New Releases by Colin Wilson

The classic study of alienation, creativity and the modern mind ''Excitingly written, with a sense of revelation'' GUARDIAN ''Exhaustive, luminously intelligent'' OBSERVER THE OUTSIDER was an instant literary sensation when it was first published in 1956, thrusting its youthful author into the front rank of contemporary writers and thinkers. Wilson rationalised the psychological dislocation so characteristic of Western creative thinking into a coherent theory of alienation, and defined those affected by it as a type: the outsider. Through the works and lives of various artists, including Kafka, Camus, Hemingway, Hesse, Lawrence, Van Gogh, Shaw, Nietzsche and Dostoevsky, Wilson explored the psyche of the outsider, his effect on society and society''s on him. Nothing that has happened in the decades since has made THE OUTSIDER any less relevant; it remains the seminal work on this most persistent of modern-day preoccupations.

A Fascinating Look into the Psychology of Serial Killers and the Men Who Hunt Them Down Colin Wilson opens this illuminating psychological discussion with the development of the 1977 Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI, which was set up in order to answer the many questions surrounding serial killers: • How does someone become a serial killer? • How do they choose their victims? • Why do they not feel remorse? • How are they caught? Wilson interviews FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler, coiner of the term “serial killer” and one of the pioneers of criminal profiling, as well as Ted Bundy and Charles Manson in order to figure out the motives behind their grisly actions. In Hunting Serial Killers, by tracking the BSU’s development of psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting, Wilson reveals the forensic investigations that caused the seizure and arrest of some of the most vile and villainous people in the world, including Jeffrey Dahmer, William Heirens, Peter Sutcliffe, John Duffy, Jerry Brudos, Wayne Williams, and many more. As he divulges the details of each case, the murderers’ fantasy worlds, sadistic motives, and monstrous psychological tendencies emerge. For anyone who wants to understand the motives, investigations, and eventual arrests behind fifty serial-killing sprees, Hunting Serial Killers will not disappoint.

London is in the grip of a terrifying serial killer who is murdering women in Whitechapel in a manner reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper slayings 70 years earlier. Against this backdrop, Gerard Sorme, a lonely young Londoner, is at work on his first novel, in which he intends to express his belief in the meaninglessness of life. His own life begins to change in unexpected ways when he begins an intimate friendship with Austin Nunne, a wealthy and charming gay man with violent sexual desires. As the murders continue and the investigation unfolds, Gerald suddenly finds himself haunted by a terrible suspicion: could his new friend have anything to do with the crimes? Colin Wilson''s classic first novel, Ritual in the Dark (1960), remains a chilling page-turner, a brilliant fusion of thrilling murder mystery and existential philosophy. This edition features a foreword by Wilson scholar and bibliographer Colin Stanley and the author''s introduction to the 1993 edition. ''Brilliant . . . Magnificent! Murder mystery raised to major art!'' - Chicago Sun-Times ''Exhilarating reading'' - The Listener ''What an unforgettable, really great evocation. Terrible and tragic insight ... an important book'' - Sunday Times

Carl Gustav Jung is one of the seminal figures in the history of depth psychology. An enormously influential and original thinker, Jung was for some time Freud''s principal disciple, but he became more and more critical of the Freudian emphasis on repressed sexual tendencies and after the publication of "Symbols of Transformation" in 1912, Jung broke away from Freud to develop his own technique of ''analytical psychology''.

Presents the life and work of one of the most influential psychological theorists of modern times, George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff. This examination of a psychologist and teacher of genius also provides an introduction to the philosophy of Gurdjieff. This work presents the life and work of one of the most influential psychological theorists of modern times. George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff is one of the most enigmatic figures of our time. He attracted legends as easily as disciples. But behind the Gurdjieff myth lies a solid corpus of thought, the importance of which is only now being generally recognized. At its heart was the idea of ''the war against sleep'', the fact that man, in Colin Wilson''s words, is like ''a grandfather clock driven by a watch-spring''. This brilliant and much praised examination of a psychologist and teacher of genius has established itself as the most important and accessible account for the general reader of Gurdjieff''s life and work. This edition has been revised and expanded, providing the definitive introduction to the philosophy of Gurdjieff.

