This Tree Grows out of Hell. Mesomerica and the Search for the Magical Body.
New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1977. First edition. Hardcover. 8vo. xviii + 190 pp. Quarter maroon cloth with orange papered boards; yellow titling to spine; frontis, b&w illustrations, index. From the publisher: "In this bold and lively account, Ptolemy Tompkins takes us on a captivating journey through the history and mythology of ancient Mesoamerica. Scholarly but always highly readable, Tompkins searches for an understanding, both spiritual and psychological, of the motivations that lie behind the building of that region's great pyramidal cities. He searches to understand the bizarre and bloody rituals the Mesoamericans practiced for centuries before the arrival of Columbus. Here the universe of the Toltecs, Maya and Aztecs, with their celestial dragons, talking stones, and labryrinthine underworlds is vividly brought to life." Top and bottom edges slightly faded; top edge of pages lightly foxed. Otherwise, a tight and bright VG+ copy in VG+ dust jacket. (Dust jacket lightly rubbed, not price clipped.). Item #40420
ISBN: 0062508660
Price: $10.00