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Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia
As astonishing as it is compelling -- Steve Cannane's extraordinary insight into Scientology in Australia is investigative journalism at its very best.
From Rugby League players trying to improve their game, to Hollywood superstars and the depressed sons of media moguls, Scientology has recruited its share of famous Australians. Less known is that Australia was the first place to ban Scientology, or that Scientology spies helped expose the Chelmsford Deep Sleep Scandal. Numerous Australians have held senior posts in the organisation only to fall foul of the top brass and lose their families as a result. Based on years of interviews and research, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane tells for the first time the fascinating story of Australia's vital involvement with this powerful, secretive and punitive cult.
From Rugby League players trying to improve their game, to Hollywood superstars and the depressed sons of media moguls, Scientology has recruited its share of famous Australians. Less known is that Australia was the first place to ban Scientology, or that Scientology spies helped expose the Chelmsford Deep Sleep Scandal. Numerous Australians have held senior posts in the organisation only to fall foul of the top brass and lose their families as a result. Based on years of interviews and research, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane tells for the first time the fascinating story of Australia's vital involvement with this powerful, secretive and punitive cult.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
70 people are currently reading
667 people want to read
About the author
Steve Cannane
2 books8 followersSteve Cannane is the Europe correspondent for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Previously he was a senior reporter and occasional presenter for Lateline, and co-host of The Drum. In 2006 he won a Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing. Steve's first book, FIRST TESTS was published in 2009. You can follow him on Twitter at @SteveCannane
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 25, 2024
4.5★
“[L. Ron] Hubbard was not just gunning for contemporary mental health practitioners; he claimed that 75 million years ago, psychiatrists helped carry out genocide in the Galactic Confederacy.”
Got that? 75 million years ago? Galactic Confederacy? FAR-fetched, you think?
You should probably turn away now if you are a member of this “criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs” (Australian Senator Nick Xenophon, Nov 2009 in Federal Parliament). Or, no, actually you should read this book to get the facts on who the founder really was and what his followers are really up to.
I thought I’d read and watched enough about Scientology to have a pretty good grasp of their aims and methods, but I didn’t really understand the depth of the violence and abuse: forced abortions, dungeons, slave conditions, forgeries, theft, home invasions, threats – the list is endless.
Steve Cannane, a respected Australian journalist, has done a terrific job of pulling this all together. Every allegation, quotation, and comment is footnoted and indexed. He sure had a lot of material to work with, and I can’t think of anything he’s overlooked. He makes it quite clear that he’s not blaming the people who have been sucked in and truly believe that this pseudo-science has helped them. He’s blaming the obviously deranged founder, L. Ron Hubbard and his disciple David Miscavage and those who have carried out their orders over the years.
L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer who wanted to make money – and did.
“Former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder estimated that by 2014 the IAS’s cash reserves were probably in excess of US$2 billion.”
And that’s five years ago.
Hubbard was a man who couldn’t lie straight in bed. He wouldn’t get away with some of it now.
“Hubbard had been caught out lying about his rank, his war wounds, his war decorations, and where he served. In the United States it is referred to as ‘stealing valor’ and if Hubbard were alive today he could be subjected to laws that prevent fake war heroes from benefiting from false claims about their service records.”
He invented his own ‘science’, Dianetics
“According to Dianetics, to get ‘clear’ you have to go and relive all the traumatic experiences filed in your reactive mind going back to conception. For Hubbard the womb was a world of pain.”
Scientists, real ones, didn’t mince words.
“Prominent scientists were scathing of Dianetics. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Issac Isidor Rabi began his review in Scientific American with a damning assessment: ‘This volume probably contains more promises and less evidence per page than has any publication since the invention of printing.’”
The publisher was so appalled with the response, that he sold a critique of it instead!
“Later, publisher Art Ceppos withdrew Dianetics from sale, when he came to the conclusion it was a scam. He replaced it with Winter’s critique ‘Dianetics: A Doctor’s Report.’”
I didn’t realise how much Australia figured in the beginning of Scientology. Hubbard was in Australia during WW2, but didn't arrive as he claimed, saying he'd paddled a life raft over 1000 miles across open waters. No. He’d never been to any of those places, but he did arrive in Brisbane on a ship and was later sent home in disgrace.
He recruited many Aussies over the years, and of course most Australians are aware of the Nicole Kidman / Tom Cruise marriage and subsequent debacle. There is a long section about that in the book. There are also many details about James Packer’s connection (since lapsed) when the Scientologists hoped to use him to get to Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, who called their program ‘Bunkumology’ in his Melbourne paper and was responsible for triggering the first ban on them in the world.
Their criminal activities are frightening. It’s pretty hard to escape. Paulette Cooper had written The Scandal of Scientology in 1971 and they were out to get her.
“The Church of Scientology in New York had been mailed two bomb threats; one of them had Paulette Cooper’s fingerprints on them. Cooper denied the allegations but was indicted for the bomb threats and for perjury. The trial was delayed. Evidence eventually emerged that the Church of Scientology had attempted to frame her. Cooper believes her fingerprints were accessed as she signed a petition. ‘A mysterious girl named Margie Shepherd came by with a petition for me to sign supporting the United Farm Workers,’ she later told journalist Tony Ortega. Margie Shepherd was wearing gloves. Cooper believes she placed a piece of stationery under the clipboard, which would have picked up her fingerprints. That piece of stationery, the theory goes, was then used to write a bomb threat against the Church of Scientology. It was five torturous years before Cooper was exonerated.”
