Some prophets, such as Moses, Abraham, Jesus and Mohammad, are revered by millions as patriarchs or founders of major religions. Others, including Nostradamus, the spiritualist Madame Blavatsky and the contemporary doom-monger Billy Meier, have often been characterized as crackpots at best and fraudsters at worst. Looking at why prophets and their prophecies are still attracting followers in the twenty-first century, Melanie King offers entertaining, informative profiles of 50 prophets, seers and charlatans of all types and from all periods.

Abraham, father of great nations -- Moses, lawgiver and prophet -- Laocoön, seer of ancient Greece -- Cassandra, prophetess of doom -- Elijah, Old Testament prophet -- Jonah, the reluctant prophet -- Delphic Oracle, home of the Pythia -- John the Baptist, the voice crying in the wilderness -- Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world -- John of Patmos, the Book of Revelation -- The Roman Auguries, birds of ill omen -- Mani, the apostle of light -- Merlin, prophet of Camelot -- Muhammad, founder of Islam -- Saint Malachy, the papal prophecies -- Hildegard of Bingen, sibyl of the Rhine -- Joan of Arc, French prophetess -- Girolamo Savonarola, prophet of Florence -- Mother Shipton (Ursula Southeil), English wisewoman -- Nostradamus, French seer and astrologer -- Coinneach Odhar, the Brahan seer -- Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Mormons -- William Miller, the great disappointment -- Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, the Báb -- John Wroe, the Society of Christian Israelites -- Baha' u 'llah, Founder of the Baha'i faith -- Louis Riel, Métis prophet -- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Theosophical Society -- Ellen Gould White, founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church -- Fátima prophecies, messengers of the Virgin Mary -- William Wadé Harris, the 'Black Elijah' -- Wovoka, prophet of the Ghost Dance -- Nontetha Nkwenkwe, Xhosa prophetess -- Guy Ballard, the 'I AM' activity -- Wallace Fard Muhammad, the Nation of Islam -- Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet -- L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology -- David Brandt Berg, the Children of God -- Joseph Di Mambro, the Order of the Solar Temple -- Jeane Dixon, the seeress of Washington -- Marshall Herrf Applewhite, Heaven's Gate -- Chief Dan Evehema, the Hope prophecies -- Sathya Sai Baba, India's God-Man -- Hal Lindsey, 'The late, great planet earth' -- Billy Meier, the Henoch prophecies -- Elizabeth Clare Prophet, the Summit Lighthouse prophecies -- David Icke, extraterrestrial lizards -- Mother Meera, union of all faiths -- The Medjugorje sightings, seers of the Virgin Mary -- John Titor, time travelor from 2036.