Austin Osman Spare: The Occult Life of London's Legendary Artist
From the foreword: "Phil Baker has established himself as among the very best contemporary biographers... What Baker has accomplished here is little short of marvellous."—Alan Moore, author ofWatchmen, V for Vendetta,andFrom Hell"[written with] zest and insight .... Ever determined to break down the barriers between reality and fantasy, Spare has finally achieved it--not by elaborate psychic exercises, but through biography."—The Times Literary Supplement"Baker has a fine store of anecdotes... What emerges is a portrait of a marginal figure forever ahead of the curve: [Spare]'s cited as the precursor of surrealism, pop art and even psychoanalysis."—The Guardian"Baker is a wonderful writer, careful, intelligent, and dry. He also knows his London, and the Spare that emerges in his portrayal is very much an avatar of that unique and ancient town."—Erik Davis, author ofTechgnosisandNomad Codes"The time is over-ripe for a proper biography of this curious figure, and it is a pleasure to report that Phil Baker's study is a first-rate performance, scrupulously researched, judicious, and refreshingly sane .... By the end of this admirable book, Spare comes to seem a strangely attractive figure: talented, stoical, randy, cantankerous, gentle, and a magnificent English eccentric."—The Literary Review"I cannot recommendAustin Osman Sparetoo highly. Phil Baker has done a wonderful job of bringing the complexities and contradictions of Spare's life to the fore, and in making the London of Spare's time come to life vividly and richly."—Phil Hine, author ofCondensed Chaos