They were still following her in 2010. They break into government offices, steal files, and battled with Julian Assange. Hubbard took to the high seas with Sea.org to escape government control on the 75% of the earth that is covered by water. Those on board were virtual slaves, starved and maltreated.
Why? Power, I guess. The ‘auditing’ to train you and clear your mind is probably soothing in the initial stages for those who need support – like James Packer at a low point in his life. But why anyone would stay, give up their children, suffer abortions, is beyond me.
“[Kleitsch, a] former Scientologist says he was forced to run on the road up to two hours a day for around a year. ‘It was painful,’ Kleitsch says. ‘Your feet would wind up bleeding.’”
No surprise that he’s a ‘former’, is there? This really is warts and all with every claim verified and documented. Scientology has been banned in many places, including Wikipedia, which must be particularly galling! Almost anybody can edit anything on Wikipedia, which is the whole point, but even they have limits!
For anyone who wants to know more, here’s a brief summary of Hubbard’s invention.
“Central to Hubbard’s new cosmology was the theory that ‘thetans’, or ‘theta-beings’ as he called them then, created the universe as their own playground. Thetans, according to Hubbard, are immortal spiritual beings. But having inhabited so many bodies over trillions of years, they have become so consumed by the universe they live in, that they have forgotten about their special powers and degenerated to the extent that they believed they were simply ‘meat bodies’. Their super-powers could be restored through Scientology, the goal being to make an individual an Operating Thetan, or OT, who could ‘operate’ independently of the human body.
Hubbard’s new belief system turned into a nice little earner. With Dianetics you only had one lifetime to audit. In Scientology, the ‘thetans’ running human bodies came burdened with engrams from past lives. That meant auditing past lives from this and even other universes. And it wasn’t just the thetans that needed work, there were engrams lurking from the primordial swamp that needed clearing too. Hubbard told his followers their bodies were also occupied by another ‘lower grade’ soul called a ‘genetic entity’, or GE. The GE, according to Hubbard, passed through an evolutionary line going back to molluscs, seaweed, right back to single atoms. Hubbard believed many engrams could be traced back to clams. He warned of the dangers of talking about ‘clam incidents’ with the uninitiated. ‘Should you describe the “clam” to some one [sic], you may restimulate it in him to the extent of causing severe jaw pain. One such victim, after hearing about a clam death, could not use his jaws for three days.”
And there’s more where that came from – YIKES!
This is NOT to be shelved under RELIGION, please! (Maybe CRIME would be more appropriate.)
But wait, there's more! The gift that keeps on giving.
https://www.insider.com/scientology-l...
“[L. Ron] Hubbard was not just gunning for contemporary mental health practitioners; he claimed that 75 million years ago, psychiatrists helped carry out genocide in the Galactic Confederacy.”
Got that? 75 million years ago? Galactic Confederacy? FAR-fetched, you think?
You should probably turn away now if you are a member of this “criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs” (Australian Senator Nick Xenophon, Nov 2009 in Federal Parliament). Or, no, actually you should read this book to get the facts on who the founder really was and what his followers are really up to.
I thought I’d read and watched enough about Scientology to have a pretty good grasp of their aims and methods, but I didn’t really understand the depth of the violence and abuse: forced abortions, dungeons, slave conditions, forgeries, theft, home invasions, threats – the list is endless.
Steve Cannane, a respected Australian journalist, has done a terrific job of pulling this all together. Every allegation, quotation, and comment is footnoted and indexed. He sure had a lot of material to work with, and I can’t think of anything he’s overlooked. He makes it quite clear that he’s not blaming the people who have been sucked in and truly believe that this pseudo-science has helped them. He’s blaming the obviously deranged founder, L. Ron Hubbard and his disciple David Miscavage and those who have carried out their orders over the years.
L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer who wanted to make money – and did.
“Former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder estimated that by 2014 the IAS’s cash reserves were probably in excess of US$2 billion.”
And that’s five years ago.
Hubbard was a man who couldn’t lie straight in bed. He wouldn’t get away with some of it now.
“Hubbard had been caught out lying about his rank, his war wounds, his war decorations, and where he served. In the United States it is referred to as ‘stealing valor’ and if Hubbard were alive today he could be subjected to laws that prevent fake war heroes from benefiting from false claims about their service records.”
He invented his own ‘science’, Dianetics
“According to Dianetics, to get ‘clear’ you have to go and relive all the traumatic experiences filed in your reactive mind going back to conception. For Hubbard the womb was a world of pain.”
Scientists, real ones, didn’t mince words.
“Prominent scientists were scathing of Dianetics. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Issac Isidor Rabi began his review in Scientific American with a damning assessment: ‘This volume probably contains more promises and less evidence per page than has any publication since the invention of printing.’”
The publisher was so appalled with the response, that he sold a critique of it instead!
“Later, publisher Art Ceppos withdrew Dianetics from sale, when he came to the conclusion it was a scam. He replaced it with Winter’s critique ‘Dianetics: A Doctor’s Report.’”
I didn’t realise how much Australia figured in the beginning of Scientology. Hubbard was in Australia during WW2, but didn't arrive as he claimed, saying he'd paddled a life raft over 1000 miles across open waters. No. He’d never been to any of those places, but he did arrive in Brisbane on a ship and was later sent home in disgrace.
