Men of Mystery

London: W. H. Allen - A Howard & Wyndham Company, 1977. 1977 at title and copyright page; no other indications. Red orange textured boards, bright gilt spine titles, slight shelf wear. Pages fine; no writing. Bind fine, square; hinges intact. Scarce dust wrapper, near fine; unclipped 3.95 net, protected in new clear sleeve. Unique 1970's mustard yellow wrapper with borders, stylized ank with cross, beams of sun and earthen red and orange titles emanating; red titles at spine area. Near fine intriguing rarity and same wrapper. This anthology is a straightforward approach to some of the individuals that have baffled and intrigued from ancient to modern times. Each essay focuses on a mysterious persona who appeared to have special powers not easily explained. The spoon-bender, the 18th century founder of the Hell-Fire Club, the sinister monk of Imperial Russia, the "beast" of Black Magic, the astounding inventor who harnessed electricity and other, etc. The facts and myths are presented to the reader without romanticising so you can make up your own mind. From back panel: The occult revival which began in the early 1960's is a reaction against the worst absudities of modern science, its insistence that the univers is meaningless and purposeless, that evolution is a matter of chance, that man must be judged purely as an animal - or worse still, as a bundle of mechanical reflexes. Soon to ba Television series produced and devised by Hal Hamilton. Introduction and two essays by Colin Wilson, on Rasputin and Gurdjieff. Chapters by Christmas Humphreys on Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Kit Pedler on Nikola Tesla, Oliver Marlow Wilkinson on Aleister Crowley (Rest In?), Pat Silver and Jesse Lasky Jr. on Hell Fire Dashwood, Uri Geller, and Nostradamus, and, Peter Tompkins on Franz Anton Mesmer. Bibliography at back. Printed in Great Britain. 206 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall.