This was, honestly and truly, such a pleasant surprise. As someone who grew up in the Bible Belt in the 90s, where talk of Satan still struck fear into the hearts of the people, it was nice to get a massive peak behind the black velvet curtain that shrouded Anton LaVey's life at the time.

Big thanks to Hachette Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Doug Brod’s book Born with a Tail: The Devilish Life and Wicked Times of Anton Szandor LaVey, Founder of the Church of Satan. Born with a Tail could also be titled Born with a Tale, as Brod’s book about Anton LeVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, chronicles many of LaVey’s stories and myths that have been both part of his legend as well as typically debunked by his critics, his family, and his followers. The tail in question is one that LaVey claims he had up until his adolescence, when it became an irritation and needed to be removed. This was also the time he supposedly joined the circus and became an apprentice to a lion tamer, although there is no real record of his time in the circus or as a lion tamer. However, as Brod’s in depth and colorful biography presents, we learned that LaVey kept a lion at the Black House, the Church of Satan’s longtime headquarters in San Francisco, for a number of years after the church’s inception. Interestingly, LaVey’s lion, Togare, somehow ended up with Tipi Hedren. While LaVey’s stories and legends are entertaining and serve mainly to boost his black magic cred, it was also amazing to see how many different people and celebrities LaVey crossed paths with as the head of the Church of Satan.

I’ve always had an interest in the Church, but my awareness of it came at a time when the focus had really shifted, and I think I was more aware of the Satanic Temple, which Brod differentiates from the Church of Satan towards the end of the book. I actually had the Something Weird DVD for Satanis and had read a book about Satan in popular culture—I thought it was from Feral House, but I can’t find it. In any event, the book featured a lot of LaVey and some of the individuals he was involved with towards the latter 1/3 of the Church’s period—the 80s and 90s. I had some idea of about the original philosophy and some of the popular myths, but Brod’s book really helps to establish a strong timeline and interrogate many of the myths about the Church and LaVey’s life. For example, we find out that despite LaVey’s insistence, he was not involved in Rosemary’s Baby, and definitely did not play The Devil in the dream sequence. Additionally, we learn that LaVey was probably not a crime scene photographer for the San Francisco PD, in the same way that Weegee was. I did find it interesting that LaVey recognized the power of personal stories, media, and embellishment to further his cause and create a Church to pretty much do what he wanted and have other people give him money. Brod’s detailed interviews and stories show that LaVey didn’t live luxuriously off his followers, especially towards the end of the book and LaVey’s life. However, he seemed to maintain a public front as someone who advocated a “Satanic” life to receive funding. Brod presents a critical view of LaVey, showing us both LaVey’s carefully constructed life along with the reality and criticisms he faced; however, I did find it sad that LaVey devolved into a kind of fascist lover and nazi apologist. This is where I always kind of was confused about the Church and its affiliations with musicians like Boyd Rice. Brod’s book helps to provide more insight into this time period in the Church, and it helps to clarify, for me at least, that LaVey was basically accepting of nazis. I also learned about LaVey’s association with Marilyn Manson towards the end of LaVey’s life, and this also makes sense since Manson was someone who flirted with nazi and fascistic imagery. The strange part for me was learning that Greg Turkington shows up in this book as someone who ended up releasing some of LaVey’s organ music, and eventually compiling a posthumous collection of LaVey’s writing. Like I mentioned previously, it’s so strange to think about all of these disparate celebrities and artists who had some kind of connection with LaVey—from Sammy Davis Jr and Jayne Mansfield to Greg Turkington and Marilyn Manson. Turkington seems to really have bonded with LaVey over his older music and eccentric stories, whether they were real or not, and mentioned that LaVey didn’t really discuss fascism or anything. Through Brod’s presentation of these disparate individuals, we learn how effective LaVey was at reading people—like a carny—he’s able to size people up and see what would appeal to them. It also helped to see how this kind of American interpretation of religion and religious freedom allows for this kind of trickster or confidence man, who is ultimately looking to exploit people for his own ends. As I was reading this book (which I also couldn’t put down), I couldn’t help but think of how LaVey would thrive today on social media, and how similar he is to influencers and others looking to create a self, whether it is authentic or not, and to market themselves and their lifestyle to others. It’s interesting to think about how much of this social media economy is “satanic” in the sense that it is really based on the pleasure principle and not being concerned with integrity or reality even, and being more focused on style, creation of the self, and shaping one’s own reality. I really recommend this book since it spans an incredibly interesting period of popular American culture, and looks at a figure who may not be that well known, but has been influential in shaping many different fields of entertainment. The only thing that I would have liked to see more of in this book is pictures. I am not sure if published editions had pictures, but I think that a subject as interesting as LaVey that touched many different areas of popular culture would have benefited from more pictures. Nevertheless, this was a fun and interesting book.

