Interview with two Crowley biographers

Zephyros

Here's an interview with Gary Lachman and Tobias Churton, authors of two (separate) biographies. I have yet to read either, but just from the interview I can guess I won't be reading Lachman's book. He exhibits a deplorable lack of scholarship, and confidently speaks of things it is obvious he knows little about, as well having a revolting smugness and moral superiority about him. Churton seems more interesting and balanced. Indeed, he even says of Lachman in the interview "Mr Lachman writes as a stern moralist, burdened, it seems to me not only with a sense of disappointment regarding rock stars and “radical chic” culture heroes, but also an inability to sort out the wheat from the chaff, or distinguish the wood from the trees."

http://realitysandwich.com/230073/the-lore-and-lure-of-aleister-crowley-a-dialog/
 

Thoughtful

Here's an interview with Gary Lachman and Tobias Churton, authors of two (separate) biographies. I have yet to read either, but just from the interview I can guess I won't be reading Lachman's book. He exhibits a deplorable lack of scholarship, and confidently speaks of things it is obvious he knows little about, as well having a revolting smugness and moral superiority about him. Churton seems more interesting and balanced. Indeed, he even says of Lachman in the interview "Mr Lachman writes as a stern moralist, burdened, it seems to me not only with a sense of disappointment regarding rock stars and “radical chic” culture heroes, but also an inability to sort out the wheat from the chaff, or distinguish the wood from the trees."

http://realitysandwich.com/230073/the-lore-and-lure-of-aleister-crowley-a-dialog/


l came across this post and actually its quite fortuitous for me.

Wanting to know more about AC l googled as much info as l could. What l came across was very lurid and quite unpalatable, it gave me thoughts that perhaps l had made a grave mistake in wanting to get into the Thoth. l do love the Thoth though and feel such a deep sense of spirituality when l look at the images and hold the deck in my hands.
To get myself back on track again l looked through the Thoth posts here to find anything that would help. That's when l found your post Zephyros and reading it has put things into perspective again, thank you.
 

McFaire

Interesting article. Good bump!
 

Barleywine

I can recommend Churton, I got it on Kindle and found it worthwhile. But I haven't read Kaczynski's Perdurabo yet, just Regardie's old Eye in the Triangle, so I don't have much to compare to in the way of biographical works.
 

Richard

I can recommend Churton, I got it on Kindle and found it worthwhile. But I haven't read Kaczynski's Perdurabo yet, just Regardie's old Eye in the Triangle, so I don't have much to compare to in the way of biographical works.

I haven't read Churton yet. The Kaczynski is very thorough and objective but may at times get sidetracked by seemingly irrelevant peripheral matters.
 

Barleywine

I haven't read Churton yet. The Kaczynski is very thorough and objective but may at times get sidetracked by seemingly irrelevant peripheral matters.

There are also some peripheral matters in Churton, such as Crowley's espionage career, but they all serve to illuminate his life in their own way,
 

Aeon418

Churton's Crowley biography is very readable. It's possibly one of the best bio's too. Although at times I felt there was a little too much emphasis on Crowley's work as an "intelligence asset." But that's my only quibble really. On the whole the book is very good. And it's probably more accessible to the lay reader than Kaczynski's highly detailed offering.


Here's a two part video of Tobias Churton giving a talk on Crowley at Watkins Books in London.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPEmn4knfQE

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPNZgK-648I
 

Eternus Discipulus

Very good info. Thank you for sharing the link.
 

avalonian

Churton's Crowley biography is very readable. It's possibly one of the best bio's too. Although at times I felt there was a little too much emphasis on Crowley's work as an "intelligence asset." But that's my only quibble really. On the whole the book is very good. And it's probably more accessible to the lay reader than Kaczynski's highly detailed offering.


Here's a two part video of Tobias Churton giving a talk on Crowley at Watkins Books in London.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPEmn4knfQE

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPNZgK-648I

What a delightful man, thanks for sharing those links, if I hadn't already read his book that video would make me buy it instantly.

:) :) :)