Hey guys, I want to learn more about Aleister Crowley what is the best book out there about him?

Thanks in advance.

The best Crowley biography is widely thought to be Richard Kaczynski's Perdurabo. It's out of print, but this year Kaczynski has published a short primer called The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley.

Shame he tends to feature in bizarre magic at the 'evil!' '666!' level of his own tabloid propaganda.

I'd say read a big handful of books about him. Include some of his own writings about himself. There were/ are so many differing views about him, it's difficult to get a clear picture of him with only one or two books.
Genius, spoiled brat, druggie, sex 'maniac,' mountain climber, publicity hound, misogynist, researcher, magician, con man, sadist, egotist, masochist, evil beast, faker, philosopher . . . the list goes on. Might be that many of these - and more - are true, at least in part. Or not.
Do your own research, by all means. He has serious fans and serious detractors, many of whom argue loudly, clouding the issue.
brane

My cousins uncles brothers dogs sisters boyfriend says he was a Scientologist.
I find the claim suspect.

You might want to read The Eye in the Triangle by Israel Regardie. Of all the things that are said of Crowley, I don't think anyone will say he was uninteresting.

Bill

He wasn't a scientologist. One his OTO members in California, Jack Parsons, had connections with L. Ron Hubbard. Parsons claimed Hubbard swindled him, Hubbard claimed he was working against a 'black magic' ring.
"The eye in the Triangle" is excellent, as is anything else by Israel Regardie, it is very much 'pro' Crowley (although many OTO members don't like, because their prophet was 'psychologized'). I think that Francis King's books "The Magical Wold of Aleister Crowley" is avery good book, it is truthful and balanced and also allows for Crowley's humanness. Crowley's 'hagiography' "Confessions" is very good. It's quite long, and obviously biased, but you will learn about how Crowley saw himself.
To understand his religion/philosophy I'd recommend starting of with "The magick of Thelema" ny Lon Milo Duquette (thats THELEMA, not Thelma ) and ABRAHADABRA by Rodney Orpheus. They are both really good. Of course Crowley's own books, "book 4" pt 1 and 2 and "magic in theory and practice" are good to read, but Duquette and Orpheus are the place to start.
The big problem with studying Crowley is his multidimentionality. In addition to being a magickian/prophet he was a poet (NOT a bad poet, he wrote appropriate to the times he lived in and styles have changed) and a mountain climber who still holds world records. He was also a misogynist, racist, bigot and homphobe (though bisexual). Many books portray him as evil and some white wash him, both would be an extreme over simplification.

Try reading some Crowley. Always go to the source. I suggest "The Book of the Law" and "The Book of Thoth" and "The Book of Lies".

A good book to read, which will help one to compare and contrast Crowley's thoughts to those of others, using a widely known "translated" book, is "The Tao Te Ching" -Crowley's transliteration.

I suggest and link to these texts in their entirety with the full knowledge that they will probably be ignored.

Not by me. I would like to have a look at this Tao te Crowley.



Yeah, that was kind of the joke.

Lawrence Sutin's "Do What Thou Wilt" is a highly detailed biography of Crowley that is refreshingly readable because it was written from a viewpoint that is neither sycophantic nor hostile. I recommend it highly.

From the "Library Journal" review: "Sutin wonderfully details the eccentricities of this puzzling man while being careful not to overburden his narrative with academic psychological theories or personal observations and conclusions. The result is a fascinating, easily readable narrative about one of the most interesting cultural phenomena of the late Victorian period. Recommended for all libraries."

I concur with that assessment.

"Yeah, that was kind of the joke."
oops, gotcha. Lot's of people believe things just as ridiculous.

I think The book of the Law and the Book of Lies are not very useful if you don't a bit about Crowley to start off with and know the context within which they were written. A lot of Liber AL (book of the law) makes no sense if don't have at least a basic knowledge of the Golden Dawn (or other lodge) structures and the "hermetic" Qabbalah. B The book of Thoth is great.
Israel Regardie edited "The Law is for All," which are Crowley's commentaries on Liber Al and give some idea of Crowley's interpretation of it, which is not always intuitive.

