Customer Reviews

Raising Hell: A Concise History of the Black Arts - and Those Who Dared to Practice Them

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a history of the black arts, and those who practiced them, as the title states. It goes into everything from alchemism to palmistry, to raising demons, to wizardry, and much more, with excellent examples and stories as well. The books format was easy to follow, easy to understand, and yet still managed to provide a cornecopia of information. I found this book quite fascinating, I found it very difficult to put down.

Trust me, I'm a pretty harsh judge of books, I don't hand out 5 stars for it unless theres something there. This book is a definate "must buy" if you, like myself, are generally new to the studies of the occult.

I don't know which is worse: this book, or the fact that it is the best work for novice's to come out in a long time. The disgusting drivel that floods the modern-day market is appalling. Oh well, thats the price we pay for living in a more 'enlightened' age. It is a very commercial book, obviously geared twords (apply called) "naughty teenagers". It contains good information, but has a very swift 'spin' to it - sometimes nausiatinly so. All in all, though, it is informative - and should make any fan of Mr. King drool. If you are further interested, I would suggest reading:

The Black Arts

The History of Magic

The Powers of Evil

Encyclopedia of the Unexplained

The World of Ghosts and the Supernatural

Man, Myth, and Magic (12 vol.)

(all by Richard Cavendish - the leading authority on magic, mythology, and the supernatural)

History of Magic and Experimental Science

(Lynn Thorndike - one of the best - 8 vol.)

The History of Magic

(Kurt Seligmann)

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology

(Rossell Hope Robbins - Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature)

Witchcraft, Magic, and Alchemy

(Grillot De Givry - translated by J. Courtenay Locke)

The Book of Black Magic

(Arthur Edward Waite)

The Secret Teachings of All Ages

(Manly P. Hall - a virtual tome of info. from a true believer)

Witchcraft and Black Magic

(Montague Summers)

Satanism and Witchcraft

(Jules Michelet)

These are some of the better books that grace Mr. Masello's bibliography. It is just unfortunate that he seemed to sacrafice scholorship for a quick 'rise' from his readers. He could have done alot better.

Sincerly, Shawn W. Ooten

The subtitle of this book, "A Concise History of the Black Arts", is adequately chosen indeed, since about seventy percent of Masello's book is taken, in some instances almost verbatim, from the book "The Black Arts" by Richard Cavendish. Quotes, anecdotes, even examples given or questions asked in "The Black Arts" return with a savour faire in "Raising Hell", severely hampering the reading enjoyment and learning, and having very little new to add.
Now, this is not a good book. Masello either treats subject matter that has been treated better and more thoroughly in "The Black Arts" (and this book antedates "Raising Hell" almost 30 years!). The remaining writing seems info that has been snatched from encyclopedias, book blurbs, or other pop occult books, and is very shallow. For instance, Masello very superficially explores 'secret societies' such as Freemasons, Templars, Rosicrucians, etc., devoting about a page and half to each of them, giving some quick info about how/when they emerged, what they supposedly did, and who had a bone to pick with them. There's no analysis, there is no further investigation (resulting in some errors here and there), no association with other events or orders. Five minutes and a web browser will give you more detailed and interesting knowledge.
Since this is clearly a pop book it also has some rather toe-crooking 'humor' and jokes that doesn't befit the subject. In fact, my personal opinion is that approaches such as these to occult philosophy, hermetism, alchemy, and mysticism are for a large portion to blame for the well-nigh absense of academic or serious interest in the shadowy side of our history of thought and experience. From our (though decaying) typically western rational ideologies and philosophy we do not look kindly upon "irrational" practices such as The Black Arts, and hapfully bestow them on deluded mortals, heretics, madmen, deceivers, or circus artists, oblivious to the intertwining of occult philosophy and thought with our history, from pre-Biblical times to the Enlightenment and beyond.
Apart from some nice reproductions of illuminated art, this book has very little to offer to anyone that has either a strong interest, scholarly attention, or just someone that wants a quick read on 'Black Arts'. Cavendish's broad-sweeping study "The Black Arts" still is an authoritative and daring introduction into something as confusing and intruiging as occult philosophy. Go for that one instead, and leave this one behind.

234 pages full of history, dealing with necromancy, sorcery, astrology, alchemy and prophecy. The book also deals with great occult pioneers like the chain-smoking Helena Blavatsky, the far-seeing Nostradamus and the famous Comte De St-Germain. It explains the origins of magic, black and white, diving deep into its myths, background and evolution.

Masello deals thoroughfully and in a very entertaining way with the History of the Black Arts through the five chapters of the book. It is focused on the Western tradition mainly and it is a bit brief.

- Chapter 1 tells us about black magic and sorcery, including nice examples of spells and anecdotes.
- Chapter 2 speaks about Necromancy, the art of raising the dead.
- Chapter 3 is devoted to Mystical Orders: Cabbala, Rosy Cross, the Masons and other.
- Chapter 4 includes the History of Alchemy and its adepts, such as Paracelsus and Seton.
- Chapter 5 collects the historical facts about foreseeing the future and divination methods.

The book also includes a glossary and a complete Bibliography, as well as some illustrations. The information is complete and enjoyable, though I would have liked it had more data about female witchcraft.

The best book of it's kind that I have seen. A succinct overview of numerous historical sects, traditions, and so fourth from Crowley, the Golden Dawn Tradition, the Gnostics, Simon Magus, and others. This is an excellent book to attain the historical and real points that each of these orders possessed. This book elicits many hidden facts about these people and sects and is excellent for anyone to attain a fundamental study of the various types of occult knowledge there is today in the world. Also demonstrated in this work of art is how most of modern technology came from these profound occultists. From astrologists paving the way to astronomers, to the alchemists developing the steel industry in their futile attempts to change base metals into gold and silver. For other historical books of this kind, check Angel Magic, which is not as clear, but still good. -For further disucssion of this book e-mail me-

I've got quite an extensive library of books on black magic and the history of the occult, but for sheer readability, this is one of the very best. It gives you a lot of valuable and well-researched information on everything from alchemy to the tarot, necromancy to incantations, in a very clear and lively manner. It's one of the few books I keep on the reference shelf above my desk, where I can always get at it. I give it my whole-hearted endorsement!

Raising Hell: A Concise History of the Black Arts and Those Who Dared Practice Them by Robert Masello is an concise but comprehensive overview of the history of occult arts throughout the centuries, filled with interesting stories and creative characters in search of power beyond their control. The book is divided into several distinct sections, each dealing with a specific aspect of the occult arts, giving the reader a wonderful glimpse into the powers which lie in the great beyond. Although it makes mention of numerous sources and reference material, by keeping the details to a bare minimum he only serves to wet one's whistle on the nature of his survey, making readers want to delve deeper into regions unknown. A great start for people interested in the occult but don't know where to start.

For all of those who are novices or beginners in the quest for forbidden subjects, such as necromancy and spell casting, this book provides a great introduction. It's filled with different subjects and settings, so there never really is a point at which is becomes boring or repetitive. A must for all those interested in demonology!

This is a very good resource for occult study. It's a variable who's who of the occult world, giving the histories of some of the greats of magick. The only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 is due to the fact that the title is a little misleading. This book actually had very few "black magicians" and instead covers just about anyone who matters in the occult world. A must read.