Of all the important thinkers of the twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is perhaps the most difficult to come to grips with. For the unprepared reader, his work presents a series of formidable obstacles, from the dauntingly abstract style to the often bizarre pronouncements on the nature of man and his cosmic destiny. And yet, Steiner was perhaps the most influential and charismatic occult philosopher of his generation and the movement he launched, Anthroposophy, with its educational, agricultural, and artistic applications, still has many thousands of followers worldwide. No one interested in esoteric thought can ignore Steiner, but until now there has been no genuinely accessible introduction to his ideas. This lucid and sympathetic account describes Steiner''s development from shy scholar to the international figurehead of Anthroposophy, his break with Madam Blavatsky''s Theosophy, his struggles to find a voice, and the essence of his insights into the supersensible world.

Human beings have always been cruel, savage, and murderous. Is that all about to change? Human history can be seen as a catalog of coldhearted murders, mindless blood feuds, appalling massacres, and devastating wars. Creatively and intellectually, there is no other species that has ever come close to equaling humanity’s achievements, but neither is any other species as suicidally prone to internecine conflict. We are the only species on the planet whose ingrained habit of conflict and perpetual warfare constitutes the chief threat to our own survival. In An End to Murder, the Wilsons assess whether human beings are in reality as cruel and violent as is generally believed. The book explores the possibility that humankind is on the verge of a fundamental change: that we are about to become truly civilized. Covering a wide-reaching history of violence from the first hominids to the twenty-first century, the book touches on key moments of change while also indicating where things have not changed since the Stone Age. It follows the history of violence from fifteenth-century baron Gilles de Rais (“Bluebeard”), the first known and possibly most prolific serial killer in history; to Victorian domestic murder, the invention of psychiatry, Sherlock Holmes, and the invention of forensic science; the fifteenth-century Taiping Rebellion in China, in which more than twenty million died; World Wars I and II; more recent genocides and instances of “ethnic cleansing”; and contemporary terrorism. As well as offering an overview of violence throughout our history, the authors explore the latest psychological, forensic, and social attempts to understand and curb modern human violence.

The renowned criminologist and author of The Outsider delivers a penetrating study of serial killers as a uniquely modern phenomenon. In this fascinating study, Colin Wilson explores the roots of the serial killer mindset, and the origins of this terrifying modern personality. The term "serial killer" is still relatively new, coined by the FBI to describe those who murder repeatedly and obsessively, usually with a sexual motive. Who are these killers? What social and psychological pressures drive them to their crimes? Can we understand and learn to predict their behavior? Wilson offers revealing profiles of some of the most infamous killers in modern history: from Jack the Ripper to Jeffrey Dahmer, the monster of Milwaukee; Reginald Christie to Dennis Nilsen, who killed for company; the Boston Strangler to Donald Gaskins, who murdered more than 100 victims; as well as Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker and many more.

Extraordinary accounts of forensic crime detection—from poisoners in ancient Rome to modern day serial killers—by the bestselling author of The Outsider. In 44 BC, a Roman doctor named Antistius performed the first autopsy recorded in history—on the corpse of murder victim Julius Caesar. However, not until the nineteenth century did the systematic application of scientific knowledge to crime detection seriously begin, so that the tiniest scrap of evidence might yield astonishing results—like the single horsehair that betrayed the murderer in New York''s 1936 puzzling and sensational Nancy Titterton case. Many such dramatic tales appear in this updated edition of the most gripping catalog of crimes by acclaimed criminologist Colin Wilson. The book follows the progress of forensic science from the first cases of suspected arsenic poisoning right up to investigations using an impressive armory of high-tech methods: ballistic analysis, blood typing, voice printing, textile analysis, psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting. "Colin Wilson has made himself the Philosopher-King of forensic speculation, the Diderot of the path labs." — The Times Literary Supplement "Will enthrall connoisseurs of violent crime." — The Glasgow Herald

Ogni primo martedì del mese torna il meglio dei fumetti legati a Star Wars! In questo numero: Un droide assassino e l’addio a Jarael e Camper sono solo alcune delle cose che aspettano Zayne Carrik. E mentre gli Yuuzhan Vong avanzano, è venuto il tempo per gli Jedi guidati da Luke Skywalker di affrontarli! In più Darth Maul se la dovrà vedere con un esercito di mercenari e una squadra di Jedi sulle sue tracce.

