Aleister Crowley was one of the most colourful characters this country has ever produced.
It’s not surprising that over the years countless biographies have been written about the so-called “Wickedest Man in the World.”

One such book is “Aleister Crowley: The Beast Demystified” by Roger Hutchinson, which I picked up at a used book stall in Tynemouth.

Hutchinson provides a rather satisfactory discussion of Crowley’s upbringing with the Plymouth Brethren, education at Cambridge, mountain climbing expeditions, as well as his various lawsuits and scandals.

However, sometimes the book is more like “The Beast Un-detailed” than “The Beast Demystified.”
Crowley’s magickal practices and Occult religion, Thelema, are hardly touched upon at all.
Occult organisations such as A.’.A.’. are hardly mentioned. The Ordo Templi Orientis is only mentioned once, in a very passive manner.
Hutchinson does discuss Crowley’s time with Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn but focuses on the fallout surrounding the organisation.
For example, Crowley published details of their secret rites in his magazine “The Equinox.” This led to the organisation’s founder Samuel MacGregor Mathers, taking Crowley to court. Hutchinson covers the case without telling us anything about these rites at all.
Significant figures such as J.F.C Fuller and Leila Waddell become mere background characters in the narrative of Crowley’s life. 
Others, such as Israel Regardie, Grady McMurtry and Dennis Wheatley go unmentioned.
Readers with prior knowledge of Crowley’s life will be able to see that some aspects are completely glossed over.

Crowley certainly possessed many negative qualities. I think even dedicated Thelemites would have to admit this. But Hutchinson fixates on these qualities. He has almost nothing positive to say about Crowley. The book has a heavily biased tone.

Given that he doesn’t like Crowley and has no interest in Magick, I can’t help but wonder why Hutchinson bothered to write about the Beast at all.

As much as I’ve enjoyed revisiting the adventurous life of the Master Therion, I do wish I’d read a better biography.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about “Perdurado” by Richard Kaczynski. Perhaps I should have read that instead.