He recruited many Aussies over the years, and of course most Australians are aware of the Nicole Kidman / Tom Cruise marriage and subsequent debacle. There is a long section about that in the book. There are also many details about James Packer’s connection (since lapsed) when the Scientologists hoped to use him to get to Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, who called their program ‘Bunkumology’ in his Melbourne paper and was responsible for triggering the first ban on them in the world.
Their criminal activities are frightening. It’s pretty hard to escape. Paulette Cooper had written The Scandal of Scientology in 1971 and they were out to get her.
“The Church of Scientology in New York had been mailed two bomb threats; one of them had Paulette Cooper’s fingerprints on them. Cooper denied the allegations but was indicted for the bomb threats and for perjury. The trial was delayed. Evidence eventually emerged that the Church of Scientology had attempted to frame her. Cooper believes her fingerprints were accessed as she signed a petition. ‘A mysterious girl named Margie Shepherd came by with a petition for me to sign supporting the United Farm Workers,’ she later told journalist Tony Ortega. Margie Shepherd was wearing gloves. Cooper believes she placed a piece of stationery under the clipboard, which would have picked up her fingerprints. That piece of stationery, the theory goes, was then used to write a bomb threat against the Church of Scientology. It was five torturous years before Cooper was exonerated.”
They were still following her in 2010. They break into government offices, steal files, and battled with Julian Assange. Hubbard took to the high seas with Sea.org to escape government control on the 75% of the earth that is covered by water. Those on board were virtual slaves, starved and maltreated.
Why? Power, I guess. The ‘auditing’ to train you and clear your mind is probably soothing in the initial stages for those who need support – like James Packer at a low point in his life. But why anyone would stay, give up their children, suffer abortions, is beyond me.
“[Kleitsch, a] former Scientologist says he was forced to run on the road up to two hours a day for around a year. ‘It was painful,’ Kleitsch says. ‘Your feet would wind up bleeding.’”
No surprise that he’s a ‘former’, is there? This really is warts and all with every claim verified and documented. Scientology has been banned in many places, including Wikipedia, which must be particularly galling! Almost anybody can edit anything on Wikipedia, which is the whole point, but even they have limits!
For anyone who wants to know more, here’s a brief summary of Hubbard’s invention.
“Central to Hubbard’s new cosmology was the theory that ‘thetans’, or ‘theta-beings’ as he called them then, created the universe as their own playground. Thetans, according to Hubbard, are immortal spiritual beings. But having inhabited so many bodies over trillions of years, they have become so consumed by the universe they live in, that they have forgotten about their special powers and degenerated to the extent that they believed they were simply ‘meat bodies’. Their super-powers could be restored through Scientology, the goal being to make an individual an Operating Thetan, or OT, who could ‘operate’ independently of the human body.
Hubbard’s new belief system turned into a nice little earner. With Dianetics you only had one lifetime to audit. In Scientology, the ‘thetans’ running human bodies came burdened with engrams from past lives. That meant auditing past lives from this and even other universes. And it wasn’t just the thetans that needed work, there were engrams lurking from the primordial swamp that needed clearing too. Hubbard told his followers their bodies were also occupied by another ‘lower grade’ soul called a ‘genetic entity’, or GE. The GE, according to Hubbard, passed through an evolutionary line going back to molluscs, seaweed, right back to single atoms. Hubbard believed many engrams could be traced back to clams. He warned of the dangers of talking about ‘clam incidents’ with the uninitiated. ‘Should you describe the “clam” to some one [sic], you may restimulate it in him to the extent of causing severe jaw pain. One such victim, after hearing about a clam death, could not use his jaws for three days.”
And there’s more where that came from – YIKES!
This is NOT to be shelved under RELIGION, please! (Maybe CRIME would be more appropriate.)
But wait, there's more! The gift that keeps on giving.
https://www.insider.com/scientology-l...
January 6, 2017
Like reading a really long New Weekly, except with references* & well-researched. Even if half of this book was true- which I'm sure it is - we should be very wary of Scientology. I am astounded that Scientology is classed as a religion in Australia and therefore tax exempt. From reading this book and watching documentaries, Scientology seems like a business to me- one that is based on scamming people & in some cases depriving people of basic human rights.
( *some seem to be hearsay.)
( *some seem to be hearsay.)
July 8, 2017
Fair Game was a really informative book and it's set off a chain reaction of interest in the subject of Scientology.
I listened to the audiobook edition that was read by the author and I felt that the narration by the author was quite good and added a level of depth to the writing that would not have been achieved had someone else narrated. I have seen comments from other reviewers relating to the audio narration being a little monotonous and I can definitely see where those comments originate, but my issue with the narration was the odd emphasis Cannane places on pieces of dialogue, they get oddly animated for a non-fiction book and it got a little annoying by the end of the book.
If you want a basic explanation of the history of Scientology in Australia, this is a really good place to start. It's not super in depth, but it gives good overall coverage of the movement between about 1950 and 2016 as well as it's impact on Australian spirituality, the Australian population, Australian government and lawmaking, Australian media and prominent Australians both in Australia and abroad. The downside of this being a more general book is that it almost felt like Cannane ran out of facts to use as he repeated a whole lot of content multiple times. Facts mentioned at the beginning of the book were repeated in the final chapters and on occassion facts from the beginning of a chapter were repeated at the end of a chapter. It was a noticeable flaw.
