The Spear is a 1978 novel by British author James Herbert dealing with Nazi occultism and the Holy Lance.

The Spear
First edition (publ. New English Library)
AuthorJames Herbert
LanguageEnglish
Publication date
January 1, 1978

Plot summary

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The book deals with a neo-Nazi cult in Britain and an international conspiracy which includes a right-wing US general and a sinister arms dealer, and their obsession with resurrecting Heinrich Himmler through the occult.

Reception

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Ramsey Campbell praised the novel, saying "The Spear scores as a thriller, especially in its set pieces".[1]

Court case

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In an earlier version of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail/The Da Vinci Code lawsuit,[2] Trevor Ravenscroft sued James Herbert[3] claiming the novel infringed on his 1973 non-fiction book The Spear of Destiny.[4] Herbert declined to pay Ravenscroft damages and eventually removed the offending content.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Campbell, Ramsey, "James Herbert", in Joshi, S.T. (ed.) Ramsey Campbell, Probably. Hornsea, Drugstore Indian Press, ISBN 9781848639119 (pp. 272-73)
  2. ^ 'No surprise' in Da Vinci judgement
  3. ^ Ravenscroft v Herbert (1980) RPC 193
  4. ^ Ravenscroft, Trevor (1982). The Spear of Destiny. Weiser Books. ISBN 0-87728-547-0.
  5. ^ Nick Freeman (2006) 'A decadent appetite for the lurid'?: James Herbert, The Spear and 'Nazi Gothic'. Gothic Studies Volume 8 (2). 80-97.