if the link doesn't work google 'Roddie Minor Warwick' to get it.

I got my “Perdurabo” today – yeayyy !! 😀

All I can say at the moment is that it looks great. To buy a book of this quality from the local market would have cost me more than twice its current price, including the cost of the shipping.

Usually the only time I can spend for reading is on the bus and the metro, while going to my job and back home. I’ll try to find more time for this book though. I hope I’ll catch up with you eventually. 😉

Regards
Hecate

I shall have it within 10 days I think, looking forward to it.

Copy received via Weiser Antiquarian. Cancelled the Amazon order as they had me down for a September dispatch!

Currently on Chapter 5 and am truly marveling at the level of detail contained! Simply amazing and logically structured also.

Thank you so much Richard Kaczynski!

93

By now, I assume everyone in the world owns at least one copy of Perdurabo, so how about some discussion? I am sure I'll not get any arguments here about AC being a master of the English language and one who loved a good joke. I think the old story (page 131) of "the Society for the Propagation of Religious Truth (SPRT),[being] a parody of the Church of England's venerable Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge" is funny enough, but I wonder about a second level - SPRT becomes Spirit when I am involved, but when you are involved it's spurt...

93 93/93

Chuck

hmm, finished it a week ago, and while it is solid I really did want more `something` I guess, what that `something is I am not quite sure yet.. Read the Curwan/Crowley letters yesterday-quite good.

haha chuck good pt 🙂 I didnt notice that.
I am on around page 140 or so now so I am definitely enjoying it. I am finding it a bit of a slow read in terms of having a lot of information packed into little text with big paragraphs 🙂 So it will take me a while to ingest i think.

Doth Oure Honnerable Master Paul wishe to telle alle ye heer whereupon witche parte we shalle alle discuss in yon booke?

My copy arrived today. First impressions: excellent standard of production, which may seem like a banal observation but I find so many new books are of really poor quality, particularly those printed in Britain. I'm also impressed by the clarity of the photographs embedded in the text, many of which I've not seen before.

The index is comprehensive and detailed and the Notes section is headlined with chapter titles which is very convenient, although I would have preferred footnotes. What seems at first glance to set this biography apart from its predecessors is the extent of the referencing, most impressive and very useful; all quotations seem to receive a citation as far as I can see from flicking through the book this morning.

This may be a premature judgment, but I would recommend this book as an introductory biography of Crowley. I can't see the point of bothering with Francis King or Martin Booth or the Symonds stuff (save The Beast 666, of course.)

And it's nice to see a certain Paul Feazey mentioned in the Acknowledgments and quoted on the back cover. I can't believe nobody's mentioned this yet. 😯

I was amazed to read that AC and Eckenstein actually attempted to climb an active volcano in Mexico before the ground started burning their shoes and they had to abandon it. - p.88

I happen to agree with you absolutely. 'The Beast 666' remains indispensable for evidence of the 'nastier' aspects of Crowley.

Interesting quote attributed to Robert Downey Jr in the acknowledgements and Notes: this suggests a link about which I'd heard rumours but I hadn't been able to confirm them.

inneresting bit on RDowneyJR in Entertainment weekly i hear, about how he did quote White Magick to prepare for ironman. maybe it was already mentioned here but just thought it fit
about perdurabo i am down to discuss if we have guidelines
if not , i am just starting the vision and the voice chapter, which is apropos considering i am halfway through the new (weiser ed. of said book) its very good. Its hilarious how neuberg agreed to go along with shaven head minus hair 'horns' and pretend to be Crowleys familiar/ demon. Man if only we could interview those cats that were around Abou Said (sic) nowadays if they heard any stories about that weird English wizard...

Also so telling about Crowley and Roses' relationship that he was willing to plead adultery to be able to get a divorce, when it would have been just as simple to probably get a divorce from her due to dipsomania, but I guess he felt it was more gentlemanly. And also slightly surprising considering his apparent distaste of bad publicity in later life with the libel cases. unless as i think they were more just for money than his so called reputation.

The only thing I am not always liking about Perdurabo is it's incessant hyper details of the lives of those around Crowley such as their mini biographies, when it is not a bio of them but of Crowley. It is a bit tedious in that respect especially when you learn such and such an acquaintance of Crowley's father's friend' was a butcher and started wearing pants on Tuesdays in 1902. OK not that bad but you get the pt. Rant over 🙂

93

How about some actual discussion of this fine book and/or it's subject? I'll start. On page 194 - in a list of the people who testified against Aleister -"the chauffeur, Charles Randle" is mentioned. I never knew AC had a chauffeur.
I never knew he had a car. Does anybody know what kind of car? Any photos? Talk about a cool collectible item for an obsessed completist...

93 93/93

Chuck

I'm up to chapter 11 presently. So far I'm enjoying the book, but at times I'm finding myself wanting to read more details(Boleskine House) or less details(bios of people who were briefly associated with AC.)
That said, Perdurabo is one of the best, if not the best, bios I've read on Crowley.

So what happened between pages 237 and 238? There's clearly at least a paragraph of text missing. Has no one else noticed this?

I read through those pages this AM and thought the very same thing. I turned the page and was like ??? I thought I must have skipped a page but no.

My thanks to Dr Kaczynski for this response:

I noted there was some question on the transition between pages 237 and 238, namely whether something was missing. I have checked the original text and there is a "section break" (a blank line) at the bottom of 237, and the paragraph at the top of 238, unindented, indicates the start of a fresh section. The first edition of "Perdurabo" had dingbats between section breaks, but the new edition uses blank lines: I think it's cleaner, but unfortunately the section break is unclear in this instance. Those with the first (2002) edition can compare the text on page 190 to the new edition's pages 237-238 and see that nothing has been omitted.

Paul, thank you very much for getting and sharing that information with us. Clears that up. Back to reading now... : )

inneresting bit on RDowneyJR in Entertainment weekly i hear, about how he did quote White Magick to prepare for ironman. maybe it was already mentioned here but just thought it fit

I definitely found this interesting as well, and a particularly good omen for my reading experience! Although clearly "Iron Man" wasn't overtly referencing the occult as, say, "Chemical Wedding" was in the long run I enjoy it on that level far more than most of the tedious sensationalistic films which utilize magical concepts or characters.
"Iron Man" was funny. It was about a man who thought he knew exactly who he was finding out who he really was and where he was going, so finding out about RD Jr's occult practices prior to filming was quite a thought provoking surprise.

I am still enjoying the book. I am at the part almost to roughly half way through where AC and Dempsey/Desti/Sturges find the villa for the rest of writing book four. Or at least the second part.

I am glad he seems to have (Kacsynski) slackened a bit at least recently in this part of the book from over describing ACs acquaintances backgrounds. It was a bit too much earlier and now it is nice to focus on just the man.

From a more disappointing stand point, although I am loving the book and all the detail put into, I am a bit saddened at the apparent slacking off of the novelistic style of writing that was used in the beginning.
The very first chapter that was written like a novel like you are really there in Crowley's shoes was great, and when the tone slowly shifted to more of a typical biography i was a bit sad. I really enjoyed the intimacy that the novelistic feel of the beginning gave to the reader.

Anyone else like that too?

Still overall far more positives than negatives!

I'm fascinated by the "Lamp of the Invisible Light" - or LIL... I wonder what ever became of them. I suppose the most likely answer is they dissolved. I imagine the membership was tiny if it even extended beyond Crowley and Don Jesus de Medina-Sidonia. Still...

The romantic in me hopes there is a secret order still going among the shadows of Mexican border towns.

S

Agreed!

John Crow has written a biography of Allan Bennet if I am not mistaken. It ws a privately published academic work.

Kenneth Grant has the wand mentioned in the book if I am not mistaken. I believe its pictured in Outside the Circles of Time.

Scott

I'm getting ready to start chapter 19 as soon as I finish this post. The book really picks up mid-way and I can't put it down for long.

I'm a little disappointed that even though we have so much detail and info on AC's acquaintances, other details about Crowley are left out. I've always been very interested in his time in New Orleans, which was covered, but left out any mention of the Old Absinthe House that Crowley enjoyed, and wrote The Green Goddess in. I don't believe The Green Goddess was mentioned either. Minor issue though. The book as a whole is a wonderful read.

I may have missed something but there seems to be no mention of Uncle Jonathon's wife (name?).
She was important to Crowley: Confessions -- "My uncle married the governess of the children. This was a lady of a distinguished Saxon family, who could trace her pedigree to the time of Edward the Confessor. Tall, thin, distinguished and highly educated, she made an admirable chatelaine. Her personality appealed strongly to me, and she took that place in my affections which I could not give to my mother. She became a prominent member of the Primrose League, and it was through her influence with Lord Salisbury [the serving Prime Minister] and Lord Richie that I obtained my nomination for the Diplomatic Service."

This book does really pick up midway.
I was having trouble reading it slightly before halfway, and then I couldn't put it down to save my life.
As a result I already only have 10 pages left.

i was going to ask what bits of info that are new for you thanks to the book stick in your mind the most?

For me they would be AC's scarlet woman (I think Billie (jean ha)) in berlin and how f-ing crazy they were. I don't remember hearing that anywhere.

Also the whole aspect of details of the last 20 years of AC's life are usually fairly glossed over in every other book I've read on him, except this one so that was awesome. I find him fascinating as an older person for some reason. The anecdotes about various visitors esp. new information on Grant was also titillating. I found it sad that Grant never saw Crowley alive after quitting/being fired as his secretary in 1945. I mean when you are young you also don't realise how important some things are and how much time is precious so I am thinking that is part of it. But not visiting him for 2 years was sad in my book.

And last but not least the new info for me on the Turkey farm and the details going along with that in California and how AC planned to move there seriously was interesting. The move was mentioned maybe once or twice in other books I have but never as if it were a serious consideration but here he seemed to be looking forward to it immensely.

Great book!

Finally arrived in the mail.
Even dismal italian post service couldn't stop me putting my hands on this book. Back to reading 😀

93!

I have involved myself with AC, his works and biographies since I was 12, therefore its now nearly 40 years of collecting and interest.

Perdurabo, is in my opinion, the finest biography of the Man, the expanded version just about rounds out, finally, a very human and yet superhuman personality.

93 93/93!

I agree this is the best book on him i've ever read. I love the juicy tidbits spiced about.
Also I forgot to mention i found this diary of 23 August 1945 entry very gripping:
'O.T.O. Ophidian vibrations. Non-filterable virus. X-ray dermatitis. "Galloping cancer." Amrita. NUITh Nitrogen Uranium Iodine (& sea life) Theriumm = New Atom 666. Atomic No.: 93 H A D 6 plus 5 A D = He.'

Not positive but sounds like something very important and oracular to me. His third-eye and psychic faculties were naturally good, then he trained them, and also certain chemicals when used once I think permanently open channels in the psychic senses. So all put together I wonder if this means anything. I feel it does but I couldn't say what. 🙂

An excellent review of Perdurabo on the Tool band website:

Although there have been several authoritative (and relatively impartial) bios of the occultist Aleister Crowley published in the last decade, in my opinion there is one that is definitely a cut above the rest. This would be "PERDURABO" by RICHARD KACZYNSKI, PhD. As "The definitive biography of the founder of modern magick", Kaczynski's revised and expanded edition of his 2002 offering is tirelessly researched (20 years!), highly detailed and loaded with photos, many of which are quite rare. When readers of this website who are curious about Crowley's life and work email asking me what might be a good starting point for a beginner, or for one not familiar with the man himself, I usually recommend one of the more recently published (unbiased) bios (such as "Do What Thou Wilt" by Lawrence Sutin, or "A Magick Life" by Martin Booth) so that they can better decide if they even want a 'jumping-off point.' Well, at a whopping 712 pages, again meticulously researched, well grounded, and written with a clarity so as to be very readable (considering the subject matter), PERDURABO certainly fits the bill.

