(Press Release)
“You can pluck someone like an instrument if you know the way to tune their heart.”
In May 1941, Ian Fleming of Naval Intelligence recruits Aleister Crowley to crack the recently captured Rudolf Hess by exploiting their mutual fascination with the occult. To fill in the background to Hess’s disastrous flight, Fleming provides the diary of Albrecht Haushofer, the deputy Führer’s assistant. 1945 finds Crowley in a boarding house in Hastings where he tutors Will, a fledgling priest, in Latin. Will stumbles on a file that reveals the devastating consequences of Crowley’s mission and discovers the true identities of the Reception Committee waiting for Hess in Scotland. Is the file genuine or a black-ops fake concocted by British Intelligence? Can a crazed rocket scientist in California supply the answer, or ‘M’, the Beast’s controller? Featuring Dion Fortune, Anthony Blunt, Hitler, Jack Parsons, and the Beatles, Aleister Crowley MI6 is a riveting spy thriller anchored in fact.
Aleister Crowley as himself in all his occult and charismatic glory – a manipulative, overbearing, bizarre yet compelling character. Fiction could hardly have invented him: he is a gift of a character to any novelist and Richard C McNeff has accepted him, unwrapped the parcel and given him his head. — Martin Booth (author of Crowley biography A Magick Life – on Aleister Crowley MI5).Aleister Crowley MI6
The Hess SolutionSynopsis
In May 1941, Ian Fleming of Naval Intelligence lunches with Aleister Crowley in a Mayfair hotel. Fleming wants the Beast to crack the recently captured Rudolf Hess by exploiting their mutual fascination with the occult. He gives Crowley the diary of Albrecht Haushofer, Hess’s principal adviser, which fills in the background to the deputy führer’s disastrous flight.
In 1945, Crowley moves to Netherwood, a boarding house in Hastings and tutors Will, the teenage handyman who intends to become a Catholic priest, in Latin. Left alone in Crowley’s room, Will stumbles on a file that describes the Beast’s wartime encounter with Hess. Believing Crowley is Churchill, Hess reveals the date of the attack on Russia. Bent on revenge, Polish troops attack Hess’s Surrey prison and shoot him dead. MI6 decide to substitute a double.
Several visitors come to Netherwood: Dion Fortune, the occultist; Lady Frieda Harris, creator of the Thoth Tarot paintings; a female professor researching a book on magicians; John Symonds, the Beast’s future biographer; and a pupil of Crowley called Maxwell Knight, in fact the spymaster ‘M’ who runs a division of MI5. Meanwhile, in a German castle, another MI5 operative, Anthony Blunt, burns correspondence that implicates the Duke of Kent in Hess’s mission. A Hungarian professor and his wife come to stay at Netherwood, in fact Soviet agents hunting the Hess file.
Will is the victim of a honeytrap and agrees to fetch it. He discloses the plot to ‘M’. At the handover, commandos ambush and kill the couple. In disgust, Will renounces the idea of becoming a priest. Crowley dies at Netherwood in 1947. ‘M’ tells Will that Crowley has sent the Hess file to Jack Parsons, an American disciple and rocket scientist.
In 1952, Will visits him and his wife Cameron in Pasadena. He and Jack perform an Enochian ritual in the desert. Ten days later Parsons blows himself up before he can give Will the file as promised. In April 1965, Will is working in the music business. The year is one of rapid growth for the counterculture that Crowley prophesied. Will works with the bandleader Graham Bond, who claims to be Crowley’s son. Later, in a Soho club, Will encounters John Lennon and George Harrison on their first LSD trip.
The next day he runs into Maxwell Knight who tells him the Hess File was fabricated by Fleming. In May Knight invites Will to his suburban home. Will comes across a photo taken at Hess’s Scottish destination which reveals the true identities of the reception committee awaiting him.
Notes For Editors: About Richard C McNeff: Richard C McNeff is the author of the cult short story ‘Sybarite among the Shadows’ which grew into the occult and espionage-themed novel, Aleister Crowley MI5. He also wrote the memoir, With Barry Flanagan: Travels through Time and Spain, and the satire, The Dream of Boris. He is a contributor to the Guardian, Fortean Times, Wormwood and Boulevard Magenta. He has lived in Barcelona, the Basque Country, Ibiza and Baku. He was born in London, his current home.
About Aleister Crowley
About Mandrake: Independent publisher of essential occultural books – covers of most of its current, in-print titles are shown here.
- Release date: 31st October 2023
- ISBN: 9781914153204
- Format: Hardback 266pp
Links:
Download assets. Media contact: Diane M. Hinds, Tel: 020 7748 3003 or email: info@TEBagency.biz.
Diane M. Hinds, MA, BAJ
The Entertainment Bureau Ltd5 The CrescentLondon, NW2 6HAMob: +44 77 6668 3003
-o0o-
The Entertainment Bureau Inc8605 Santa Monica BlvdPMB 15509West HollywoodCalifornia, 90069-4109United States
Tel: +1 323 284 5056
This email contains confidential information belonging to the sender which is legally privileged. It is believed to be free of viruses which may affect any IT system. It is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that any emails or attachments are virus free as The Entertainment Bureau Ltd accept no responsibility. Should you not be the intended recipient then any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this message. Registered Office: ℅ Brookscity Ltd 6th Floor 71-75 Shelton Street. London WC2H 9JQ Company No: 08830811