Israel Regardie who knew Crowley does not, as so many biographers, fall into the two convenient categories, when it comes to categorizing the man: the degenerate 'Black Magus' or misunderstood 'Prophet'. Instead Regardie focus on understanding Crowley using his memories of him, his writing and actions, and looking through the lens of the psychoanalytic world view of Wilhelm Reich (Regardie made a living as a Reichian therapist and chiropractor). Regardie is very open with the reader about his naivety when first coming into contact with Crowley and the nature of their later falling out; and it's a joy to 'listen' as the old man share scenes from his time with Crowley.

Regardie gives his valuable insights into Crowley's psyche to us. However, as a biography, the book is lacking - it covers Crowley's life up to 1914, so I'd suggest reading another before this one (I can recommend Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley by Lawrence Sutin). Besides assuming the reader already knows the major events of Crowley's life, it also assumes a basic knowledge in the western esoteric tradition.

So to sum up: a great book to get to know who Aleister Crowley was, but it's not for the casual reader, and it's not suitable as the first biography. ( )

Regardie comes across a bit pompous, but this book gave me better insights into Crowley's character than anything else I've read. ( )