Deeply researched and featuring dozens of interviews, as well as recently unearthed personal correspondence, BORN WITH A TAIL: The Devilish Life and Wicked Times of Anton Szandor LaVey, Founder of the Church of Satan separates the facts from the fabrications of this uniquely American character's extraordinary life.

Thank you Hachette Books for sending me a digital ARC of this book! I’m sorry that I’m late reviewing it. I enjoyed reading this book. I thought this book was very interesting to read but I also thought this guy was very strange.

Anton LeVay was the Founder of the Church of Satan. He was also a very good storyteller. He invented a LOT of his back story. He was a weird dude. His look, his "church", and his life is all really weird. This is an interesting story of a guy who spun his philosophy into a religion and tried to push his agenda out into the world.

I met Anton LaVey a few years before he died. No big story or connection, just a small interaction, but I really wanted to know how he got to be who he was. The curiosity passed, mostly because of the conflicting stories. When I saw this ARC was available, I had to try and get it.

This book was amazing! There is so much information in it and the stories! I learned more than I thought I would, and it was so well written and researched that I couldn’t put it down!

There aren’t any punches pulled, but it’s not done with malice. The author was fully aware of who Anton was and handled him and all his sides with a sharp eye and a sly smile. He also delivers the dirt.

I loved this and will read more of the author’s work. The topic of this may not be for everyone, but I can’t recommend it more!!

Thanks to NetGalley for this great ARC! All opinions are my own.

This book is full of information. It was a difficult read because of how much information it contains. It is a great look into the life of Anton LeVay and his journey, it just took a while to read and digest.

Born with a Tail by Doug Brod is an intriguing and meticulously researched biography that delves into the life of one of the most controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century—Anton Szandor LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan. Brod paints a vivid portrait of LaVey, a man who blurred the lines between reality and fabrication, creating a persona that captivated and provoked audiences in equal measure.

Brod begins by tracing LaVey's early life, revealing a man whose flair for the theatrical and fascination with the macabre led him to become a cultural icon. Born Howard Stanton Levey in 1930 Chicago, LaVey's early claims—such as his stint as a circus performer and crime photographer—are dissected with a critical eye, revealing the mix of truth and embellishment that would come to define his public persona. LaVey's rise to fame in San Francisco during the 1960s, just before the Summer of Love, is portrayed as both a masterstroke of self-promotion and a reflection of the era's openness to new ideas, no matter how unconventional.

The book delves deeply into the founding of the Church of Satan, a religious movement that was as much a cultural phenomenon as it was a spiritual path. LaVey's use of ritual, symbolism, and media savvy to create a provocative and marketable image is explored in detail. His infamous The Satanic Bible published in 1969, is examined not just as a religious text but as a cultural artifact that resonated with those on the fringes of society—those who found solace in its message of self-deification and indulgence.

Brod also explores the personal side of LaVey, including his relationships with celebrities like Jayne Mansfield and Sammy Davis Jr., as well as his eccentric lifestyle, which included living in a house that doubled as a temple, complete with a pet lion. These elements of LaVey's life contribute to the book's rich narrative, highlighting the contradictions of a man who was both a serious occultist and a savvy showman.

One of the book's strengths is Brod's ability to separate fact from fiction, a daunting task given LaVey's penchant for myth-making. The author uncovers new details through interviews and unearthed documents, providing a more nuanced understanding of LaVey's life and legacy. However, the book does not shy away from the darker aspects of LaVey's character, including the toll his lifestyle took on his family and the ethical implications of his teachings.

*Born with a Tail* also contextualizes LaVey within the broader cultural and historical landscape. Brod discusses how the societal shifts of the 60s and 70s, as well as the eventual backlash during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, shaped LaVey's influence and the perception of Satanism in America. This broader perspective adds depth to the biography, making it not just a story about one man, but a reflection on the times in which he lived.

