, and the author was made the laughing stock of the literary and archaeological world.
     These experiences with mainstream ‘authorities’ appear to have left Von Daniken very bitter. He dedicates a hefty portion of the book to a rant about getting the cold shoulder from the press for decades.
     A sharp turn is taken in the book as Von Daniken ties the lost library and legends of its builders to the Book of Mormon. Again, the collations he brings to light are interesting, gold tablets deciphered by Joseph Smith that may be the same as the ones in the lost library, the forgotten instruction manuals Enoch received from ‘angels’ on the future of humanity.
     The final section concerns the Nazca Lines in Peru. Von Daniken spends most of this chapter furious with being misquoted by the press for decades, who claimed he said the lines are ‘Alien Runways’, a quote Von Daniken long denies.
     That is the reason for Von Daniken’s continuing popularity and unwavering self-belief. He does not care about stepping on toes and going against the grain, and History is Wrong, although slight compared to his previous efforts, shows Von Daniken’s age (75 in 2010) and history has not wearied his beliefs, only made them stronger and more focused.
     You might not agree with his theories, you might not agree with his point of view, but Von Daniken retains his place near the top of popular out-of-the-box thinkers, and for this he is respected and congratulated.