Customer Reviews

The History of British Magic After Crowley

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I was really disappointed when I got this book. I was looking forward to reading about Kenneth Grant, the Typhonian Current, and other developments after Crowley:

what I got was a very dry, boring read on topics like ethics and anthropology... and less than 40 pages on Magick after Crowley. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an informative read...it's a waste of money.

Evans makes a valiant attempt at taking an academic and historical look at the modern history of the occult in england. About half of the book is centered around an examination of morality and magick. Evans debunks the idea that magicians (even followers of the so-called "left hand path") are in some way evil or malicious. The rest of the book is divided into a review of the lives of Amado Crowley and Kenneth Grant (along with some debunking of the stories these men have created around themselves) and a brief look at chaos magick. I really enjoyed this book, but it does have its weaknesses. For example, I was disappointed at times with Evans citation of wikipedia as a source of information, and his tendency to cite other unacademic sources as fact when they supported his conclusions. I recommend the book especially for people with a passing interest in the beliefs and (to a lesser extent)the practices of the modern occultist.