What were the achievements of the ’angry’ writers who emerged in the fifties? Historically, they gave birth to the satire movement of the 1960s-Beyond the Fringe, That Was the Week that Was and Private Eye. Their satire and irreverence aroused enthusiasm in man, and a new ‘anti-Establishment’ mood developed from Look Back in Anger and The Outsider. All literary movements acquire enemies, but the Angry Young Men of the 1950s accumulated more than most. Why? Wilson takes us on a journey back to this era, and reveals fascinating and sometimes disturbing stories from the Greats, including John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, Kenneth Tynan and John Braine-to name but a few. At all events, the story of that period makes a marvellously lively tale which, most importantly, was recorded by someone who was actually there.

Ogni primo martedì del mese torna il meglio dei fumetti legati a Star Wars! In questo numero: Alla deriva nello spazio, Zayne Carrick e il suo nuovo e strano equipaggio dovranno affrontare un’altra minaccia. Luke Skywalker si confronterà con le mostruose armi viventi degli Yuuzhan Vong su Rychel, mentre Lord Fener è stato abbandonato solo su un mondo desolato con le visioni di Padmé che continuano a tormentarlo.

Wilson has blended H.P. Lovecraft''s dark vision with his own revolutionary philosophy and unique narrative powers to produce a stunning, high-tension story of vaulting imagination. A professor makes a horrifying discovery while excavating a sinister archaeological site. For over 200 years, mind parasites have been lurking in the deepest layers of human consciousness, feeding on human life force and steadily gaining a foothold on the planet. Now they threaten humanity''s extinction. They can be fought with one weapon only: the mind, pushed to--and beyond--its limits. Pushed so far that humans can read each other''s thoughts, that the moon can be shifted from its orbit by thought alone. Pushed so that man can at last join battle with the loathsome parasites on equal terms.

Is the near-death experience a defense mechanism of the brain or have people actually been on the threshold of another world? Colin Wilson assesses the evidence that includies mediumship, paranormal activity, spirit sightings, and spirit communications. Above all, he includes the striking case histories of people who claim to have "died, " and reported their experiences of the afterlife.

Taking the most famous ''prophet'' of recent times, David Koresh, as a starting point, this is an analytical look at the troubled history of charlatan messiahs around the world. But Koresh was neither the first, nor the most excessive, nor even the most misguided, and Colin Wilson looks at cult leaders from the early days of Christianity through, among others, the ''Rev'' Jim Jones and Jeffrey Lundgren. He goes on to consider what it is that makes these messiahs believe they are who they claim to be, and what makes people give up everything to follow them - a messiah is nothing without someone to believe in him. This comprehensive study untangles the history of the charlatan messiahs and explores their world view. Colin Wilson''s remarkable career has led him to write on subjects as diverse as archaeology, astronomy, cosmology, Egyptology, crime and the paranormal. His other books have been translated into many languages and he travels the world, lecturing and holding workshops.

Inspired by the revelation that the Sphinx had been weathered by water and not by wind-blown sand and was, therefore, thousands of years older than the oldest civilisation known to man, Colin Wilson sets out to explore the remote depths of history. The compelling argument of this bestselling book is that, thousands of years before Ancient Egypt and Greece held sway, there was a great civilisation whose ships travelled the world and who possessed some knowledge system that offered a unified view of the universe, alien to modern man. In this fascinating exploration of the world at a time when, according to Plato, the ''lost civilisation'' of Atlantis was destroyed, the author makes a ground-breaking attempt to understand how these long-forgotten peoples thought, felt and communicated on a universal plane.