The thing that made this stand apart from the majority of other Scientology research books is the Australian aspect of it. It is a mostly complete history of Scientology from its beginnings here and it provides researched and referenced evidence of the complete lack of religious aspects to Scientology as a whole. I am a firm subscriber to the school of thought that this is NOT, in any form a religion. Scientology had a rocky start here, eventually leading to a world first ban on Scientology in its original incarnation, and as at the 2011 census had slightly over 2000 members in Australia, much lower than their claim of 150,000 members, Cannane discusses this in more detail in the book.
I believe my three star rating is reasonably fair, I wasn't totally blown away by this book, it didn't bring me much of anything I didn't already know about Scientology but it has awakened a need for more knowledge on the topic, I'll be continuing my reading with titles like Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me and Let's sell these people A Piece of Blue Sky as well as Leah Remini's biography Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.
There was one thought travelling through my mind the whole time I was reading this though. Surely people can't truly believe all this rubbish? Why are they putting up with what amounts to torture and imprisonment? Why are they giving their entire lives, everything they own and all of their money to a maniacal figurehead?
As a person who is opposed to all forms of religion but believes firmly that people can live their lives how ever they choose; I cannot conceive of how people can do this, but understand that some people will for reasons known only to them. I was particularly struck by the undocumented, or more accurately, the off the record interview with L Ron Hubbard where he says quite candidly, that he cannot believe that so many people, including his own wife, fell for his plot to make money, that anyone could believe any of this stuff that he was preaching. He also was quoted at one stage as saying that the quickest way to make money is to start a religion. He has mentioned in the past as well that Scientology was not a religion.
What I took from this book was a lot of contradiction. From all angles. Scientology is an area of modern spirituality that is shady, secretive, combative and driven by power, greed and money. But isn't that what Catholicism and Christianity are guilty of as well? Scientology is a modern 'religion' and while the ancient religions boast the crusades and the crucifixion etc, it just seems that with Scientology, the blood on their hands is entirely more visible.
I listened to the audiobook edition that was read by the author and I felt that the narration by the author was quite good and added a level of depth to the writing that would not have been achieved had someone else narrated. I have seen comments from other reviewers relating to the audio narration being a little monotonous and I can definitely see where those comments originate, but my issue with the narration was the odd emphasis Cannane places on pieces of dialogue, they get oddly animated for a non-fiction book and it got a little annoying by the end of the book.
If you want a basic explanation of the history of Scientology in Australia, this is a really good place to start. It's not super in depth, but it gives good overall coverage of the movement between about 1950 and 2016 as well as it's impact on Australian spirituality, the Australian population, Australian government and lawmaking, Australian media and prominent Australians both in Australia and abroad. The downside of this being a more general book is that it almost felt like Cannane ran out of facts to use as he repeated a whole lot of content multiple times. Facts mentioned at the beginning of the book were repeated in the final chapters and on occassion facts from the beginning of a chapter were repeated at the end of a chapter. It was a noticeable flaw.
The thing that made this stand apart from the majority of other Scientology research books is the Australian aspect of it. It is a mostly complete history of Scientology from its beginnings here and it provides researched and referenced evidence of the complete lack of religious aspects to Scientology as a whole. I am a firm subscriber to the school of thought that this is NOT, in any form a religion. Scientology had a rocky start here, eventually leading to a world first ban on Scientology in its original incarnation, and as at the 2011 census had slightly over 2000 members in Australia, much lower than their claim of 150,000 members, Cannane discusses this in more detail in the book.
I believe my three star rating is reasonably fair, I wasn't totally blown away by this book, it didn't bring me much of anything I didn't already know about Scientology but it has awakened a need for more knowledge on the topic, I'll be continuing my reading with titles like Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me and Let's sell these people A Piece of Blue Sky as well as Leah Remini's biography Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.
There was one thought travelling through my mind the whole time I was reading this though. Surely people can't truly believe all this rubbish? Why are they putting up with what amounts to torture and imprisonment? Why are they giving their entire lives, everything they own and all of their money to a maniacal figurehead?
As a person who is opposed to all forms of religion but believes firmly that people can live their lives how ever they choose; I cannot conceive of how people can do this, but understand that some people will for reasons known only to them. I was particularly struck by the undocumented, or more accurately, the off the record interview with L Ron Hubbard where he says quite candidly, that he cannot believe that so many people, including his own wife, fell for his plot to make money, that anyone could believe any of this stuff that he was preaching. He also was quoted at one stage as saying that the quickest way to make money is to start a religion. He has mentioned in the past as well that Scientology was not a religion.
What I took from this book was a lot of contradiction. From all angles. Scientology is an area of modern spirituality that is shady, secretive, combative and driven by power, greed and money. But isn't that what Catholicism and Christianity are guilty of as well? Scientology is a modern 'religion' and while the ancient religions boast the crusades and the crucifixion etc, it just seems that with Scientology, the blood on their hands is entirely more visible.
July 13, 2017
If you are going to read any books on Scientology, *don't* miss this one. Most of the books out there are from an American perspective. But some of the worst "policies" instituted by L.Ron Hubbard were birthed out of the battles waged in Australia & that is the perspective of this author... who was right in the middle of some of it.
