The Secret History of the Hell-Fire Clubs
From Rabelais and John Dee to Anton LaVey and Timothy Leary
$51.79
- Paperback
304 pages
- Release Date
1 November 2019
Summary
Mention the Hell-Fire Clubs and you conjure up an image of aristocratic rakes cutting a swath through the village maidens. Which is true, but not the whole truth. The activities of these clubs of upper-class Englishmen revolved around not only debauchery but also blasphemy, ritual, quasi-magical pursuits, and political intrigue.
Providing a history of these infamous clubs, Geoffrey Ashe reveals their origins in the work of François Rabelais and the activities of John Dee. He shows how…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781591433484 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1591433487 |
| Author: | Geoffrey Ashe |
| Publisher: | Inner Traditions Bear and Company |
| Imprint: | Bear & Company |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 304 |
| Edition: | 4th |
| Release Date: | 1 November 2019 |
| Weight: | 499g |
| Dimensions: | 229mm x 152mm x 18mm |
What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Geoffrey Ashe, one of Britain’s most outstanding historians, paints a vivid picture of Francis Dashwood’s Hell-Fire Club and other similar secret societies in this page-turning review of one of England’s most audacious periods of history.” * Andrew Collins, bestselling author of Göbekli Tepe *
“A sweeping history of libertinism seen through the lens of the English ‘clubs’ of the eighteenth century. Precise and cogent, it also freely wanders the halls of infamy, painting portraits of some of the subject’s most notorious figures. The motto ‘do what thou will’ defines a stance through this history, one that pulls at the Gordian knots of pain and pleasure, freedom and destiny.” * Jesse Bransford, associate professor of visual arts and chair of the Department of Art and Art Profe *
About The Author
Geoffrey Ashe
Geoffrey Ashe (1923–2022) wrote several books, including King Arthur’s Avalon and The Discovery of King Arthur. Widely regarded as one of the leading Arthurian specialists in the world, Ashe became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1963 and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2012.
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