The first nature boys
were Adam and then Seth
his son who returned to
the fruit diet in Eden.
Buddha lived in mango
groves in India. Jesus
lived on fruits of the
desert in the Holy Land.
Read the Buddhist Essene
Gospel of Jesus also to
get an understanding of
the roots of the
Naturist's back to Eden
movement. Paradisian
means paradise like,
living the life of
paradise. -editor
"Children
of the
Sun"
(1998)
is a
pictorial
anthology
from
Germany
to
California...1883-1949,
and
includes
short
biographies
of 16
individuals
and 4
social
reform
movements.
But the
story is
told
mostly
through
the 144
photos,
both
color
and
black
and
white.
It
clearly
describes
the
important
links
between
the
German
health
and
nature
pioneers,
and
their
latter
day
California
counterparts.
One of a
kind
compilation
this
work
reveals
the true
origins
of the
alternative
and
natural
lifestyles
which
eventually
took
root on
American
soil and
have
become
the huge
phenomenon
that
they are
today.
Key
words:
Nature
cure,
raw
foods,
organic
farming,
naturopathy,
eden
ahbez,
nudism,
vegetarianism,
Dr.
Benedict
Lust,
Arnold
Ehret,
paganism.
Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found
the following review
helpful:
Pictorial
Archives of Earliest
"Back-to-Nature"
Nonconformists,
September 3, 2005
A treasury of
vintage photographs
documenting the
personages and
groups of turn-of-the-century
naturist movements (including
nudism, organic
farming, naturopathy,
etc.) accompanied by
brief biographical
sketches and artwork
from the period by
Fidus. Makes evident
that naturism in
modern times arose
out of specific
metaphysical and
ethical philosophies
and life-practices.
With index and
bibliography, this
slim volume
represents a
substantial
contribution to
nudist studies.
Until I read Gordon
Kennedy's research
into the German
nature cults that
flowered in the late
nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries,
but whose roots
preceded the Roman
Empire, I did not
fully understand my
own art, writing and
music, or my own
life. Unbeknownst to
me until I read
Kennedy's books, my
books Living on the
Earth and Being of
the Sun express
fully the health
practices and joie
de vivre of those
bygone frolicking
pagan nudists. They
are my true
ancestors, the
parents who would be
proud if they could
see me now. The
naturist subculture
lives on, and
occasionally has its
day in the sun,
Children of the Sun
being a case in
point.
Anyone influenced by
counterculture, and
all students of
history and
sociology, will want
a copy of Children
of the Sun, or, at
the very least,
Kennedy's scaled
down pamphlet
version Hippie Roots
and the Perennial
Subculture, if only
for the gorgeous
photographs of the
freaks of old, and
the documentary/psychedelic
art by German
painter Fidus
(1868-1948). No less
thrilling are the
revelations about
Ascona, a
counterculture
settlement peopled
by the likes of
Hermann Hesse, Carl
Jung, Isadora Duncan,
D.H. Lawrence,
Arnold Ehret and
Franz Kafka in the
early decades of the
twentieth century.
Kennedy notes the
influence of the
naturists upon
Gandhi, and the dawn
of the ecology,
naturopathy, and
youth hostel
movements, including
an astonishing
environmental
manifesto by Goethe.
Kennedy points out
that feminism,
vegetarianism,
pacifism,
communitarianism,
organic farming,
earth spirituality,
fasting, raw food
diets, and nudism
flourished among
these German
counterculturals,
some of whom moved
to subtropical parts
of the USA, often
southern California,
to avoid the rising
imperialism and
materialism of their
homeland at the turn
of the century.
Settling in (then)
remote areas of
pristine beauty,
including Tahquitz
Canyon, near Palm
Springs, they
mentored the
American naturists
known in the 1930's,
40's and 50's as
Nature Boys. The
most famous of these
were eden ahbez, who
wrote the jazz
standard "Nature
Boy," and Gypsy
Boots, who appeared
often on the Steve
Allen Show, and
influenced countless
baby boomer hippies
through his writings,
performances, and
recordings.
I can easily imagine
Kennedy's books
inspiring
documentaries,
dramatic feature
films, and museum
exhibits.
Of greater
interest to us on
the Alternative
Health Report (radiocentreville.com)
are the persons most
directly influential
in the Nature Cure
movement of the late
19th and early 20th
centuries: Sebastien
Kneipp, Aldolf Just,
Louis Kuhne,
Benedict and Louisa
Lust, Arnold Rikli,
Arnold Ehret, Otto
Craque, John and
Vera Richter. As
well, there were
other personalities
such as Bernarr
Macfadden, Henry
Lindlahr and a host
of local health and
healing heroes who
followed along.
GORD KENNEDY has
saved their
names,preserved
their legacy, and
reaffirmed their
spirits and this
brings a certain
delight to the
knowlegable reader.
