New Releases by Colin Wilson

The classic study of alienation, creativity and the modern mind ''Excitingly written, with a sense of revelation'' GUARDIAN ''Exhaustive, luminously intelligent'' OBSERVER THE OUTSIDER was an instant literary sensation when it was first published in 1956, thrusting its youthful author into the front rank of contemporary writers and thinkers. Wilson rationalised the psychological dislocation so characteristic of Western creative thinking into a coherent theory of alienation, and defined those affected by it as a type: the outsider. Through the works and lives of various artists, including Kafka, Camus, Hemingway, Hesse, Lawrence, Van Gogh, Shaw, Nietzsche and Dostoevsky, Wilson explored the psyche of the outsider, his effect on society and society''s on him. Nothing that has happened in the decades since has made THE OUTSIDER any less relevant; it remains the seminal work on this most persistent of modern-day preoccupations.

A Fascinating Look into the Psychology of Serial Killers and the Men Who Hunt Them Down Colin Wilson opens this illuminating psychological discussion with the development of the 1977 Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI, which was set up in order to answer the many questions surrounding serial killers: • How does someone become a serial killer? • How do they choose their victims? • Why do they not feel remorse? • How are they caught? Wilson interviews FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler, coiner of the term “serial killer” and one of the pioneers of criminal profiling, as well as Ted Bundy and Charles Manson in order to figure out the motives behind their grisly actions. In Hunting Serial Killers, by tracking the BSU’s development of psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting, Wilson reveals the forensic investigations that caused the seizure and arrest of some of the most vile and villainous people in the world, including Jeffrey Dahmer, William Heirens, Peter Sutcliffe, John Duffy, Jerry Brudos, Wayne Williams, and many more. As he divulges the details of each case, the murderers’ fantasy worlds, sadistic motives, and monstrous psychological tendencies emerge. For anyone who wants to understand the motives, investigations, and eventual arrests behind fifty serial-killing sprees, Hunting Serial Killers will not disappoint.

London is in the grip of a terrifying serial killer who is murdering women in Whitechapel in a manner reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper slayings 70 years earlier. Against this backdrop, Gerard Sorme, a lonely young Londoner, is at work on his first novel, in which he intends to express his belief in the meaninglessness of life. His own life begins to change in unexpected ways when he begins an intimate friendship with Austin Nunne, a wealthy and charming gay man with violent sexual desires. As the murders continue and the investigation unfolds, Gerald suddenly finds himself haunted by a terrible suspicion: could his new friend have anything to do with the crimes? Colin Wilson''s classic first novel, Ritual in the Dark (1960), remains a chilling page-turner, a brilliant fusion of thrilling murder mystery and existential philosophy. This edition features a foreword by Wilson scholar and bibliographer Colin Stanley and the author''s introduction to the 1993 edition. ''Brilliant . . . Magnificent! Murder mystery raised to major art!'' - Chicago Sun-Times ''Exhilarating reading'' - The Listener ''What an unforgettable, really great evocation. Terrible and tragic insight ... an important book'' - Sunday Times

This "immensely stimulating story of true crime down the ages" tells the history of human violence, from Peking Man to the Mafia ( The Times, London). This landmark work offers a completely new approach to the history and psychology of human violence. Its sweep is broad, its research meticulous and detailed. Colin Wilson explores the bloodthirsty sadism of the ancient Assyrians and the mass slaughter by the armies led by Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Ivan the Terrible, and Vlad the Impaler. He delves into modern history, exploring the genocides practiced by Stalin and Hitler. He then takes a chilling look into the sex crimes and mass murders that have become symbols of the neuroses and intensity of modern life. With breathtaking audacity and stunning insight, Wilson puts criminality firmly in a wide, illuminating historical context. "A work of massive energy, compulsively readable, splendidly informative . . . it establishes Wilson in a European tradition of thought that includes H. G. Wells, Sartre and Shaw." — Time Out London "A tremendous resource for crime buffs as well as a challenging exposition for some of the more subtle criminological thinking of our time." — Kirkus Reviews

One of the most original thinkers of the twentieth century, Pyotr Demianovich Ouspensky was a complex and romantic soul. A promising young intellectual in Tsarist Russia, he won recognition as a novelist and philosopher, yet descended into self-chosen obscurity as a teacher of ''the Work'', the system of his great contemporary Gurdjieff. Today, it is as Gurdjieff''s chief disciple that he is remembered, yet Colin Wilson argues convincingly that he is to be considered a major writer and man of genius in his own right. A nostalgic melancholy Russian, on of Ouspensky''s deepest instincts was that man can find his own salvation, yet towards the end of his turbulent life he lost faith in the System and drank himself to death. With sympathy and admiration, Colin Wilson throws new light on this gentle man and deep thinker.

Carl Gustav Jung is one of the seminal figures in the history of depth psychology. An enormously influential and original thinker, Jung was for some time Freud''s principal disciple, but he became more and more critical of the Freudian emphasis on repressed sexual tendencies and after the publication of "Symbols of Transformation" in 1912, Jung broke away from Freud to develop his own technique of ''analytical psychology''.

