THE CONFESSIONS OF ALEISTER CROWLEY

First single volume edition, first printing. Signed association copy. Publisher's original grey paper covered boards, with black cloth spine and gilt titles, in the M. Mohan illustrated dustwrapper. Top edge black. Illustrated with an 'idealized' portrait frontispiece and 37 black and white photographs. An excellent better than very good copy, the binding square and firm, with light rubbing and a minor bump to the top corner of the rear board. The contents, with toning and a few light marks to the bottom edge of the text block, are otherwise clean throughout and free from previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrapper, that is has a couple of minor scuffs towards the top of the spine. Not price-clipped (£5.25 to the front flap).

Inscribed by Kenneth Grant in black ink on the front free endpaper "To Norah Fitzgerald / with best wishes from / Kenneth Grant" underneath which John Symonds has inscribed "Norah / affectionately / John / Dec 1969". The autobiographical confessions of Aleister Crowley, document his world-wide adventures, bizarre philosophical and spiritual explorations, and experimentation with sex, drugs and occult practices from his early life to mid – late 1920's. Originally two sections were published by Mandrake Press as 'The Spirit of Solitude' in 1929 across two volumes. Crowley intended to publish six volumes of his autobiographical confessions, however the project was left unfinished until 1969, after Crowley's death in 1947, when six parts were published as a single volume with Symonds and Grant as editors. After working closely with Crowley during the last two years of his life John Symonds became Crowley's literary executor, and, though increasingly critical of the occultist's methods, went on to publish three biographies of him. Kenneth Grant studied under Crowley who initiated him into the secret society 'Ordo Templi Orientis'. Grant became the head of the British branch of the O.T.O. after Crowley's death. Norah Fitzgerald, the widow of Edward Noel Fitzgerald (1908 - 1958), is acknowledged by the editors in the book for loaning typescripts to the editors. Edward Noel Fitzgerald was a close friend and follower of Aleister Crowley, becoming a IX degree member of the O.T.O, with the magical name Frater Agape and was initiated into the A:.A as Capricornus. After Crowley's death, Fitzgerald was part of a small circle of followers and friends in Britain, who continued to take interest in his work, including Gerald Yorke, Lady (Freida) Harris, Kenneth and Steffi Grant and Charles Cammell. Fitzgerald actively sought out Crowleys works and memories from his associates, throughout his life, creating a bibliography of his works which was published in the Appendix to Cammell's 'Aleister Crowley, The Man, The Mage, The Poet'. After his death, Nora kept the collection intact until the late 1960's, when she began to sell some items, but still retained many of her husband's papers.