Overview

In this definitive work on the life and legacy of the ""great beast"" Aleister Crowley, author Gary Lachman traces both the arc of the occultist's strange and controversial life, and his influence on rock-and-roll giants from the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, to Black Sabbath and Blondie, of which Lachman was a founding member. This definitive work on the occult's ""great beast"" traces the arc of his controversial life and influence on rock-and-roll giants, from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath. When Aleister Crowley died in 1947, he was not an obvious contender for the most enduring pop-culture figure of the next century. But twenty years later, Crowley's name and image were everywhere. The Beatles put him on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Rolling Stones were briefly serious devotees. Today, his visage hangs in goth clubs, occult temples, and college dorm rooms, and his methods of ceremonial magick animate the passions of myriad occultists and spiritual seekers. Aleister Crowley is more than just a biography of this compelling, controversial, and divisive figure-it's also a portrait of his unparalleled influence on modern pop culture.

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9780399161902

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Reviews

Clocking in at 394 pages jam-packed with in-depth information, factoids, anecdotes and insights from the first sentence to the last. A historical biography through and through, Lachman's book is meticulously researched and it is quite easy to believe that the author, like a professor well-versed in their subject, could analyze and extrapolate at much greater lengths. The oft touted declaration of Crowley as the Wickedest Man in the World, may well have been overblown in it's own time, but he's certainly not an individual with whom it is easy to empathize. As detestable as he is, there is an undeniable fascination in his exploits, and Lachman seems the perfect man to deliver them. --The Examiner Gary Lachman has become an increasingly prolific engine of literate, well-written, and clear-headed books about esoteric history and 'occulture.' --Erik Davis, author of TechGnosis Thinking outside the box, Lachman challenges many contemporary theories by reinserting a sense of the spiritual back into the discussion. --Leonard Shlain, author of Art & Physics and Alphabet versus the Goddess

Clocking in at 394 pages jam-packed with in-depth information, factoids, anecdotes and insights from the first sentence to the last. A historical biography through and through, Lachman's book is meticulously researched and it is quite easy to believe that the author, like a professor well-versed in their subject, could analyze and extrapolate at much greater lengths. The oft touted declaration of Crowley as the Wickedest Man in the World, may well have been overblown in it's own time, but he's certainly not an individual with whom it is easy to empathize. As detestable as he is, there is undeniable a fascination in his exploits, and Lachman seems the perfect man to deliver them. --The Examiner Gary Lachman has become an increasingly prolific engine of literate, well-written, and clear-headed books about esoteric history and 'occulture.' --Erik Davis, author of TechGnosis Thinking outside the box, Lachman challenges many contemporary theories by reinserting a sense of the spiritual back into the discussion. --Leonard Shlain, author of Art & Physics and Alphabet versus the Goddess

Clocking in at 394 pages jam-packed with in-depth information, factoids, anecdotes and insights from the first sentence to the last. A historical biography through and through, Lachman's book is meticulously researched and it is quite easy to believe that the author, like a professor well-versed in their subject, could analyze and extrapolate at much greater lengths. The oft touted declaration of Crowley as the Wickedest Man in the World, may well have been overblown in it's own time, but he's certainly not an individual with whom it is easy to empathize. As detestable as he is, there is an undeniable fascination in his exploits, and Lachman seems the perfect man to deliver them. --The Examiner Gary Lachman has become an increasingly prolific engine of literate, well-written, and clear-headed books about esoteric history and 'occulture.' --Erik Davis, author of TechGnosis Thinking outside the box, Lachman challenges many contemporary theories by reinserting a sense of the spiritual back into the discussion. --Leonard Shlain, author of Art & Physics and Alphabet versus the Goddess

Clocking in at 394 pages jam-packed with in-depth information, factoids, anecdotes and insights from the first sentence to the last. A historical biography through and through, Lachman's book is meticulously researched and it is quite easy to believe that the author, like a professor well-versed in their subject, could analyze and extrapolate at much greater lengths. The oft touted declaration of Crowley as the Wickedest Man in the World, may well have been overblown in it's own time, but he's certainly not an individual with whom it is easy to empathize. As detestable as he is, there is an undeniable fascination in his exploits, and Lachman seems the perfect man to deliver them. --The Examiner Gary Lachman has become an increasingly prolific engine of literate, well-written, and clear-headed books about esoteric history and 'occulture.' --Erik Davis, author of TechGnosis Thinking outside the box, Lachman challenges many contemporary theories by reinserting a sense of the spiritual back into the discussion. --Leonard Shlain, author of Art & Physics and Alphabet versus the Goddess

Author Information

Gary Lachman is one of today's most respected writers on esoteric and occult themes. His books-including Swedenborg, Jung the Mystic, and Rudolf Steiner-have received international acclaim. A founding member of Blondie, Lachman has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He lives in London.

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