Product Description

Following such luminaries as Newton, Jung, St. Thomas Aquinas and Zosimus, who devoted most of their lives to searching for the Philosopher's Stone, Peter Marshall set out to unearth the secrets of alchemy in the lands where it was traditionally practiced. The result is a fascinating piece of historical, scientific and philosophical detection, as well as an exciting physical and spiritual adventure. Exploring the beliefs and practices, the myths and the symbols of the alchemists, Peter Marshall takes us on an enthralling journey into this arcane world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #351041 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 545 pages

Review
St Thomas Aquinas, Isaac Newton, Carl Jung; these and other historians, scientists and philosophers devoted much of their life to the study of alchemy and the search for the ultimate prize: the philosopher's stone, which can transform base metal into gold and is said to hold the key to life itself. Marshall is no desk top researcher, but to write the book embarked on a journey in the footsteps of some of the key practitioners, a quest which takes him to Beijing, Egypt, France, Spain and beyond and leads to encounters with many contemporary philosophers, alchemists and scientists, all searching not so much for fame or fortune but for the ultimate prize of enlightenment. This appealing combination of travelogue and inner journey is well served by the author's friendly, conversational tone and his ability to make sometimes complex ideas thoroughly accessible without shortchanging the reader. Myth, magic , religion and intrigue come together here to offer an intriguing alternative view of the history of civilisation's development. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
Peter Marshall is a former tutor in philosophy and has a doctorate in the History of Ideas. His many works include William Godwin; Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism; Nature's Web: Rethinking Our Place on Earth and Riding the Wind: A New Philosophy for a New Era. His circumnavigation of Africa was made into a television series and a book, Around Africa. Celtic Gold: A Voyage Around Ireland was the subject of a BBC radio series. He has two children.

Customer Reviews

From confusion to clarity, chaos to harmony, desert to home.
From the moment I took this book into my hands I struggled to put it down. Not knowing anything about alchemy this book probably was the best introduction I could ask for. The book reads like a novel, taking the reader through all the paths of discovering more about alchemy. Loads of information is distilled into assessable paragraphs that contain the essence of each topic covered. Referenced material supporting the book is well documented in the back of the book enabling the serious reader to do further research on the topic. Starting from ancient history, the book is organised in a chronological order to end in its significance for contemporary times. Each paragraph reveals a bit more of this fascinating and mysterious subject. Interviews, visits to significant sites, papers, quotes and interpretation of symbolism ignite the readers curiosity. Excitement grows within the reader to the extend of an expectation that the philosopher's stone might jump somewhere from the pages. True to the basic principles the author does not try to provide an objective view of alchemy. The author gets so passionately involved with alchemy that one wonders if the author might be biased towards seeing alchemic symbolism even where they do not exist. But after closing the last page of the book, the author most definitely has planted within the readers subconscious a seed of hope. Hope that there is more beyond the aims of immortality and turning metals into gold , towards actual transmutation.

In search of "the stone"...
I enjoyed this book, with a few reservations. The range of content covered was excellent, and the author's clear prose made for an easily-understood journey through the many streams of Alchemy (islam, Chinese, Western, etc).

However, his writing style at times is almost "too" dispassionate, and on a few occasions he seems to not follow-through with an intriguing line of enquiry. For instance, taking the Rosicrucian documents of the early 17th century at face value, rather than mentioning their more allegorical significance, as outlined by Paul Foster Case in "The True And Invisible Rosicrucian Order".
Or after an important meeting in his search for Chinese alchemy, he admits afterwards that he forgot to ask several key questions of his subject. Better planning, Peter!

In terms of narrative drive, Marshall is no match for Graeme Hancock's "Fingerprints of The Gods", although that author's later works (e.g. "Supernatural") have become, to my mind, almost too zealous.

In summary, I would say Marshall has done an admirable job, and can recommend this book. He has since written a book focussing soley on Prague and the court of Rudolph II, which was apparently published in September of this year, but I've not found listed on Amazon yet.

Unpretentious and Honest
This is really an excellent book! Globe-trotter and author Peter Marshall provides a fascinating overview of the history of alchemy in diverse cultures in both ancient and modern times. I am struck by the author's candor and sincerity, never pretending to know something he doesn't know in this arcane field of study.

Light workers, Healers, Seekers, and would-be Alchemists would do well to start here with this book, before tackling the clasic texts and the actual Practice.