The Lure and Romance of Alchemy - C. J. S. Thompson

Author: C. J. S. Thompson
Publisher: Bell Publishing Company
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Edition: 1990 reprint. Originally published 1932
ISBN: 0517026341

Condition: Very good second-hand condition. Hardcover with dust jacket. Light shelf wear, rubbing and minor edge wear to the dust jacket. Boards, spine and pages appear clean and intact. Please see photos for the exact copy available.

The Lure and Romance of Alchemy is a readable history of alchemy and its place between magic, symbolism, early science and spiritual philosophy. C. J. S. Thompson traces alchemy from its ancient and medieval roots through the search for the philosopher’s stone, the elixir of life, transmutation, alchemical symbols, secret alphabets, Rosicrucian traditions, notable manuscripts and famous alchemists.

First published in 1932, this illustrated reprint presents alchemy as both a historical practice and a powerful imaginative tradition, showing how laboratory work, mystical symbolism, astrology, medicine and early chemistry became entangled over centuries.

About the Author:

C. J. S. Thompson, also known as Charles John Samuel Thompson, was a British writer, medical historian and curator. He wrote on pharmacy, medicine, folklore, poisons, occult history and related subjects, often exploring the overlap between scientific history and older magical or esoteric traditions.