THE STAR IN THE WEST. A Critical Essay Upon the Works of Aleister Crowley. Limited edition of 100 copies signed by J.F.C. Fuller and Aleister Crowley.
London: Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd., 1907. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo (8vo). Very good+ condition. Item #020564
[vi], 327 pages, followed by [i] blank, followed by [iii] pages of publisher's advertisement. Original white cloth binding with minor soiling and minor shelfwear; protected in custom-fitted archival Mylar. The spine and front cover are lettered and heavily decorated in gilt. Top edge of the closed page edges is heavily gilted, with the other edges deckled (uncut). Number 44 of only 100 copies printed on "Holbein" handmade paper, specially bound and embellished with tissue-guarded portraits printed in photogravure, and signed by both Aleister Crowley and J.F.C. Fuller on the limitation page. A dozen or so pages are slightly stained, mostly at the beginning of the text, including the bottom margin title page. The contents page is by far the most affected. Major-General John Frederick Charles (Fritz) 'Boney' Fuller (1878-1966) was a British army officer and military historian who was an early proponent of armored warfare. Fuller met Aleister Crowley after winning a contest that the latter had sponsored for someone to write a critical summary of Crowley's literary output to date. Fuller wrote "The Star in the West" which gave high praise to Crowley's mystical perception, with the blessing and under the supervision of Crowley. Fuller not only wrote the essay but he also designed its cover illustration and frontispiece.
Price: $11,775.00