Aleister Crowley: The Beast in Berlin: Art, Sex, and Magick in the Weimar Republic Kindle Edition

I wish Churton had translated more of the German (and Portuguese) into English, even the place names (which I know isn’t usually done). The opening chapters are a little bit too much background information for me. I want to cut straight to the adventure. To even a casual reader, it becomes obvious that Aleister Crowley had absolutely no idea of how to make or manage money. Seriously, instead of treating publishing or painting as some sort of get-rich-quick scheme, he just should have gone out and gotten a job. Also in regards to his efforts to “take over” magical orders: You generally don’t impress people by saying what a Great Master you are, you impress people by writing and talking like someone who has actually Attained. It is disappointing to read just how much Crowley ignored his role as prophet, to go off and tinker with other things. Some of Churton’s chapters seem to be arranged by topic. I would much rather have preferred linear storytelling. The chapter on Crowley’s Intelligence work (or whatever you may choose to call it) was the most interesting part of the book for me. Make no mistake about it: Crowley IS my prophet. But his activities outside that arena must be analyzed with discernment, free of blindly believing his own propaganda. There are people who act like time has stood still since 1947. That is simply not true. It is time for Θέλημα to evolve and move on.

This fascinating book arrived on time just as described and very well packaged.

Mr. Churton's tome is a vivid panorama of A.C.'s overlooked 'Berlin' period. I believe Crowley as 'Expressionalist Künstler' was arguably his last grasp for wider recognition beyond 'Fleet Street' notoriety and, like nearly all of such endeavors during his lifetime, ended in abject failure. Mr. Churton's excellent research and well paced narrative rewards the reader with a rich oeuvre of the events and the personalities surrounding this period in Crowley's life. To have all of this set against the denouement of the Weimar Republic makes for a book that reads like a wonderfully contrived work of fiction! Highly recommended.

This book was as exhausting to read as a phone book, as it spent more time name dropping than actually telling the reader what Crowley did. Crowley met him, Crowley met her— I got it. But what was his impact? What did Aleister Crowley do besides paint some trash and beg for money? I still don’t know after reading the book.

Brilliant research went into the writing of this book. It should be read in conjunction with Perdurabo by Richard Kaczynski. If Crowley had been as negative as portrayed as his detractors, he would have stayed on in Berlin during the War [assisting the Nazis].

Very scholarly and well written.

Bought this book as a gift for my nephew; he loved it!

EXCELLENT!!

Just finished reading this one. This is a fantastic piece of work by Tobias Churton. An absolutely fascinating expose of Crowley and entourages' time spent in Berlin circa 1920's and early 30's which truly captured the Wiemar period. The Crowley art and German artist information was one rabbit hole after another, and was completely captivating. I loved this book so much that I have purchased the Churton works of the biography and the Art in American which I can't wait to start. I have studied Crowley for forty years and am so happy that the various phases of his life are being brought to life in such work. Others have criticised the roaming style and at first I found this slightly strange however I phased into the style very quickly and can only recommend this book with utmost enthusiasm.

A well-produced book, and I am so glad to have it in my library.....but not because of Churton's efforts to persuade readers of Crowley's validity as a Prophet of the 'Age of Horus'... Churton uses the facts of Crowley's sojourn in pre-WW2 Berlin as a skeleton upon which to construct a prolonged verbose licking of Crowley's posterior which is almost laughable in it's attempt to establish reasons for regarding Crowley as someone to be respected and admired for his contribution to esotericism. He declares that Crowley cannot be defined as he was many things. Other authorities would disagree. Notwithstanding his incredible erudition and undoubted 'gifts' in many fields, the man was a delusional megalomaniac who attracted damaged people, and seekers after 'truth' who themselves became damaged as a result of association with this charlatan and impostor, unless they had the good sense to get out of Crowley's kitchen. Thankfully Crow's 'religion' of 'Thelema' never caught on, and never will. Those qualified to opine on his 'poetry' declare it to be 'awful' and 'abominable', and his 'Liber Al' - the lynchpin of his life's work, is clearly a rabid screed deriving from his own poisoned unconscious written in the same dreadful style. On the other hand we have reason to be grateful for his 'Autohagiography' which is often an hilarious read, and also we can enjoy his artwork which was a major factor and reason for his Berlin visits. In that respect there is a good reason for owning and reading this book in spite of the author's turgid mannered delivery. In spite of the fact that Crowley's art cannot be appraised on any formal basis because the man had no formal training, he nonetheless left the most remarkable paintings and drawings for posterity to marvel at. His final estate was valued at 18 shillings and sixpence, (92.5 pence in today's money) yet his art is now valued in the many thousands and is both scarce and rarely, if ever, for sale. For the insights given here into this particular aspect of a failed incarnation I have to be grudgingly grateful to the author. According to the occult grapevine, to which I frequently lend ear, Crow's exalted spiritual status befitted him for a following incarnation as a prostitute in the Far East. I'm sure he had fun. For those seeking a more adequate appraisal of Crowley himself I suggest they read "The Magical Dilemma of Victor Neuburg' by Jean Overton Fuller, where anyone who has the good sense to be reserved in opinion will find all needed to justify doubt. That said I have many of Old Crow's books, including his Book of Thoth,and 'Astrology' which are masterpieces... if one can look beyond the confused personality of the person at source.

Rather breathlessly paced tour of Crowley's Berlin adventures which sadly gives little insight into his qualities as an artist or indeed into anyone in the art world during thsoe years. Add to this a lot of careless mistakes in the aspects of the book with which I am familiar (as for instance in the spelling of Alexanderplatz, confusions in S- and U-Bahn lines, or the reference to Gustav Meyrink three times as a German - he was Viennese) did not convince me that the author is necessarily arelaibale source in the areas I know less about (Crowley, magick). Possibly something for real Crowley nuts interested in how many times he had sex, magickal or otherwise, each day, but otherwise a mite dull. Crowley comes across as suprisingly mundane for somone who aimed to bring about a radical change in the spiritual life of his times.

Geliefert wurde das Buch prompt. Inhaltlich ist es das, was es verspricht. Eine akademische Abhandlung über Crowleys Lebensphase in Berlin. Interessant sind viele Infos nicht unbedingt wegen Crowley, sondern wegen der zahlreichen interessanten Infos über die Situation in Berlin der 20er Jahre. Magick findet man in diesem Buch nicht, aber das kündigt es auch nicht an. Alles in allem lohnt sich der Kauf zum Schmökern.

Great!