THE EVENING STANDARD

London, England

31 July 1951

(page 9)

PEOPLE

THE RACE

Race between authors of books on Aleister Crowley, who died in 1947, looks like being won by publisher Rupert Hart-Davis and Arthur Calder-Marshall.

The Magic of My Youth, Calder-Marshall’s self-styled “essay in autobiography” is promised for November. Later will come The Great Beast, by John Symonds—from publisher Rider of the Hutchinson group.

Crowley’s creed was “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” Calder-Marshall was 28 when he met Crowley, now says, “I never intended to write the book. . . . I have taken some rather queer characters to act as mirrors. It is not a biography of Crowley.

The John Symonds book is by Crowley’s literary executor. He knew his subject well.