Here you will find the origins of the Sea Org, "fair game" policy & several other experiential "norms" of the Sea Org. What I found of greatest interest was the biographical material about LRH. Anyone who takes the time to research this man could never be sucked into his organization. (I refuse to call it a "church"... more so after reading this book than even before!) Scientology is basically a biography of LRH & his struggles with his own demons. Never presented so clearly for me than in these pages.
I would even go so far as to suggest if you were going to read only one book about Scientology, this would be the one I'd recommend. I have read several others & have a number of others on my reading list so it is possible I may find another that is as good. But L Ron Hubbard had declared that Australia would be the first continent to "go clear" & his focus on achieving that goal so intensely set the stage for it's ruin.
The book covers the history from it's pre-inception of Dianetics to the time Mike Rinder left and the "Going Clear" project. Each chapter focuses on a particular point in time or a particular person, which creates a bit of overlap in story line. It is quite thorough & I didn't find the overlapping material in some chapters distracting at all. I'm not certain how one could follow all the threads & storylines in a cleaner way & still tell all the stories well.
Here you will find the origins of the Sea Org, "fair game" policy & several other experiential "norms" of the Sea Org. What I found of greatest interest was the biographical material about LRH. Anyone who takes the time to research this man could never be sucked into his organization. (I refuse to call it a "church"... more so after reading this book than even before!) Scientology is basically a biography of LRH & his struggles with his own demons. Never presented so clearly for me than in these pages.
I would even go so far as to suggest if you were going to read only one book about Scientology, this would be the one I'd recommend. I have read several others & have a number of others on my reading list so it is possible I may find another that is as good. But L Ron Hubbard had declared that Australia would be the first continent to "go clear" & his focus on achieving that goal so intensely set the stage for it's ruin.
The book covers the history from it's pre-inception of Dianetics to the time Mike Rinder left and the "Going Clear" project. Each chapter focuses on a particular point in time or a particular person, which creates a bit of overlap in story line. It is quite thorough & I didn't find the overlapping material in some chapters distracting at all. I'm not certain how one could follow all the threads & storylines in a cleaner way & still tell all the stories well.
December 4, 2016
My favourite story about PT Barnum is how he used to have a sign up at his circus stating 'This Way to the Egress' which patrons used to take believing that they were about to see another animal, only to find out, after leaving the tent, they'd have to pay to get back in again. I'm only familiar with author, Steve Cannane, through his occasional talking head appearances on the ABC but thought this book was well written and extensively researched. The only reason he didn't get 5 stars is because I don't think he adequately explained why seemingly highly intelligent people could be duped in such a fashion (although in fairness to Cannane, it probably wasn't through lack of trying to present a more balanced approach). Well worth a read though.
February 25, 2017
Fascinating insights into Scientology in Australia, especially the connection to Chelmsford.
October 21, 2016
EXCELLENT!
Steve Cannane has done a remarkable job presenting new firsthand experiences and fascinating accounts of former members and a look at a lot of pieces of Scientology history as well. I highly recommend this book.
Steve Cannane has done a remarkable job presenting new firsthand experiences and fascinating accounts of former members and a look at a lot of pieces of Scientology history as well. I highly recommend this book.
December 21, 2016
This was a real eye opener and a really compelling read. Good job Steve
February 21, 2017
Compelling and well-researched - a thrilling read, and a chilling one as well.
February 18, 2019
Excellent history of Sientology in Australia from the 1950’s to the present day. Cannane begins with the growth of Scientology in Melbourne and Sydney. His account follows the major developments in the cult, including the Anderson Report in the 1960’s which outlawed Scientology in Victoria, the life of Hubbard, the rise of Miscavige, the Deep Sleep scandal at Chelmsford Hospital, the flings of well known people with the cult, such as Nicole Kidman and James Packer. Cannane ends his work with senator Nick Xenophon’s speech against Scientology in 2009 and his call for a Royal Commission into the religious status of the cult, which did not, unfortunately, occur. Not a nice organisation and one that Cannane believes is shrinking in Australia, having about 2000 members. A really well researched piece of investigative reporting.
May 6, 2023
Details! This book has the details! Not only about Scientology in Australia but also much of its US activity as well.
The book takes us from when Scientology made its first toehold in Australia, how it came to be banned in three states, and how even when unbanned its reputation was so damaged by investigative journalism that it does not thrive there.
I liked the details. We get the overall story, and then one piece after another slots into place. More than one source confirms each story - and there is an extensive list of endnotes in the back, as well as an index, making the book a valuable source itself. I might even keep it for a while (much as I like giving books away).
The book is more about the "religion" itself than about Hubbard. You'll have to go elsewhere for details about his life, although many of his lies are exposed here.
The book takes us from when Scientology made its first toehold in Australia, how it came to be banned in three states, and how even when unbanned its reputation was so damaged by investigative journalism that it does not thrive there.
I liked the details. We get the overall story, and then one piece after another slots into place. More than one source confirms each story - and there is an extensive list of endnotes in the back, as well as an index, making the book a valuable source itself. I might even keep it for a while (much as I like giving books away).
The book is more about the "religion" itself than about Hubbard. You'll have to go elsewhere for details about his life, although many of his lies are exposed here.
March 10, 2024
From the outside, Scientology seems pretty nutty, but it turns out that the depths of the madness, cruelty and abuse that lodge in its core are beyond extraordinary. Steve Cannane and his brave survivors are to be commended for thei courage to call out the truth. L Ron Hubbard has a lot on his conscience.
