Customer Reviews

Perdurabo, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Life of Aleister Crowley

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Dr. Kaczynski had already written what many people regard as the best biography of the enigmatic Aleister Crowley, his original "Perdurabo;" the out-of-print paperback currently sells for $90-100, as do the privately published volumes "Perdurabo Outtakes" and "Panic in Detroit." This revised and expanded version is fleshed out with 150 pages of largely new material-- per the author "there is very little overlap between these books and the revised and expanded edition."

This lovely and beautifully bound hardback edition has been highly anticipated and is sure to be a collector's item in years to come. Get it while you can!

Richard has outdone his previous effort. It is obvious to the reader that this is a work of 'love under law'. Without becoming an apologist for Crowley, Richard is foremost an advocate for Crowley's relevance in so many ways. He makes no excuses for Crowley's sometimes outrageous behavior although he often does provide background and reasons that other biographers ignore in order to sensationalize. No matter your perspective, this work cannot fail to bring balance and focus. A superb effort.

Perdurabo is truly a majestic work. Taking the reader on a comprehensive and insightful tour de force, we are given delightful, exciting substance not found in other biographies. The author elegantly and solidly paints a vivid picture of the astounding life of Crowley, his varied - and often bizarre - interests and influences, and the multiple directions his life took.

What is unique about this work is the revealing nature of its chapters which offer detailed accounts of letters, "magickal" practices and previously unexplored facets to this extraordinary life. The author seems to want to give you all the goods, which I like.

Two other wonderful works about this fascinating subject - `Astrology, Aleister, and Aeon,' and `Do What Thou Wilt' - when taken in consideration with this one, provide a delightful trilogy that vouchsafes the most relevant and probing ideas surrounding their subject. When all three are read, one captures a thorough picture of Crowley, for better or worse.

Crowley, the highly controversial mountaineer, magician and writer, is rendered powerful and frail, alluring and repulsive: many lives wrapped up into one. Intriguing, to say the least.

To put it simply, there is no more complete, nor more interesting biography of Crowley than this one. There are some confusing date and word typos, but these are de minimis. (Wrong dates under Crowley's father's picture, a reference to the Rose "bury" and Gold Cross" instead of "Rose Ruby", "Maonic" instead of "Masonic"). Incredible effort, incredible scholarship went into this bio. The only real question is why bother? Why so much effort for such a person of little effect? The students of magick may face Boleskine five times a day in adoration, but they are relatively few. I have been fascinated by Crowley since the early '70s, but I have never found him to be any sort of a major player in history, literature, or philosophy. Impressive mountain climber yes, decent hack writer, yes, but no great contributor to civilization. In any event, whether or not Crowley was the logos of the Aeon, or just an athletic bisexual con artist, Dr. K's book is a masterpiece.

Several years ago I had the chance to read a bit in the first edition, and I was thrilled to find a book on Crowley which was balanced and to the point. It was sold out for a long time, so I was delighted to find this new edition coming out. It is written so that the reader gets a deep insight in what life Crowley had, from his childhood and up to his death. The people he met and encountered. Like some already have written, Richard Kaczinsky does not glorify the man and he does not try to hide any facts. It is plain to see that he has gone to great lengths in order to reveal the truth. Citing known sources, people that had first hand contact with Crowley, digging out all sides to a story like an good journalist. I have read other biographies (Eye in the Triangle++), yet I was amazed to read and find out much I did not know already - and knowing in more detail about what I already knew. This book comes highly reccomended for everyone that wants to learn more about a remarkable man - ahead of his time and very spiritual. Read it and make up your own mind.

PERDURABO: THE LIFE OF ALEISTER CROWLEY provides a definitive biography of the magician and prophet and is a 'must' for any new age collection or library where magic is of interest. Crowley inspired generations of social and spiritual thinkers and this uses the author's extensive expertise to provide a new, in-depth spin on Crowley's story. Twenty years of research on the subject reflect a fine survey including unique biographical details and previously unpublished photos in a revised, expanded edition.

A meticulously researched and objectively presented biography of this uncompromising and unique personality. The sublime, the callous, and the mundane events are equally chronicled from the astounding career of this intense mage.

It is hard to fault this hefty work by the author who is quite well versed in AC and anything related. It contains a lot of side stories and references which really give life to the history of Crowley. Associated pictures along the way also make this an interesting read. It isn't a short read though, and can take days/weeks/months to get through, but one has the feeling that just about everything has been covered once and for all..

Great book bio of Crowley with a couple of more additional photos and expanded somewhat.