TAILLEPIED, Fr. Noel; SUMMERS, Montague

A Treatise of Ghosts; Being the Psichologie, or Treatise upon Apparitions and Spirits, of Disembodied Souls, Phantom Figures, Strange Prodigies and of Other Miracles and Marvels...

London: The Fortune Press, n.d. [1933]. First U.K. Edition. Octavo. 19.5cm. Publisher's pebble grain black cloth titled in green to spine. Lacks dustjacket. [xviii]; 263pp.; [1]. One of several bindings, probably the least glamorous, the book can appear in red, dark blue, black, dark green etc. with varying text to the spine crediting, or not, Montague Summers in his role as translator. Strong and tight, bound in a particularly hardwearing cloth with some light bumpiing to spine ends and some dulling of the spine text, some minor wear to the extremities, and a slight bowing to the lower edge of the rear board which appears to have been caused by an issue with excessive binding glue rather than something later, traces are also present on the front pastedown; internally clean and fresh, with some soiling to the lower edge, fore-edge untrimmed and with most pages after the first 30 or so unopened. A very good copy with some unconventional wear.

A typically eccentric bit of esoterica comprising Franciscan Father Taillepied's attempt to 'prove' the existence of spirits and the afterlife, with a number of researched and recounted myths and phenomena, originally published in French in 1588. No such text could survive into the twentieth century with the very un-Reverend Montague Summers getting his hands on it, and this is presented as a new translation by Summers, with an additional introduction and commentary by him in typical irresistible barnstorming fashion. Like his translation of the Malleus Mallificarum, and his other earlier 20th century esoteric cornerstone texts, the end result owes as much to Summers' enthusiasm for the field as it does to its original author, and is none the worse for it.

Price: $200.00

Go Back