Born with a Tail is a fascinating and well-crafted biography that offers a comprehensive look at the life of Anton LaVey. Doug Brod's balanced approach—combining critical analysis with an understanding of LaVey's cultural impact—makes this book a must-read for those interested in the occult, pop culture history, or the complex interplay between myth and reality. Whether you view LaVey as a visionary, a charlatan, or something in between, this book provides the context needed to understand his place in American history.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advance copy of this biography on a man who made his own mark, of the devil, on the imaginations of so many people and society in a time that seemed more accepted of different ideas, and innocent of those who the profit in these different ideas.

I was torn in writing in introduction to this review, as the man being discusses was in a legion all his own. Was he a huckster who created everything, including his own past and religion, with a savvy mind for marketing? Was he a religious leader and scholar who used the trappings of the modern world to teach others of the true way? This true way is one of selfishness, though it seems to be one that many people even the most righteous seem to live by. Was he a true scholar of the arcane, or a careful reader of pulp stories with the smarts to know adding naked ladies and the idea of sex will bring in lots of converts, perverts, and contrary people making even more profit. Or is he the guy whose books have to be tagged in bookstores as people steal them constantly, which is how many know him. Anton Szandor LaVey was all of this and more. A wild animal owner, a musician of note, friend to many celebrities, and master fabulist, whose greatest creation was probably Anton Szandor LaVey. Born with a Tail: The Devilish Life and Wicked Times of Anton Szandor LaVey, Founder of the Church of Satan is written by Doug Brod and is not just a biography, but a look at a time when new ideas were discussed freely, on television, in the streets, in newspapers, without fear of being boycotted, swatted, Doxxed, or the many ways we have come to disagree with things that go against our personal norms.

Howard Stanton Lavey was born in Chicago in 1930. That seems true. LaVey had a gift for musical instruments and learned to play in Baptist schools. Ok, possible. Anton LaVey talks about leaving school at the age of 16 to join the circus, starting first as a roustabout, a person who helps set up the circus, a wild animal trainer, spending nights sleeping with the animals, and playing the calliope. Hmm not so sure. Anton LaVey also claimed he worked as a crime photographer, but his records were expunged from the police department's personal files, as they didn't want to be associated with him. And here is where the fantasy might begin. Making his way by playing music in burlesque shows, Anton LaVey begin making contacts with various people, reporters and the like who wanted stories about the weird things going on in San Francisco. He also claimed to date Marilyn Monroe. Anton LaVey became a paranormal investigator, giving lectures, driving a hearse, and walking his pet black leopard. LaVey decided to hold a ceremony, a wedding that began the seeds of the Church of Satan, and one that would bring him fame, infamy, money, grief, annoyance and much more.

First I can't imagine even trying to research this book, as there are so many stories, and made up things in Anton LaVey's life, that getting to the truth must have been daunting. Doug Boyd has done a wonderful job of writing both about the man, but the times, the openness for new things, that soon fell to the fear of civilization coming apart, as the Vietnam war, and the Manson murders took hold. Boyd is a very good writer, able to make events and ceremonies seem real and important without the wink and nods that many would toss in, just to insinuate look at this people. Anton LaVey brought his message to the masses, using mass media, a time when people had an interest in things that were different. A far different time than the one we find ourselves in.

I knew a bit about Anton LaVey, but found that he was far more interesting than I knew. A lover of movies, and novels, pulp stories, music and more. Was he a grifter? Sure. Did he belief his hype? Maybe. However he did live what he said, didn't hurt anyone, except his family. A very interesting book, that covered a lot more than I thought. A biography for people who love the odd, the different, and reading about people who created their own myths to live by. Also recommended for readers of the occult, to make their own mind up about Anton LaVey's legacy.

Mr. Brod, has given a clear picture of a charismatic and odd person who certainly lived life on his own terms despite convention. I can only imagine the sifting of information required to write this biography. Well done sir.

I really like that this book focuses on the mundane things that happened in LaVey's life. Having read his works, I think that having more context surrounding his actual life is a good thing. It humanizes him, bringing him back down from this fantastical being to just a dude with weird interests. Love it.

If I were to describe Doug Brod's "Born with a Tail: The Devilish Life and Wicked Times of Anton Szandor Lavey, Founder of the Church of Satan," the word I would choose would likely be "sadness."

