The Devil's Paintbrush: Jake Arnott

by JakeArnott (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2010

  $11.41

  Witness the scene. In a Parisian restaurant Aleister Crowley, the notorious occultist, chances on Major-General Sir Hector McDonald: once one of the greatest heroes of the British Empire, now facing ruin in a shocking scandal - and vulnerable to Crowley's curious offer of help. Follow this unlikely pair on an extraordinary night of revelation and transgression. Be transported to the battlefields of Sudan, the backstreets of Edinburgh and the sultry tropics of Ceylon. And discover Sir Hector's tragic secret...In this enthralling tale of imperialism, sexuality and the nature of belief, Jake Arnott probes beneath the surface of Victorian conformity and captures a world trembling on the brink of a brutal new era.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2009

  $5.33

  Paris, 1903. Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, one of the greatest heroes of the British Empire, is facing ruin in a shocking homosexual scandal when he meets the notorious occultist, Aleister Crowley. As they set out into the night on a wild journey through the sinful city, the story of Macdonald's tragedy begins to unfold -- with startling revelations both for the General and the aspiring magician. In a tale that ranges from the battlefields of Sudan to the backstreets of Edinburgh, Jake Arnott brings alive a fascinating, forgotten figure of history, and a world trembling on the brink of a brutal new era. Black magic, Baden-Powell and Islamic revolution are just some of the ingredients in this bold and exhilarating novel, which explores imperialism, sexuality and the very nature of belief with an immediacy that resonates into the present.