On one hand KENNEDY
shows the connection
and influence that
shaped the
Naturopathic
movement. On the
other the
renaissence Raw Food-Vegan
movement which is
now in the militant
forefront of
vegetarian food
reform. Pioneers in
this field include
Arnold Ehret, Herman
Sexauer, John and
Vera Richter and
Otto Craque and of
course, the original
Nature Boys of the
1940's (Eden Abbez,
the best known of
the group who wrote
"Nature Boy"- the
big hit of '48 . The
book offers short
biographical
sketches of these
pioneers and their
contributions.
I found that this
book is an easy read
with lots of eye
pleasing photos and
art work. In fact
the book is mainly
pictures! Overall, a
modest GORD KENNEDY,
who bills himself as
editor, has brought
together, in this
book, those unique
and highly
interesting social
trends and ideas,
like Eastern
religions, nudist
groups, and organic
foods (along with
lots of pleasing
visuals) which only
a short century ago
were unusual,
radical and
revolutionary.
Kennedy shows us how
it all began. ...And,
yet, today it all
seems so mainstram
America!
WELL WORTH THE
PRICE!!! GET &
CHERISH YOUR OWN
COPY!!!
11 of 11 people
found the following
review helpful:
A must-read for
those in alternative
health, March 3,
2001
Reviewer: A
reader
This book is a
delight from
beginning to end and
a necessary
education for those
who think that
hippies first
appeared in the
sixties or that raw
foodism is a new
thing. I was
particularly
fascinated to learn
of the connections
such big names as
Mahatma Gandhi and
Hermann Hesse had to
these early free
thinkers, many of
whom were vegans,
raw foodists, and
nudists.
_Children of the
Sun_ also has much
of interest for
students of German
history, owing to
the fact that most
of these alternative
health
groundbreakers were
of German origins
and were continuing
a long tradition of
social and health
reform in that
country.
Mr. Kennedy has
done some excellent
research, digging up
photos from as far
back as 1883 and
historical text from
much earlier. I
cannot recommend
this book highly
enough!
gordon kennedy has
done an amazing job
tracking the history
of the sunfood
movement. starting
back before the turn
of the 1900's and
continuing through
until 1949, he
chronicles the major
players and
movements started in
true health reform.
chapters include
doctors, artists,
political anarchists,
and other truth
seekers in their
attempts to share
the wonders of raw
foods with the world.
chapters included
touch base with
heroes such as dr.
louis kuhne, who
thought that "he who
will improve the
world must speak
openly of its errors.";
dr. lust a german
naturopath who
looked at natural
means - mainly diet
- to heal dis-ease;
and the california
nature boys who
slept in the open
and ate a natural
uncooked diet bring
natural living to a
whole new group of
americans. this book
is highly
recommended because
of the great
pictures and the
amazing amount of
information included
in the pages!! great
job gordon!! buy
this book today!!
Who were the first
hippies in modern
times? What did they
do? How did they
live? This book
answers these
questions with the
biographies of 16
people who taught
and followed a
hippie philosophy
and lifestyle in
Europe and the U.S.
It discusses four
different social
reform movements
that embraced pre-hippie
philosophy.
But the real joy
here is the 144 b/w
& color photos of
the people, the art
and publications
that represented the
people and their
movements. An
unexpected delight
is the full color
art work of Fidus
who obviously
influenced the
psychedelic poster
art of the 1960s.
Starting in
Germany in the
1880's, Kennedy
documents the people,
places and ideas
that led to the
American Hippy
Movement of the
1960s. The
Lebensreform (Land
Reform),
Naturmenschen
(Natural Men) and
Wandervogel (migrant
birds/free spirits)
movements inspired
many to leave the
cities, their jobs,
and even their
clothes behind, to
setup natural
communities in the
countryside. The
leaders of these
movements espoused
living in tune with
nature, embraced
naturopathy, nudism
and vegetarianism
and rejected the
hypocrisy and
distorted values of
German society.
Fortunately some
of the followers of
these movements
moved to the U.S.
and their healthy
living ideas caught
on, particularly in
California. One of
these, Arnold Ehret,
was the founder of
the Mucusless Diet
and a big proponent
of fasting. Soon
barefoot nature boys
were gathering at "health
food" stores in
California. One of
them, eden ahbez,
composed a song, "Nature
Boy" while living in
a cave. That song,
sung by Nat King
Cole ended up being
a #1 hit for 15
weeks, and for
awhile in 1948
focused attention on
the radical
philosophy embraced
by these nature
lovers. It was these
"nature boys" who
spread their
influential ideas
across America and
inspired the flower
children in the
1960s.
Kennedy's book
lays to rest the
idea that the hippy
movement was just a
60s fad. It fills in
the gaps in hippie
history and serves
as an inspiration to
us all to continue
to pass on our
beliefs and
lifestyle to younger
generations.
