Arktos is the first book ever written on the archetype of the Poles: celestial and terrestrial, North and South. This engrossing and sometimes hair-raising voyage through cosmology, occultism and conspiracy theory leads to startling revelations about the secrets of the Poles. The author investigates legends of a Golden Age, which some claim ended in a prehistoric catastrophe, a shift in the earth's axis. This is examined in the light of the latest geological theories, as are predictions of a coming pole-shift. The perennial fascination of these ideas is shown to be part of a "polar tradition" of hidden wisdom. There are many recorded tales of an ancient race said to have lived in the Arctic regions, which later spread through the Northern Hemisphere. This supposedly "Aryan Race" entered the pantheon of Nazi Germany, with dreadful consequences. The author examines the origins of modern neo-Nazi ideology, its "polar" inspiration, and its links with other arcana, including the survival of Hitler, German bases in Antarctica, UFOS, the Hollow Earth, and the hidden kingdoms of Agartha and Shambhala. However, "Arktos" differs from most writings on these subjects in its responsible and scholarly treatment, and its extensive use of foreign-language sources.

Born in England, Joscelyn Godwin teaches at Colgate University, New York State. His many publications include "Athanasius Kircher" (1979), "Robert Fludd" (1979), "Mystery Religions in the Ancient World" (1982) and "Harmonies of Heaven and Earth" (1988), all available from Thames and Hudson.