--- http://www.toolband.com/news/index.html

Picked up a copy at the EBC and had the good Doctor inscribe it for me. Now that my international "black magick" cabal are all safely home and my house is once again quiet, I am getting around to reading the dozen or so books I picked up at the conference. I was going to hold off on Perdurabo due to time constraints vs its 700+ small font pages. Picking it up last night, I see that it is written in a style that makes it an easy and enjoyable read.

Yes, Motta devoted two issues of his Oriflamme series to an unexpurgated "Magick Without Tears", if you can find them. Martin P. Starr's set was for sale by Weiser Antiquarian last year, for more than $300 apiece, IIRC. They were among the last things he ever published, right about the time of the O.T.O. Lawsuit, the copies he sold after the lawsuit had a strip pasted over the offending O.T.O. Lamen on the front and back cover, as I recall. I briefly owned Part 1, and lost it with a piece of baggage when I evacuated Houston during Hurricane Rita (stolen out of my car). I've only seen one copy of Part 2, a Brother in New York owned it, it had the pasted strips.

Additionally, he noted and commented on the portions edited by Regardie, along with his editorialization as to why Regardie chose to delete the portion and passage in question-- they are actually two of the three books of his that might still be considered indispensible, along with the Sex & Magick Equinox Vol. V, No. 4.

Wish I could find scans or a PDF of them, they're quite rare any more. The way Motta tears into Regardie is a riot.

Indisputably, Aleister Crowley was an original, questing, and adventurous character, with a remarkeable mind and a nack for system building. It is Aleister Crowley's extraordinary quantity of system building, that can make it difficult to detect that moral relativism, is an essential and underlying quality of his system building.

In short, I find the epilogue of Perdurabo, to be the crowning achievement within this biography, by its author.

Reading any biography, I am more interested in getting a commonly understandable explanation for the antics of the biographied individual, then just reading about those antics. And in the epilogue of this very detailed biography, the author succedes in providing a commonly understandable explanation for Aleister Crowley's antics, by indirectly indicating that a pompous version of moral relativism, is what Thelema and Aleister Crowley's life ultimately boils down to in the end.

And it is amazing how moral relativism - meaning that everything ultimately only depends on what one individually and subjectively prefere - completely unravels the whole mystery of Thelema, demystifying and making sense of it all, as ultimately being a pompous version of moral relativism.

---

Moral relativism explains the meaning of the following verses from Thelema's most holy text: Chapter 1, verse 22 - "[...] Bind nothing! Let there be no difference made among you between any one thing & any other thing; for thereby there cometh hurt." Chapter 1, verse 40 - "[...] Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Chapter 1, verse 41 - [...]"O lover, if thou wilt, depart!"[...] Chapter 1, verse 42 - "[...] So with thy all; thou hast no right but to do thy will." Chapter 1, verse 43 - "Do that, and no other shall say nay." Chapter 1, verse 44 - "For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect." Chapter 2, verse 30 "If Will stops and cries Why, invoking Because, then Will stops & does nought." Chapter 2, verse 31 - "If Power asks why, then is Power weakness." Chapter 2, verse 32 - "Also reason is a lie; for there is a factor infinite & unknown; & all their words are skew-wise." Chapter 3, verse 42 - "[...] Success is thy proof: argue not; convert not; talk not over much! [...]" Chapter 3, verse 60 - "There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt." Source: http://www.thelema101.com/liber-al - The Book of The Law.

