John Bull, Vol. XXXVI, No. 952, August 30, 1924.
London: George Newnes Ltd, August, 1924. First Edition. Softcover. 28pp (wrappers included in pagination). Periodical. 13 x 11 inches. Newspaper format, printed on newsprint, b&w Illustrations. As P. R. Stephensen aptly pointed out, not long after the First World War Aleister Crowley became the focus of a "a campaign of personal vilification unparalleled in literary history," undertaken by the so called "yellow press" (the name given to the sensation-mongering gutter newspapers of the time). Amongst the worst of the offenders was Horatio Bottomley's "John Bull" which launched a series of spirited attacks on Crowley in articles with headlines like "Another Traitor Trounced"; "A Wizard of Wickedness"; and the "The Wickedest Man In The World". This is a rare original issue of "John Bull" with a half-page article about Crowley entitled: "A Human Beast Returns" - which recounts his return to London and mentions the death of a Raoul Loveday at Cefalu (without naming him), accuses Crowley of selling drugs, running a "love cult" (it twists his "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" into "Love whom you will, when you will, and how you will), likens him to a then popular allegedly paedophilic sham Prince then in London (Ramdandah Ommah) etc. etc. For the rest the magazine contains the usual variety of sham-patriotism, gossip, "true-crime" and invented stories that typified such papers. From the collection of Clive Harper with his discreet book-label loosely inserted at the rear. Harper is well- known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. Genuinely rare - printed on cheap newsprint, and not intended to last. Paper browned, front and rear pages (covers) detached but complete and present, pages browned, but unmarked. In VG condtion given its fragile nature. Item #67168
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