Secret Agent 666

Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult

Richard B. Spence

• Publisher: Feral House
• Year: 2008
• eBook ISBN:
  9781932595598
• Print ISBN:
  9781932595338
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies

Was Aleister Crowley a British spy? A documented investigation into occultism, espionage, and twentieth-century intelligence. Secret Agent 666 by historian Richard B. Spence examines the long-debated claim that occultist Aleister Crowley operated as an intelligence asset during the first half of the twentieth century. Known as a central figure in modern occultism and a controversial cultural personality, Crowley has been the subject of numerous biographies—but few have focused on his possible connections to British intelligence services. Drawing on archival materials from British, American, French, and Italian sources, Spence presents a detailed argument that Crowley's travels, associations, and public persona intersected with intelligence operations during both world wars. The book situates Crowley within the wider context of wartime espionage, propaganda, and political intrigue, exploring alleged links to major historical events and intelligence efforts involving European and international networks. Spence, a historian of intelligence and espionage, analyzes how Crowley's notoriety may have functioned as both personal mythmaking and potential cover, offering readers a documented look at the blurred boundaries between occult circles, political movements, and intelligence work in the early twentieth century. Part biography, part intelligence history, Secret Agent 666 has become a widely discussed title among readers of occult history, espionage research, and alternative historical investigation. It appeals to those interested in Aleister Crowley's life, wartime intelligence networks, and the intersection of esotericism and geopolitics. A key title for readers of espionage history, occult studies, and twentieth-century political intrigue.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Acknowledgements
• Table of Contents
• Introduction: Six Degrees of Aleister Crowley
• Prologue: The Doomed Ship
• Chapter One: God, Country, King and Lodge
• Chapter Two: The Moveable Beast
• Chapter Thre: An Irishman in New York
• Chapter Four: Sleeping with the Enemy
• Chapter Five: Return to the Lusitania
• Chapter Six: A Party at the Statue of Liberty
• Chapter Seven: There and Back Again
• Chapter Eight: Shifting Sands
• Chapter Nine: The Wandering Magician
• Chapter Ten: American End Game
• Chapter Eleven: The Unwelcome Guest
• Chapter Twelve: Into the Reich
• Chapter Thirten: A Small Circle of Friends
• Chapter Fourten: That Old Black Magick
• Epilogue
• Index