What makes a good scandal? Money, politics and power, and a huge dose of media interest. Scandal reigns in the world of politics, celebrity, business, religion, royalty and art, and this book covers it all - from Watergate to Michael Jackson, Diana to Oscar Wilde. Distinguished writer Colin Wilson delves into the murky intrigues of British and American life to bring the most scandalous secrets to light. Containing brand new chapters on Michael Jackson, ENRON, the death of David Kelly, the Catholic Church sex scandals and the cash-for-honours scandal, and an updated chapter on OJ Simpson, here are the embarrassing true stories the rich and famous tried but failed to hide.

As the number of serial killers worldwide has risen steadily - from the emergence of Jack the Ripper in 1888 to Harold Shipman and Ivan Milat, the backpacker killer of the Australian outback - the need to understand mass murder is becoming more urgent. Using privileged access to the world''s first National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Colin Wilson and Donald Seaman bring you this incisive study of the psychology of serial killers and the motives behind their crimes. From childhood traumas to issues of frustration, fear and fantasy, discover what turns an ordinary human being into a compulsive killer.

Harry Preston says goodbye to the provinces and comes to London looking for live and adventure. It is the mid 50s and he soon finds himself in the improverished and slightly seedy world of the emergin Beat Generation. As he progresses through the ranks of world-be artists and deluded romantics of Soho and Notting Hill, he bergins to make sense of the world and his role in it.

Crashing noises and disembodied voices, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. Invisible tormentors slapping and pinching and pulling hair. Fires starting spontaneously, pools of water materializing out of thin air, pots and pans and knives and knick-knacks flying through the room. These are the hallmarks of the poltergeist phenomenon. In this classic book on destructive hauntings, Colin Wilson, renowned authority on the paranormal, examines the evidence and develops a definitive theory of the poltergeist phenomenon. Countless true-life cases of poltergeist infestations have been recorded since the days of ancient Greece and Rome to the present. But what are poltergeists? Where do they come from? And why do they appear in our world? From the case of a black-robed monk that terrorized a family for years, to the investigation of a talking mongoose, to true stories of gnomes, sorcerers, witches, and demons, this guide explores a bone-chilling gallery of the mysterious entities known as poltergeists.

The Encyclopedia of Crime is an authoritative, wide-ranging and engaging history of the world''s most famous crimes and criminals. Entries are presented alphabetically making this vast compendium an easy-to-use reference. In-depth portraits of true crime''s most extraordinary characters are here, from serial rapists to glamorous gangsters, from ruthless killers to train robbers. Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, Ruth Ellis, Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper, the Krays, Harold Shipman - three specialist authors describe the captivating stories that lie behind such infamous names. Criminal activities and techniques are explored, revealing an extraordinary range of weapons, along with a thorough investigation in to the science of crime, from footprints to genetic fingerprinting. The development of methods to bring justice to convicted criminals is covered, as are the exciting tales of the lucky few who have made famous escapes, for example from Alcatraz or Dartmoor. Fully updated for 2008, The Encyclopedia of Crime is an essential addition to the library of any true crime aficionado.

Vampires from outer space suck the body''s life force with a kiss of death.

