The Real Von Daniken

In the early Seventies, Erich von Daniken was huge. The author of Chariots Of The Gods and a string of similar titles, he sold more than 60 million books and persuaded huge numbers of otherwise sane people that such wonders as the Pyramids were built by visitors from outer space.

Today, in a world that seems more and more inclined to believe anything, he is back on top, with plans well advanced to build a massive 'Mysteries Of The World' theme park in Switzerland.

But who is Erich von Daniken and what happened to him in the years between his first brush with fame and his recent revival?

The story - well told here, with an admirably balanced approach - is fascinating. It is the tale of a self-educated Swiss hotelier, a man with a chequered career, who finally found an outlet for his pet theories, became rich and famous, then ran into deep, deep trouble...

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