April 21, 2021
A tragic story of a truly evil, demonic organisation.
4 stars.
4 stars.
January 27, 2019
Has a friend ever loaned you a book which you wouldn't have picked up for yourself and it ended up being super fascinating? I have zero interest in Scientology so I never would have looked twice at this book so I'm grateful a friend thrust it into my hands. Steve Cannane's book is minutely researched, fascinating, horrifying, mystifying, laughably ridiculous and interwoven with deeply human really disturbing stories of life in this for-profit cult. Really glad I read it.
December 27, 2016
Despite having heard a great deal about Scientology in bits and pieces over the years, this book was still full of revelations. Tracking Australia's role in the development of the Church of Scientology was an intriguing approach on Steve Cannane's part. Australia and Australians have seemingly played a role in many of the key events in the organisation's history. In fact, you could say Australia has been involved since the beginning; a crucial participant in L. Ron Hubbard's personal myth-making.
One of my favourite things about this book is that you get the full history of the birth of Scientology with plentiful insights into LRH's life and character. After learning more about him, it feels like all the strange goings-on make some kind of sense.
Fair Game was fascinating, well-written, and full of the kinds of details that keep me hooked. I highly recommend it and have actually already lent my copy to a friend - I live in a town with no bookshops, we have to share.
One of my favourite things about this book is that you get the full history of the birth of Scientology with plentiful insights into LRH's life and character. After learning more about him, it feels like all the strange goings-on make some kind of sense.
Fair Game was fascinating, well-written, and full of the kinds of details that keep me hooked. I highly recommend it and have actually already lent my copy to a friend - I live in a town with no bookshops, we have to share.
December 29, 2022
Would recommend Lawrence Wright's "Scientology and the Prison of Belief" before this book as it is the better title. This book does go through a lot of the same. A few stories specific to Australia but they are not told in an interesting enough way. 3/5
July 31, 2022
I first heard of Scientology years ago when reading an article about L Ron Hubbard and his science fiction writing. Hubbard had clearly stated, at a very early stage, that he would create a religion and he did. What fascinated me was how many people could be taken in by this. I knew Scientology had a number of celebs spruiking its value but many others had their lives destroyed.
Cannane's book opens up a deeper exploration into the "church" and exposes its practices, punishments and dogma that sadly many still follow. Cannane does point out that it was Scientology's information that helped expose the despicable behaviour at Chelmsford, so OK - one for them. Aside from that it is seriously a whacko organisation now led by an arrogant, power hungry narcissist in David Miscavige.
A lot of research has gone into this book and it is a very interesting read. It is also very sad from the perspective of those taken in by its lies who were either separated from their families, paid huge amounts of money to go 'up the bridge' to reach higher levels of OT (Operating Theta levels) or punished for the slightest issue or at times punished on no evidence at all.
The power of brainwashing followers has been around for aeons but Scientology could run a course on how to do it on a global scale - oh wait - they have!
Great book and one that should be read widely especially by those who may have even the slightest thought (please don't) of joining this money making escapade.
Cannane's book opens up a deeper exploration into the "church" and exposes its practices, punishments and dogma that sadly many still follow. Cannane does point out that it was Scientology's information that helped expose the despicable behaviour at Chelmsford, so OK - one for them. Aside from that it is seriously a whacko organisation now led by an arrogant, power hungry narcissist in David Miscavige.
A lot of research has gone into this book and it is a very interesting read. It is also very sad from the perspective of those taken in by its lies who were either separated from their families, paid huge amounts of money to go 'up the bridge' to reach higher levels of OT (Operating Theta levels) or punished for the slightest issue or at times punished on no evidence at all.
The power of brainwashing followers has been around for aeons but Scientology could run a course on how to do it on a global scale - oh wait - they have!
Great book and one that should be read widely especially by those who may have even the slightest thought (please don't) of joining this money making escapade.
June 29, 2023
This is a phenomenal book. Firstly, it has been a while since I have read a thoroughly researched book by an Australian journalist, and I realised how talented they are. This was so superbly written and so thoroughly researched it was such a joy. Also, it was written In Australian so I was like ah! A language I understand. There really is a certain joy in reading books by Aussies. We do have our own particular brand of English and it really is so comforting to read in our English.
I thought I was pretty well versed in Scientology history. But not it seems in Australia. I had seen some of the reports on Today Tonight (not many though because it was a terrible program), I was aware of the work Nick Xenophon (hero) did, and aware of the bans. However, I had absolutely no idea of how much it had tried to permeate Australia and how Australia's reaction to the cult had a worldwide impact. If you have an interest in cults and cult tactics, this book is a must. Because of it I have also added to my reading list. I have a better understanding of the history of this cult in my own country.
Honestly one of the best books I have read, and a triumph for Australian journalism. I did almost knock a star off for the Tom and Nicole chapter because I care nothing for celeb gossip, but it was central to understanding the recruitment of James Packer, and attempted recruitment of Lachlan Murdoch, so ima give it a pass.
I thought I was pretty well versed in Scientology history. But not it seems in Australia. I had seen some of the reports on Today Tonight (not many though because it was a terrible program), I was aware of the work Nick Xenophon (hero) did, and aware of the bans. However, I had absolutely no idea of how much it had tried to permeate Australia and how Australia's reaction to the cult had a worldwide impact. If you have an interest in cults and cult tactics, this book is a must. Because of it I have also added to my reading list. I have a better understanding of the history of this cult in my own country.