A spellbinding blend of history and science, scholarship and speculation, this landmark work presents startling new evidence that traces archaeology''s most enduring mysteries back to the lost civilization of Atlantis.... The Great Pyramid. Stonehenge. Machu Picchu. For centuries, these and other sacred sites have inspired wonder among those who ponder their origins. Conventional science tells us they were constructed by local peoples working with the primitive tools of a fledgling civilization. But these megaliths nonetheless continue to attract pilgrims, scholars, and adventurers drawn by the possibility that their true spiritual and technological secrets remain hidden. Who could have built these elaborate monuments? How did they do it? And what were their incomprehensible efforts and sacrifices designed to accomplish? Now comes a revolutionary theory that connects these mysteries to reveal a hidden global pattern -- the ancient work of an advanced civilization whose warnings of planetary cataclysm now reverberate across one hundred millennia. International bestselling author Colin Wilson and Canadian researcher Rand Flem-Ath join forces to share startling evidence of a fiercely intelligent society dating back as much as 100,000 years -- one that sailed the oceans of the world, building monuments to preserve and communicate its remarkable wisdom. The Atlantis Blueprint is their term for a sophisticated network of connections between these sacred sites that they trace to Atlantis: a sophisticated maritime society that charted the globe from its home base in Antarctica ... until it was obliterated by the devastating global changes it anticipated but could not escape. Here is adventure to realms beyond our imaginings ... to shifting poles, changing latitudes ... into the world of ancient mariners who recharted the globe ... to astonishing discoveries about our ancestors. Here are the great mysteries ... the incredibly complex geography of the Temple of Luxor ... the startling sophistication of Egyptian science and math ... and tantalizing similarities among the Hebrew, Greek, and Mayan alphabets to the Chinese lunar zodiac. The Atlantis Blueprint opens up a Pandora''s box of ancient mysteries, lost worlds, and millennial riddles. It is a story as controversial, fascinating, dangerous -- and inspiring -- as any ever told.

Poet, Magician, Mountaineer, Polemicist and Pornographer, Aleister Crowley was the most famous, or infamous, name in twentieth century occultism. With his usual flair and style, Colin Wilson brings this complex and enigmatic figure to life and provides an engrossing portrait of the self-styled Great Beast, the man whom the contemporary press dubbed "The Wickedest Man in the World".The popular image of him as, in the words of Francis King, ''an insatiable sexual athlete, a pimp who lived on the immoral earnings of his girl-friends, and a junkie who daily took enough heroin to kill a roomful of people'', has a basis in fact; but there were other, less obnoxious and despicable, aspects of this highly original character. Crowley''s greatest legacy is his eclectic occult system: his Magick persists, a potent synthesis of Golden Dawn magic, oriental esoteric techniques, sexual magic, and the all-encompassing Law of Thelema with its two fundamental principles, ''Every man and woman is a star'' and the notorious ''Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law''.

A history of homicide -- brings the chronicle of this most dreadful of crimes up to the present. Examines the motives & methods, both of particular categories of murder & of individual & mysterious cases. Starts with the horrifying entertainments of Ancient Rome & moves through the centuries, mentioning such infamous figures as Vlad the Impaler, Ivan the Terrible, Gilles de Rais, the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, & the Marquis de Sade. Elizabethan executions, Jacobean witch hunts, the Victorian underworld of Jack the Ripper, & the gangland killings of the Jazz Age lead up to the serial killers of the modern world: Fred West, Andrei Chikatilo, & Jeffrey Dahmer -- gruesome cannibal killers & random ‘spree gunmen'' as well as the occult murder.

Colin Wilson believes that thousands of years before ancient Egypt and Greece became powerful, there was a great civilization whose ships travelled the world. Whereas we have no way of viewing the universe as a whole, these old ones possessed a knowledge system that offered a unified view of the universe, which was then passed on to descendants who escaped to Egypt and South America. It was this knowledge system - alien to modern man - that enabled them to move stones weighing a thousand tons.

This account of holy sites and mysterious ruins aims to capture the spirit of the places themselves. It explains their myths and legends and shows their continuing importance down the ages. Part One examines over 100 key sites and shows how they came to be regarded as sacred and their subsequent history. The sites are divided geographically into sections, such as Africa and the Middle East, Europe and Australia, and the Pacific. Each of these areas is introduced by a hand-drawn map showing all of the sites described and other areas of interest, such as ancient burial grounds, temples and natural sites. Part Two is a map-based gazetteer of over 1000 sacred sites. The sites are plotted over 20 maps, which are then followed by listings giving information about each holy place. The maps show the location of each site and the period in which it was built or used.

A collection of tales of the world''s worst crooks and conmen, the criminals who got away, the world''s most amazing heists and robberies, the most nauseating mobsters and history''s most horrific murders for which no murderer was ever found.