---

(*Extract from Aleister Crowley's 'The New Comment' to chapter 3, verse 19 of The Book of The Law:
"The Truth uttered by Aiwaz is hidden with such exquisite art that it is always easy to wring out a more or less plausible meaning by torture. Yet all such learned and ingenious fumblings reveal their own impotence; the Right Key opens the safe in a second, so simply and smoothly as to make it ridiculous to doubt that the lock was made by a master smith to respond to that key and no other." Source: http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/crowley/commentaries-book-of-the-law-crowley-3.html

**Extract from chapter 3, verse 47 of The Book of The Law: "Let him not seek to try: but one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key of it all."

***Extract from chapter 3, verse 42 of The Book of The Law: "The ordeals thou shalt oversee thyself, save only the blind ones. Refuse none, [...]" ).

I know, it is bad form to chainpost, but in my former posting in this thread, I left out that moral relativism also explains the meaning of the following, extracted from verse 57, in chapter 1 of Thelema's most holy text, The Book of The Law: "[...] Love is the law, love under will. [...]"

I will/prefere to also use this breach of good form to send a public thankyou to Richard Kaczynski, for - through Perdurabo - providing the best fulfillment so far of the following, extracted from verse 47, in chapter 3 of The Book of The Law: "[...] Let him not seek to try: but one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key of it all. [...]"

"Moral relativism explains the meaning of the following verses from Thelema's most holy text: [...]", I stated in my former posting. I will/prefere to modify that statement by adding what is underlined in the following sentence: "Moral relativism explains the meaning of the following verses, or extracts from verses, from Thelema's most holy text : [...]"

A friend of mine gets a mention in the notes section - due to some research work he did. Quite impressive I thought.

I am new to Lastal but recently read Perdurabo after reading this thread and positive response here.

Agree with most that this is the best Crowley bio yet.

Bought the volume new when first issued but put off actually reading the Falcon Press 1st Ed for several years after being disappointed in Sutin's Do What Thou Wilt.
Sutin was a disappontment in that his bio of Philip K Dick (Divine Invasions) sets a standard to be met for Dick.  PKD is the only author where I possess more volumes than Crowley (almost ashamed to say have a dozen or more editions of some novels  :-[ but Crowley.

My reading tastes moved from science or speculative fiction to the occult back in the 1990s.

Also read Regardie's Eye in the Triangle and King's The Magical World of Aleister Crowley.

Is there enough difference in the later edition of Perdurabo to buy and read again?

Yes!

Thank you!

It is 1:08 AM in California.

Hey, I'm feeling very communicative this morning, and despite the fact that I haven't trawled thru the preceding endless pages, I would like to say that if I'm ever going to buy another biography of AC again it will be Richard Kaczynski's PERDURABO, in its revised and enhanced incarnation.

If you want a good and honest guide to AC bios, you should check out Mr.Feazy's review in the last STARFIRE.  John Symond's last and third major biographical assassination of AC is full of valuable detail, 'warts an' all' of course. Otherwise, any previous disregard that I may have implied by my previous postings here, do not defer from the fact that Kz is the man. (Dz says so).

S.A.

Is Starfire a UK publication as have not seen in USA?

Looks like the newer edition of PERDURABO is in my future.

Yes, it is published in the UK. Along with other books from Starfire Publishing, it's distributed in the USA by JD Holmes:

http://www.jdholmes.com/

I am on JD Holmes mailing list (latest is May 8, 2012) for many years and it has been a priviledge to be able to pre-order books but don't recall Starfire being mentioned. Bought the 3 volume From the Inferno to Zos and other books over the years from JD Holmes but more Grant and Spare and others such as OTO Rituals direct from Caduceus Books, also many on pre-order.

Have two copies of The Unknown God because slipped up and pre-rdered from both sources.  ???  Thanks Michael.

http://www.lashtal.com/portal/news/1500-1499-old-news.html

JDHolmes it is.

Thank you Paul for this site.

Now I am off to search for Frank Bennett as today will start Progradior and the Beast (obtained from Caduseus several years past and unread).