Amidst the cheeky irreverence and provocative storytelling of "Born with a Tail," there's an almost suffocating sense of sadness that radiates from the pages of the book as Brod reveals the truth about the myths and the myths about the truth involving a larger-than-life figure with a Ming the Merciless beard and an abundance of eerie obsessions that he grew into what would be known as the Church of Satan.

To be sure, Brod has crafted an engaging, well-researched biography of LaVey. While it may or may not be a subject you care about, it's hard to imagine LaVey getting a much better biography than Brod has produced with a wealth of details, dozens of new interviews, and recently unearthed personal and church correspondence and records.

If you've been reading my reviews for any length of time, then you're likely baffled by my interest in a LaVey biography. After all, these days I primarily check out books within the realm of Christian Living, entertainment, poetry, and generally feel-good stuff.

Trust me, "Born with a Tail" is not feel-good.

It's feel angry. It's feel sad. It's feel exhausted. It's feel devilish. But yeah, feel-good isn't really here.

While I'm largely going to shy away from details for this review out of respect to those who will want to devour "Born with a Tail," I'll note that a late section dealing with Marilyn Manson brought forth much of how I feel about the book. The Anton LaVey that Brod creates is a macabre showman, a character really, whose life became so consumed by that character that it manifested in a myriad of ways from entertaining to menacing, strangely hospitable to ominously isolative.

Brod only briefly paints an early portrait of LaVey before plopping us down in San Francisco where LaVey burst onto the scene just before the Summer of Love with a provocative, highly sexualized spiritual path of sorts that seemed to attract just the kinds of folks that LaVey ultimately looked down on. LaVey, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 67, was a remarkable showman and knew how to present himself and the universe he was aiming to create. In the 60's and 70's, LaVey was a pop culture icon with appearances on The Tonight Show and folks like Jayne Mansfield and Sammy Davis Jr. known to be amidst his circle. "Born with a Tail" names names unabashedly.

LaVey's status waned during the late 80's and early 90's when the U.S. was consumed by the Satanic Panic and suddenly Satanism was no longer seen through a sort of playful, tongue-in-cheek lens.

In case you're wondering, it was that Satanic Panic that led me to this book and this review. As an undergraduate, my thesis was on the subject of Satanic Ritual Abuse and the Satanic Panic. So, yeah, I spent the better part of a year consumed by the subject and having read all of LaVey's books including The Satanic Bible (which I think I've still got around here somewhere).

To know the Church of Satan was to see influences by Ayn Rand, Nietzche, Crowley, Lovecraft, and others. LaVey's home, "The Black House" at 6114 California Street in San Francisco, was a place where you could find young women squirming nude on the mantel of his ritual chamber while LaVey himself would wax charismatically a doctrine of self-deification and indulgence.

The Satanic Bible, which is still in print, registered with hipsters looking for the next big thing and fringe dwellers looking for a place to be connected to someone or something. It would be nearly impossible to deny LaVey's ongoing influence on certain aspects of culture even today. The Church of Satan continues, now based in New York.

It's difficult to "recommend" "Born with a Tail," though for those who have an interest in the subject it would also be difficult to not call it a must-read. "Born with a Tail" is cheeky and irreverent, though it's also dark and suffocating and there's no question that things you'll learn about LaVey will be difficult to digest.

It seems almost silly to offer up a trigger warning about a book centered around the Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan but, yeah, a trigger warning is nevertheless offered.

As I noted while opening this review, the overwhelming feeling I came away with as I wound down my time with "Born with a Tail" was one of sadness. Did LaVey really believe in this Satanism? Was he simply a master showman? Was he a wounded soul who took control out of that woundedness? Was there more?

Ultimately, "Born with a Tail" is a wickedly constructed character portrait of one of the 20th century's most compelling and mysterious cultural figures and one who continues to hold that mystique even today.

Ok, this was not an easy read for me. I had to do lots of thinking and pondering and yes, head shaking while I was reading it. I wasn't even sure if I could review it due to how angry and astonished I was as I continued reading.

There is a lot of information to digest. I always thought that Anton LaVey was a bit "out there" and this book showed me just how much!! He certainly was an interesting man who was a liar and an attention seeker for sure! The author certainly did his research. Very interesting read that would appeal to anyone who remembers LaVey or wants to know more about him. It will leave you shaking your head too I bet!

4 stars

Fascinating and seemingly accurate look into Anton’s life. It took a bit to read but it was very good and written well.