Honestly one of the best books I have read, and a triumph for Australian journalism. I did almost knock a star off for the Tom and Nicole chapter because I care nothing for celeb gossip, but it was central to understanding the recruitment of James Packer, and attempted recruitment of Lachlan Murdoch, so ima give it a pass.
June 3, 2023
This book is a fascinating read. I would suggest that if you don’t already have a basic understanding of Scientology, you may be a little confused by some of the information presented. I thought that I already knew a lot about Scientology, but there was a lot of new information for me to learn from this book. It was interesting to learn about complementary information to situations that I was already familiar with and information that expanded my understanding of other situations (Tom Cruise for example).
One area of particular interest for me was learning about the actions taken by Australian Independent MP Nick Xenophon. I remember him being an MP that I actually respected, due to him being a man of integrity. Learning about him not being afraid to challenge Scientology in Australia has only raised my opinion of him. We need more politicians like him in this country.
For those that wish to dive deeper into the cult of Scientology, I highly recommend seeking out Leah Remini’s television series titled Scientology and the Aftermath.
Negatives:
The chapter on Rugby players is way too long.
Unnecessary level of detail in some chapters.
Jumps around too much with time and location.
Too much information not related to Australia.
Too many anecdotes about how awful L. Ron Hubbard was as a person (there are other books dedicated to this area).
One area of particular interest for me was learning about the actions taken by Australian Independent MP Nick Xenophon. I remember him being an MP that I actually respected, due to him being a man of integrity. Learning about him not being afraid to challenge Scientology in Australia has only raised my opinion of him. We need more politicians like him in this country.
For those that wish to dive deeper into the cult of Scientology, I highly recommend seeking out Leah Remini’s television series titled Scientology and the Aftermath.
Negatives:
The chapter on Rugby players is way too long.
Unnecessary level of detail in some chapters.
Jumps around too much with time and location.
Too much information not related to Australia.
Too many anecdotes about how awful L. Ron Hubbard was as a person (there are other books dedicated to this area).
August 28, 2025
Steven Cannane’s high quality investigative reporting, diligent research and insightful interviews shine through in this account of L. Ron Hubbard’s massive rort (I even learned new Aussie slang). What set this apart is Cannane’s focus on Australia from Hubbard’s earliest followers in the 1950s, through the first ever state government bans of (which, as Cannane makes clear it absolutely is not, until it is, but only for tax/regulatory purposes) in the late ‘60s and the experiences of Scientology escapees and the attempts made to recapture and/or destroy their lives.
Cannane clearly covers just how important celebrity endorsements are to Scientology and, as an Australian journalist, is well-placed to cover the fallout of the Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman break-up. He also details the lengths Scientology went to, to ‘capture’ James Packer, son of billionaire media man and fierce opponent of the ‘church’, Kerry.
At times, the narrative gets a little bogged down in the history of Hubbard and Scientology, both of which have been covered in greater depth in other books. Some knowledge of them is important context but at times, it feels as if the story is straying too far from the Australian Scientology experience. But this is a minor criticism of an excellent book.
Cannane clearly covers just how important celebrity endorsements are to Scientology and, as an Australian journalist, is well-placed to cover the fallout of the Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman break-up. He also details the lengths Scientology went to, to ‘capture’ James Packer, son of billionaire media man and fierce opponent of the ‘church’, Kerry.
At times, the narrative gets a little bogged down in the history of Hubbard and Scientology, both of which have been covered in greater depth in other books. Some knowledge of them is important context but at times, it feels as if the story is straying too far from the Australian Scientology experience. But this is a minor criticism of an excellent book.
January 21, 2021
A book of facts that takes you through the operations of a cult. Fascinating read. The book is almost clinical in establishing the facts and busting the myths around L. Ron Hubbard.
I confess that I am mostly intrigued by the number of people who fall in step with cults like this. Even smart, logical thinking people are at risk of becoming a part of these brainwashed groups. Why, - and am even better question to ask is - how is their perception of reality distorted so that they believe in the credibility of their own leaders? It doesn’t seem particularly like L Ron Hubbard was a genius. His work (or the literature of their religion) seems convoluted and rely entirely on unclear, rambling language. It reads more like the creation of a disorganised mind, which from all accounts doesn’t seem so far-fetched seeing as he partook in so many drugs. His treatment of his first and second wives, and denying the existence of his first to a reporter, while letting his third wife be indicted in the crime he masterminded shows you that he was not above self preservation.
What will stick with me is the description of one of his first sea org members describing how she had to deal with him hitting on her, even trying to kiss her and her description of her leader, his rotten teeth and foul breath and how it disgusted her. Yet, she continued to be a part of the sea org. I fail to understand how someone can suspend their logic and reasoning powers to continue to follow this sham. Even after they learn about the extra terrestrial soul dump story (eeks) that forms the basis of their “religion”.
