Thumbs Up! Five Poems by Aleister Crowley.
Hollywood, California, [NP], 1942. First Edition Thus. Softcover booklet, stapled. Octavo (8 1/2 " x 6 1/4") 8 pp. Grey paper wrappers, secured by cord ties, with "Thumbs Up!" and "in hoc signo Vinces" around Crowley's phallic "mark of the Beast" sigil printed in black on upper wrapper. The 'Hollywood" printing of the first US edition of Crowley's "Thumbs Up" (there was also a near identical Los Angeles edition). It was produced in the year following the release of the British editions, and like the 'popular' British edition, the booklet comprises 5 patriotic poems over 8 pages, but does not include the three pages of prose in the limited edition. Contents: p. 1 (title-page), p. 2 "The Pentagram" (poem), pp. 3-4 "England, Stand Fast!" (poem), p. 5 "Toast (Battle of the River Plate)" (poem), pp. 6-7 "Hymn for the American People" (poem), & p. 8 "Anthem" (poem). Interestingly, whereas the British edition carried a line on the title page reading 'Five Poems by the Author of "The V Sign" ' this edition merely reads "Five Poems by Aleister Crowley." The words, 'by the Author of "The V Sign" alluded to Crowley's claim that he was the inventor of the 'V for Victory' finger-sign made famous by Sir Winston Churchill. Documents in the Yorke collection suggest that the British authorities took a very dim few of Crowley's appropriation of the authorship of what had become an icon of the struggle against Nazism, and threatened him with the most dire consequences if he persisted with his claims. It was presumably for this reason the claim was dropped from this leaflet, and the words instead replaced with Crowley's name. A publisher's 'Note' tipped onto the inside front wrapper states "This American reprint of Aleister Crowley's "Thumbs Up!" was made possible by the generosity and enthusiasm of a few of his many friends on this side of the Atlantic, as a contribution to the V for Victory campaign. To follow the example of the English edition, a limited number of copies have been made available "For free distribution among the Soldiers and Worker of the Forces of Freedom" Contributions toward the printing of a much larger edition may be sent to V. P.O. Box 2411 Hollywood, Calif. Additional copies and further information may be obtained upon request. " There was also another issue of the "Hollywood printing", identical to this but without wrappers and the cord ties which was presumably the edition "for free distribution" referred to. A hint of darkening to the wrappers, otherwise a lovely, near-fine copy. Rare. Item #61179
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