Raising Hell

by Robert Masello

Book Overview

It's always a pleasure to find a book of history so well written that I lose track of time while I'm reading it. Masello has collected the exploits of prominent sorcerers and alchemists, secret... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399522387
• ISBN13: 9780399522383
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Perigee Books
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Informative and concise history

This book moves the reader through pre-history to near modern history with a neutral perspective on all topics and people covered. I learned A Lot! Even about topics I thought I knew quite a bit about. The illustrations included are also amazing and add to the section in which they are included. Highly Recommend!

Very detailed!

234 pages full of history, dealing with necromancy, sorcery, astrology, alchemy and prophecy. The book also deals with great occult pioneers like the chain-smoking Helena Blavatsky, the far-seeing Nostradamus and the famous Comte De St-Germain. It explains the origins of magic, black and white, diving deep into its myths, background and evolution.

A fantastic compendium of the occult!

I've got quite an extensive library of books on black magic and the history of the occult, but for sheer readability, this is one of the very best. It gives you a lot of valuable and well-researched information on everything from alchemy to the tarot, necromancy to incantations, in a very clear and lively manner. It's one of the few books I keep on the reference shelf above my desk, where I can always get at it. I give it my whole-hearted endorsement!

Excellent For Beginners!

This book is a history of the black arts, and those who practiced them, as the title states. It goes into everything from alchemism to palmistry, to raising demons, to wizardry, and much more, with excellent examples and stories as well. The books format was easy to follow, easy to understand, and yet still managed to provide a cornecopia of information. I found this book quite fascinating, I found it very difficult to put down. Trust me, I'm a pretty harsh judge of books, I don't hand out 5 stars for it unless theres something there. This book is a definate "must buy" if you, like myself, are generally new to the studies of the occult.

Brief Review of 'Raising Hell'

I don't know which is worse: this book, or the fact that it is the best work for novice's to come out in a long time. The disgusting drivel that floods the modern-day market is appalling. Oh well, thats the price we pay for living in a more 'enlightened' age. It is a very commercial book, obviously geared twords (apply called) "naughty teenagers". It contains good information, but has a very swift 'spin' to it - sometimes nausiatinly so. All in all, though, it is informative - and should make any fan of Mr. King drool. If you are further interested, I would suggest reading:The Black ArtsThe History of MagicThe Powers of EvilEncyclopedia of the UnexplainedThe World of Ghosts and the SupernaturalMan, Myth, and Magic (12 vol.)(all by Richard Cavendish - the leading authority on magic, mythology, and the supernatural)History of Magic and Experimental Science(Lynn Thorndike - one of the best - 8 vol.)The History of Magic(Kurt Seligmann)Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology(Rossell Hope Robbins - Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature)Witchcraft, Magic, and Alchemy(Grillot De Givry - translated by J. Courtenay Locke)The Book of Black Magic(Arthur Edward Waite)The Secret Teachings of All Ages(Manly P. Hall - a virtual tome of info. from a true believer)Witchcraft and Black Magic(Montague Summers)Satanism and Witchcraft(Jules Michelet)These are some of the better books that grace Mr. Masello's bibliography. It is just unfortunate that he seemed to sacrafice scholorship for a quick 'rise' from his readers. He could have done alot better.Sincerly, Shawn W. Ooten

Excellent and concise historical description of sects.

The best book of it's kind that I have seen. A succinct overview of numerous historical sects, traditions, and so fourth from Crowley, the Golden Dawn Tradition, the Gnostics, Simon Magus, and others. This is an excellent book to attain the historical and real points that each of these orders possessed. This book elicits many hidden facts about these people and sects and is excellent for anyone to attain a fundamental study of the various types of occult knowledge there is today in the world. Also demonstrated in this work of art is how most of modern technology came from these profound occultists. From astrologists paving the way to astronomers, to the alchemists developing the steel industry in their futile attempts to change base metals into gold and silver. For other historical books of this kind, check Angel Magic, which is not as clear, but still good. -For further disucssion of this book e-mail me-