Some time ago, Paulette Cooper came to us with an idea for a book. Not everyone keeps up with the Underground Bunker on a daily basis, she pointed out, and others are arriving here for the first time every day. Wouldn’t it be useful if some of the best stories from our years of Scientology coverage were gathered in one volume?
We told her that we’d been thinking the same thing for some time, but the idea of putting together a book like that with Paulette made us especially interested. In fact, we cut a deal with Miss Lovely: If she wanted to publish such a book, we’d go along with it only if she produced some original material for it. And she agreed!
And you can now purchase a copy of Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ at Amazon starting today. (And the Kindle version is also now live.) For Underground Bunker readers new and not so new, it should be a useful tome to have handy — and it has a bunch of introductions written by Paulette! It’s her first new writing about Scientology in decades.
The chapters themselves are stories that have appeared before, but we worked with Paulette to bring them up to date. And hey, what a chance to indoctrinate your friends and family into our dark pursuit here — give them out as Christmas presents and invite them to the Bunker!
Says Paulette: “After months of working together on this, I’m thrilled to see this book finally available! I always thought Tony’s blog posts should be presented in a more ‘permanent’ way, and we both worked hard to make this happen!”
Paulette wanted us to post the contents page so you can get a gander at what’s inside…
CONTENTS
Foreword
— By Paulette Cooper
— By Tony Ortega
Introduction
— By Paulette Cooper and Tony Ortega
1. CELEBRITIES IN SCIENTOLOGY
— Introduction by Paulette Cooper
— How Scientology spied on Tom Cruise – for more than 10 years
— How Scientology broke up Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers
— Scientology’s celebrity whisperer
— The secret reports Leah Remini left out of her book
— Neil Gaiman exorcises his Scientology past
— Lucia Ribisi: how a celebrity family is being ripped apart
— Greta van Susteren, John Coale, and the bizarre secrets of OT 4
— How Scientology tried to retaliate against “South Park”
— Scientology’s top celebrities — in order of those most likely to defect
2. LIFE & DEATH & SCIENTOLOGY
— Introduction by Paulette Cooper
— Scientology’s sailing sweatshop: Sea Org life on the ‘Freewinds’
— The tragic death of Lisa McPherson
— The strange death of Flo Barnett, Mother-in-Law to David Miscavige
3. FAIR GAME
— Introduction by Paulette Cooper
— Scientology’s master spies
— Spying, intimidation, and ruin: caught up in Scientology’s “Fair Game”
— The fight over a Scientology spy’s seized laptop
— For Scientology’s most infamous dirty trickster, retirement has a happy ending
— Jim Jones rooted for Scientology against Paulette Cooper
4. L. RON HUBBARD AND SCIENTOLOGY HISTORY
— Introduction by Paulette Cooper
— Hubbard’s shocking statement about pedophilia in Scientology’s “Bible”
— The truth about Hubbard’s academic history
— An explosive LRH letter that explains the real reason he wrote “Dianetics”
— How L. Ron Hubbard really came up with Scientology’s “space cooties”
— “The History of Man” — The most ridiculous book ever published
— Scientology’s original “OT 8” — evidence Hubbard claimed to be the Antichrist
— Scientology’s weird underground vaults — and the bizarre “Battlefield Earth” connection
— The odd story of Mary Sue Hubbard’s will, her dog, and her million-dollar house
5. THE CURRENT SCENE
— Introduction by Paulette Cooper
— Shelly Miscavige: The wife Scientology’s leader wants us to forget
— A question only his tailor would know: the height of Scientology’s leader, David Miscavige
— Why Steve Fishman — of the notorious “Fishman Papers” — is today serving 21 years in prison
— How the world’s best-selling drug is helping to finance Scientology
— The disappointment of OT 8 – the highest level of Scientology
— A sign of Scientology’s decline: when an entire “mission” defected
And thanks to Observer for the wonderful cover. Here’s the back!
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs’ — now with comments!
We’re building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs.’ We’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them, in order to build a record and maintain a watch as Scientology continues its inexorable decline — and yes, we finally have comments working on these new pages! Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Today’s Ideal Org: Padua, Italy!
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Garry Scarff, 1956-2017: A complex figure and dogged researcher
[TWO years ago] Leah Remini reveals that she’s been stalked during production of her new TV series
[THREE years ago] Jon Atack: The ‘Axioms’ — L. Ron Hubbard’s attempt to make Scientology sound ‘sciencey’
[FOUR years ago] A reminder, this Halloween, that Scientology’s tricks tear families apart
[FIVE years ago] Honesty in Scientology: Jefferson Hawkins Helps Us With Another Ethical Quandary
[SIX years ago] It’s Halloween, and Narconon is Very, Very Afraid
——————–
Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,254 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,887 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,367 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 430 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 318 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,493 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,267 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,041 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,387 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 10,953 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 6,873 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,040 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,621 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,881 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,921 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,633 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,159 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,248 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,388 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,708 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,564 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,683 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,039 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,341 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,447 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,850 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,721 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,304 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,809 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,053 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,162 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 31, 2018 at 07:00
E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates
Join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news
