WEB LINKS AND
RELATED DOCUMENTS

Web links

General

• A.R.S. Web Page Summary
  Links to numerous Scientology-related websites.

• The Scientology Booklist
  Comprehensive bibliography of books on Scientology (pro- and anti-), including links to web copies.

Official Scientology Sites

• The Church of Scientology International
• Dianetics
• L. Ron Hubbard

Specific topics covered in Blue Sky

• Jack Parsons and the OTO
  • Jack Parsons biography
  • The Book of Babalon
  • OTO HQ

• The Guardian's Office
  • Scientology's Secret Service

• The Scientology War
  • Letters and tapes from Jon Zegal, David Mayo, Robin Scott and others
  • The Freezone (independent Scientologists)

• Cult support groups
  • American Family Foundation (AFF)
  • Steve Hassan
  • Watchman Fellowship

Related documents

Court cases against A Piece of Blue Sky

• United States
  • New Era Publications International v. Carol Publishing Group
    January 30, 1990
  • New Era Publications International v. Carol Publishing Group (appeal)
    Argued April 2, 1990; decided May 24, 1990

The UK injunction

Jon Atack was, and still is, injuncted against distributing the unedited version (this version) of A Piece of Blue Sky.  This was as a result of allegedly libellous comments made about the head of the Scientology-linked Greenfields School in East Grinstead (see chapter 8.2, "The Child Custody Case").  Only one paragraph of the entire book was found to be libellous - 96 out of over 151,000 words, or less than 0.07% of the whole.  Atack, it should be noted, has not in any way been involved in the production or distribution of this electronic version, which is based on a scanned copy originally produced by the former FACTnet.

• Text of the injunction against A Piece of Blue Sky

The opposing lawyers, Hodkin & Company of East Grinstead, wrote to many bodies, ranging from the satirical magazine Private Eye to British public libraries, demanding that they destroy their copies of Blue Sky - even though Atack was the only one injuncted.  His publishers and distributors were not banned from publishing, distributing or selling the book, which is most unusual in English libel law.  Many libraries apparently ignored or did not receive the letters and reportedly continue to stock Blue Sky.  It is of course freely available outside of England and Wales. 

The following are copies of letters from county councils affirming that their public libraries' copies of the book had been destroyed.

• Avon County Libraries
• Kent County Libraries
• Nottinghamshire County Libraries

In February 1999, a cease-and-desist order was served on the online booksellers amazon.com demanding that it withdraw the book from its catalog (which was completely bogus, as there are no legal restrictions on its distribution outside England and Wales).  The company reversed its decision in May 1999 following an outcry by concerned Internet users, which attracted major media attention.  Deana Holmes created a web page covering the "Blue Sky Controversy".

• A Piece of Blue Sky Controversy web page