I confess that I am mostly intrigued by the number of people who fall in step with cults like this. Even smart, logical thinking people are at risk of becoming a part of these brainwashed groups. Why, - and am even better question to ask is - how is their perception of reality distorted so that they believe in the credibility of their own leaders? It doesn’t seem particularly like L Ron Hubbard was a genius. His work (or the literature of their religion) seems convoluted and rely entirely on unclear, rambling language. It reads more like the creation of a disorganised mind, which from all accounts doesn’t seem so far-fetched seeing as he partook in so many drugs. His treatment of his first and second wives, and denying the existence of his first to a reporter, while letting his third wife be indicted in the crime he masterminded shows you that he was not above self preservation.
What will stick with me is the description of one of his first sea org members describing how she had to deal with him hitting on her, even trying to kiss her and her description of her leader, his rotten teeth and foul breath and how it disgusted her. Yet, she continued to be a part of the sea org. I fail to understand how someone can suspend their logic and reasoning powers to continue to follow this sham. Even after they learn about the extra terrestrial soul dump story (eeks) that forms the basis of their “religion”.
December 27, 2019
This expose on the Cult Church of Scientology begins with a bang. Focussing on a South American man who has been shipped to Australia and makes his desperate escape into the unfamiliar streets of Sydney, it was highly engaging and, indeed, the most terrifying thing I had read this year - this despite the fact I read a few actual horror novels (most of which were terrible). Cannane keeps the momentum going when he delves into the ludicrous story of L. Ron Hubbard, the unhinged founder of Scientology. After this however, I'm afraid I found the book largely quite boring. Other great parts were scattered throughout, but overall it reaches the finish line feeling something like a long, though decent if not wholly satisfying read.
September 6, 2024
This is the story of scientology in Australia. As with every new book I read about the destructive, criminally insane cult of scientology, the stories are at once the same and completely different. In the early days, the practice of Dianetics and scientology were kind of ad hoc, which makes sense since the founder of the movement was thousands of miles away.
The book's title is particularly apt, as it reveals more about scientology's specious practice of "never defend, always attack" as it was applied in Australia to virtually any person who dared to tell the truth about their experience in the cult, or to investigate the claims made against it.
A worthy addition to my growing library of books on the subject. Recommended.
The book's title is particularly apt, as it reveals more about scientology's specious practice of "never defend, always attack" as it was applied in Australia to virtually any person who dared to tell the truth about their experience in the cult, or to investigate the claims made against it.
A worthy addition to my growing library of books on the subject. Recommended.
November 22, 2019
I thought I knew too much about scientology, now I know way too much.
By turns hilarious and horrifying. If this were fiction it would be satire, dystopian, just plain weird. Oh yeah, Hubbard wrote science fiction. He continued his specialty into his next money making venture - cult leader.
Disclaimer: my first share house included a scientologist. Eddy tried to convert me. I read the anti drug pamphlet and smiled and nodded (then snorted another line). Another time I told Eddy the tattoo inside my cat's ear didn't mean she'd been abducted by aliens.
By turns hilarious and horrifying. If this were fiction it would be satire, dystopian, just plain weird. Oh yeah, Hubbard wrote science fiction. He continued his specialty into his next money making venture - cult leader.
Disclaimer: my first share house included a scientologist. Eddy tried to convert me. I read the anti drug pamphlet and smiled and nodded (then snorted another line). Another time I told Eddy the tattoo inside my cat's ear didn't mean she'd been abducted by aliens.
August 17, 2022
After seeing in the news that Steve Cannane had his Chelmsford defamation threat reopened I need I had to read the book. I found it ironic that it was the doctors suing him and not the church/cult of Scientology but it's had a Streisand effect and now people are re-discovering Fair Game.
This has to be one the best researched works into Scientology. Cannane has excelled at leaving no stone unturned and giving credit to his sources, painting a vivid picture of the evolution of the science fiction turned religion cult.
This has to be one the best researched works into Scientology. Cannane has excelled at leaving no stone unturned and giving credit to his sources, painting a vivid picture of the evolution of the science fiction turned religion cult.
June 1, 2024
I have zero interest in reading anything written by or thought about by L Ron Hubbard. Books about him, and what he has wrought though are, pun intended, fair game. This didn't really keep on the Australia angle, and focused on Hubbard himself, and the organisation as a whole. The information level dropped off as we got closer to the current time, because I think the 'church' has clamped down hard, and the people in the know haven't escaped yet.
October 23, 2016
I found this to have a very interesting insight into the unknown areas of Scientology. Would I call it a religion?, not from the accounts in this book. Love the referencing and the accounts of individuals from the book. The only negative that I could say it can become quite cumbersome with political activity, but this could be that I'm just into that side of things. A great read.
April 17, 2023
Cannane paints a mesmerizing picture of the Scientology organisation and it's impact in Australia. Outlining the outburst of Dianetics in Essendon to the culmination of the Anderson Report and CCHR's success at shutting down 'deep sleep therapy' at NSW Chelmsford Private Hospital, 'Fair Game' is an absolutely brilliant read!
June 23, 2023
wow this is an incredible eye opener. I've read some books about scientology that were focused on 'the escape' and the aftermath but this was the first time that I was able to understand more about its beginnings and the larger view of the problem. Really interesting stuff and gives an Australian lens to the group which is also unique in the books available about scientology. Really worth a read.
July 4, 2017
Riveting, fascinating and horrifying!!
A lot of people should be in jail for a hell of a lot of illegal and immoral stuff done to a lot of people. In the name of making money and having your name live on..
A lot of people should be in jail for a hell of a lot of illegal and immoral stuff done to a lot of people. In the name of making money and having your name live on..
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