Alchemy: Ancient and Modern

by H. Stanley Redgrove

This book includes a brief account of the alchemistic doctrines and their relations to mysticism on the one hand, and to recent discoveries in physical science on the other hand, together with some particulars regarding the lives and teachings of the most noted alchemists. The book includes seven chapters as follows: (1) The Meaning of Alchemy, (2) The Theory of Physical Alchemy, (3) The Alchemists (Before Paracelsus), (4) The Alchemists (Paracelsus and After), (5) The Outcome of Alchemy, (6) The Age of Modern Chemistry, and (7) Modern Alchemy. It is a pleasure to publish this new, high quality, and affordable edition of this timeless book. This edition is amply illustrated.

Genres: Alchemy, Nonfiction, Occult, History, Science, Esoterica, Philosophy

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Herbert Stanley Redgrove (b.1887-d.1943)

Reviews

[Enrico Schiavo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book offers a simple, down-to-earth, overview on the most important alchemical theories, which is done in its first half (or less). The rest is about the most notable alchemists. From then on, the book gets really summarized, shallow and dull. But I guess this unfortunate unfolding would not be badly explained by bearing in mind the original intention of the author, which is, to interpret Alchemy as the flourishing chemistry, that is, its extrovert side, as Jung would fairly put it. And he does that with rare respect to these magic pioneers.

Much of what is taught in this book is elsewhere concealed within the majestic veil of allegory. So I guess it's worth to be looked into.

[Elizabee Attica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for people who don't know much about the history of Alchemy and are interested in beginning to learn. I think that those who are already acquainted with the practice will find this text a bit boring, but as somebody who knew nothing about alchemy going in, I quite liked it.

[William Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the subject

This book is a great overview of alchemy. It is NOT a practical manual. Unfortunately, the latter portion of the book is concerned with "modern" alchemy; which is speculation on recently, at the time, occurring study of radiation as it may fit in with alchemy. As this book was written in the early 1900s, a great deal of the speculation has since been disproved. They speak of the ether as a scientific fact, etc. That is not to say that all the information in the latter portion of the book has no merit. There are nuggets of gold to be gleaned from these pages.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good defense for alchemy, that many modern people have shrugged off to be something unrealistic, put things in perspective regarding alchemy, and mysticism, while also giving scientific teachings centered around facts.

[ᴛʜᴇᴏᴅᴏʀᴇ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is terribly boring.

[airy xie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seandainya buku ini terbaca ketika pertama kali aku dikenakan pada ilmu kimia....

[Craig Bryson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good entry level introduction into the Alchemical world.
Most useful is the list of books, authors and practioners that accompanies the end of each chapter; the reader can use it to search Project Gutenberg, or the Internet Archive for the relevent texts.

Also insightful is the trace the author presents, following alchemy as it mutates into the pharmaceutical school, and the later resurgance of research into the realms of 'radioactivity'.

[keereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

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