Literary Las Vegas: David Bryant Perkins

Local high school history, English and government teacher David Bryant Perkins carved time out of his day between classes during lunch to work on “Hitler’s Astrologer,” a historical drama based on the true story of the role of astrology and the occult in Nazi Germany during World War II. Outcast in his own country, Karl Ernst embraced the Nazi party where his knowledge of Nostradamus was respected, and eventually, put to use in the German war effort. Perkins’ book, and an award-winning screenplay based on the book, follow Ernst and Ludwig von Wohl, a German refugee writer and amateur astrologer who joins British Intelligence to determine the impact of astrology on Hitler’s successes. When not teaching, writing or studying astrology and the metaphysics, Perkins played in the band Turbary and worked around the world as a sound engineer. For more information, visit hitlerastrologer.com.

Excerpt:

“I’ll start packing,” she said while walking up the oak staircase. There would be no husband/wife discussion over this trip since his silence revealed the decision had already been made — in Berlin.

Karl Ernst Kraft looked out the window as his wife went upstairs. His heart seemed to beat louder to announce the joy of finally obtaining official work with the Third Reich. His mind was excited at the challenge of the new mathematical puzzles that would be thrown at him. But underneath the excitement and joy of the new possibilities before him was a cold cloud of hesitation. A sense without thought or feeling that had a hint of warning: danger!