Aleister Crowley; The Man: The Mage: The Poet.
(London?): Black Books, 1996. First Edition Thus. Softcover. Octavo. xvi + 232pp. Glossy white covers with black titling and photo of Crowley smoking his pipe to front cover,. B&w frontisportrait of Crowley, b&w illustrations, bibliography, index. A modern, apparently unauthorised, reprint of this much under-rated biographical memoir of Crowley that was originally published in 1951. "Aleister Crowley; The Man: The Mage: The Poet" was largely overlooked when it first came out as it had the misfortune to be published almost simultaneously with John Symonds' far more sensationalist - and thus attention grabbing - book "The Great Beast." The author, Charles Richard Cammell, was a friend, but never a follower, of Crowley's, and this memoir is a more personal reflection on the man than is usually found. As Cammell wrote: "I saw A.C. frequently. I came to know him well: better mentally, I believe, than many who knew him longer and, in a sense, more intimately." Includes Edward Noel FitzGerald's short bibliography of works by Crowley at the rear. This edition appears to be reproduced direct from the original Richards Press edition of 1951. This, and the publisher's name (black being the hue of the flags of piracy and anarchy) and lack of details, suggest it is a pirate or unauthorised reprint, and it is indeed rumoured to have been a sub rosa project of a now well-known British bookseller. From the collection of Clive Harper with his discreet book-label neatly tipped in 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. Just a hint of rubbing to covers, light creasing at gutters, else appears "as new" Item #69764
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