On one occasion I was briefly introduced to Lpn Milo DuQuette, and Richard Kaczynski, and I can say that they are both extremely knowledgeable,when it comes to Crowley and most anything Magickical...I would especially recommend anything by DuQuette, as he's a good author, witty and captivating as well as bright...
There's also another book called..."A Magick Life"...A biography of Aleister Crowley"....By Martin Booth...This focuses more on his personal life than from a Magickal perspective....
Hope this helps....

On one occasion I was briefly introduced to Lpn Milo DuQuette, and Richard Kaczynski, and I can say that they are both extremely knowledgeable,when it comes to Crowley and most anything Magickical...I would especially recommend anything by DuQuette, as he's a good author, witty and captivating as well as bright...
There's also another book called..."A Magick Life"...A biography of Aleister Crowley"....By Martin Booth...This focuses more on his personal life than from a Magickal perspective....
Hope this helps....

Wow!!

Sorry about the double posts...Maybe my computer is.possesed....Never mind!!

:stare:

It is probably impossible, since (correct me if I'm wrong) Dianetics was written in the 1950s and Crowley died in 1947. Of course the cousins uncles brothers dogs sisters boyfriend could have found out Crowley was a time traveller.

Well everybody knows Crowley was a time traveller.
What some people don't know is that Crowley stashed Hubbards engrams in a package of Thoth tarot cards and sent them to Utah. When Joseph Smith read Hubbard his fortune they both died on the spot. And that's how Crowley became the supreme religious leader of the entire world.
Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

Jack Parsons was intimately connected to Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and through JPL to the space program. Parsons died in a lab explosion when he supposedly handled dangerous chemicals incorrectly (actually, the wrappers for a certain chemical). Someone with Parsons' knowledge and experience certainly should have known better. The whole story sounds like bad fiction.

Crowley's influence on Hubbard and Scientology was probably not inconsiderable.

I would second Martin Booth's book "A Magick Life" - it's a balanced, exoteric account of Crowley that is both informative and hilarious. I think it captures what a complex character Crowley was and offers some subtle pointers to his motivations at times.

Ok seriously though. Powell's books in Portland Oregon has some very interesting Crowley first editions, some of which are on the website.
A lot of what I read about Crowley was in a book called "Black Magic." I forget the author and it's probably highly inaccurate, but it was fun to read.
Also, there is a fiction book which I can'r recall the name of that is about Crowley and H.P. Lovecraft on some sort of adventure together.
You could probably Google "Crowley Lovecraft Fiction" and find it.
It sounded good. I am a big Lovecraft fan.
My best friend loves Crowley so I often get him Crowley books for his birthday.
One year I found him a first edition Thoth tarot card set at a yard sale for a quarter!

Uncle Al is perfectly imperfect, in every way. he wasnt a racist, but perhaps a bigot---a man of his times--he humped lots of black women, and dudes too--he loved regardie, a jew---he was simply a man who did his Will, At any moment, any time---his flaw lies in not living up to his own "non lust for result" of his magic--this led him to leave his body "perplexed' and saddened that he never quite "achieved" his fame and noteriety, save the tabloid stuff---he loved to hump people in the name of sex magick---he loved his drugs, don't we all--he was born the year of the Pig, which to me makes clear how he could have enjoyed such god forsaken debaucharies day in and out.

he was more than a genius, yet at once a naive child of the old aeon.

hes a favorite demon of mine, and my bookshelf is weighted down with his rambling words.

I love SUTIN'S bio, as well as the confessions, law is for all, liber aleph (et al) book of lies, book 4, 777.....

but

a book called Portable darkness IS great compendium of Uncles works. easy to find. so get it.

do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

N.O.X.


Frater Baba Crowley

Critter,

Could Kenneth Grant be the suthor?

Tony