Perdurabo, Revised & Expanded Edition:The Life of Aleister Crowley
Richard Kaczynski
North Atlantic Books, August 2010
ISBN: 978-1556438998
“Dr. Kaczynski has been able to uncover a host of previously unexplored sources which cast new light on Crowley’s life and works. Some are presented here for the first time in this revised edition. It is an achievement that deserves praise and I am sure the book . . . will be used by scholars and students for many years to come as an indispensable reference work.”
–Dr. Marco Pasi, author of Aleister Crowley and the Temptation of Politics
“Meticulously researched and brilliantly written, Perdurabo is a revealing and unflinching look at the complex, enigmatic and always controversial figure known to us as Aleister Crowley. . . Kaczynski has written one of the most enjoyable and riveting reads in recent memory. Newly revised and expanded this is the definitive Crowley biography.”
–John Zorn, musician
Known by the press of his time as “The Great Beast” and “The Wickedest Man in the World”, Aleister Crowley was a powerful magician, poet, prophet and famed occultist. He was perhaps the most controversial and misunderstood personality to figure in the new era of modern day occultism. Crowley like many great men before him, was a man before his time. He lived in a society that could little understand him or appreciate his latent genius. His writings so shocked the peoples of his era that he was robbed of the praise that it merited, and as a poet he never received the recognition he deserved. Crowley rightly considered the transformation of the human condition as the only worthwhile pursuit and all of his endeavors worked toward that goal.
Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley paints an informative and objective portrait of Crowley that also happens to be a great read. The reader is taken on an intimate tour of Crowley's life. Richard Kaczynski's book does a great deal to clear up the misapprehensions and confusion, to penetrate the legends and lies which not only surround the memory and living legacy of Crowley but in his life as well. The result is a fascinating, easily readable narrative about one of the most interesting cultural phenomena of the late Victorian period. Meticulously researched and written with a keen insight into the basic tenets underlying not only Crowley's thought but all of the philosophical and magical traditions into which Crowley delved and built upon.
Like any good biographer, Richard Kaczynski set out to discover the man behind the myth. Kaczynski 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. Kaczynski does a splendid job at delving beyond the myths and legends of Crowley's life to reveal his humanity, with all accompanying flaws and strengths. He also presents Crowley's various beliefs and philosophies in an astute and evenhanded manner. Kaczynski's writing style is fluid and articulate, and his subject is so fascinating that the reader can't help but be propelled through the book. A compelling, balanced and thoroughly enlightening read.
RICHARD KACZYNSKI, Ph.D., is a writer, musician, research scientist and teacher. He is author of "Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley," "The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley," "Perdurabo Outtakes," and "Panic in Detroit: The Magician and the Motor City." He has also co-edited with Hymenaeus Beta "The Revival of Magick and Other Essays," and performed editorial duties for "Beauty and Strength" (the NOTOCON VI proceedings book). He has appeared on television in the documentaries "Secrets of the Occult" and "Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666." Dr. Kaczynski earned his Ph.D. in social psychology, with a minor in measurement and statistics, in 1993 with a dissertation on metaphysical beliefs and experiences among occult practitioners in New Religious Movements. He has been a student of the Western hermetic tradition since 1978, and has lectured internationally on these topics since 1990.