Of all the important thinkers of the twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is perhaps the most difficult to come to grips with. For the unprepared reader, his work presents a series of formidable obstacles, from the dauntingly abstract style to the often bizarre pronouncements on the nature of man and his cosmic destiny. And yet, Steiner was perhaps the most influential and charismatic occult philosopher of his generation and the movement he launched, Anthroposophy, with its educational, agricultural, and artistic applications, still has many thousands of followers worldwide. No one interested in esoteric thought can ignore Steiner, but until now there has been no genuinely accessible introduction to his ideas. This lucid and sympathetic account describes Steiner''s development from shy scholar to the international figurehead of Anthroposophy, his break with Madam Blavatsky''s Theosophy, his struggles to find a voice, and the essence of his insights into the supersensible world.

In 1976, the US Supreme Court ruled in Gregg v. Georgia that the death penalty was constitutional if it complied with certain specific provisions designed to ensure that it was reserved for the ''worst of the worst.'' The same court had rejected the death penalty just four years before in the Furman decision because it found that the penalty had been applied in a capricious and arbitrary manner. The 1976 decision ushered in the ''modern'' period of the US death penalty, setting the country on a course to execute over 1,400 inmates in the ensuing years, with over 8,000 individuals currently sentenced to die. Now, forty years after the decision, the eminent political scientist Frank Baumgartner along with a team of younger scholars (Marty Davidson, Kaneesha Johnson, Arvind Krishnamurthy, and Colin Wilson) have collaborated to assess the empirical record and provide a definitive account of how the death penalty has been implemented. Each chapter addresses a precise empirical question and provides evidence, not opinion, about whether how the modern death penalty has functioned. They decided to write the book after Justice Breyer issued a dissent in a 2015 death penalty case in which he asked for a full briefing on the constitutionality of the death penalty. In particular, they assess the extent to which the modern death penalty has met the aspirations of Gregg or continues to suffer from the flaws that caused its rejection in Furman. To answer this question, they provide the most comprehensive statistical account yet of the workings of the capital punishment system. Authoritative and pithy, the book is intended for both students in a wide variety of fields, researchers studying the topic, and--not least--the Supreme Court itself.

Creatively and intellectually there is no other species that has ever come close to equalling humanity’s achievements, but nor is any other species as suicidally prone to internecine conflict. We are the only species on the planet whose ingrained habit of conflict constitutes the chief threat to our own survival. Human history can be seen as a catalogue of cold-hearted murders, mindless blood-feuds, appalling massacres and devastating wars, but, with developments in forensic science and modern psychology, and with raised education levels throughout the world, might it soon be possible to reign in humanity’s homicidal habits? Falling violent crime statistics in every part of the world seem to indicate that something along those lines might indeed be happening. Colin and Damon Wilson, who between them have been covering the field of criminology for over fifty years, offer an analysis of the overall spectrum of human violence. They consider whether human beings are in reality as cruel and violent as is generally believed and they explore the possibility that humankind is on the verge of a fundamental change: that we are about to become truly civilised. As well as offering an overview of violence throughout our history – from the first hominids to the twenty-first century, touching on key moments of change and also indicating where things have not changed since the Stone Age – they explore the latest psychological, forensic and social attempts to understand and curb modern human violence. To begin with, they examine questions such as: Were the first humans cannibalistic? Did the birth of civilisation also lead to the invention of war and slavery? Priests and kings brought social stability, but were they also the instigators of the first mass murders? Is it in fact wealth that is the ultimate weapon? They look at slavery and ancient Roman sadism, but also the possibility that our own distaste for pain and cruelty is no more than a social construct. They show how the humanitarian ideas of the great religious innovators all too quickly became distorted by organised religious structures. The book ranges widely, from fifteenth-century Baron Gilles de Rais, ‘Bluebeard’, the first known and possibly most prolific serial killer in history, to Victorian domestic murder and the invention of psychiatry and Sherlock Holmes and the invention of forensic science; from the fifteenth-century Taiping Rebellion in China, in which up to 36 million died to the First and Second World Wars and more recent genocides and instances of ‘ethnic cleansing’, and contemporary terrorism. They conclude by assessing the very real possibility that the internet and the greater freedom of information it has brought is leading, gradually, to a profoundly more civilised world than at any time in the past.

An examination of the motives for murder from the bestselling author of The Outsider—“Colin Wilson puts the Manson murders in coldly sharp perspective” (Evening Standard). Why is the “motiveless” murder an increasing phenomenon today? What is the mentality behind the Manson massacres and other shocking cases of brutal killing—too frequent to be written off as isolated cases? In his penetrating exploration of murder, Colin Wilson suggests that the apparently meaningless violence so frighteningly prevalent today is the result of boredom and frustration induced by a repressive society. Particular individuals of high creative potential are thwarted in their natural drives and ambitions and are forced to tread the deadly path of homicide. Colin Wilson traces this path, describing in detail many instances of violent crime, and provides valuable insights that may point to an explanation.

From the bestselling author of THE OUTSIDER Is the Shroud of Turin a holy relic or a clever fake? What was the coded message that made a poor French priest a millionaire, and does it prove that the crucifixion was a fraud? And what lies at the bottom of the 200-foot shaft on Oak Island, Newfoundland, where two centuries of digging have yet to unearth the buried treasure that must be there? In THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, Colin Wilson presents an astonishing variety of unsolved riddles and enduring enigmas to prove that our everyday world is stranger than we believe, wilder than we can imagine. Ranging in content from Atlantis to the Bermuda Triangle and from Kaspar Hauser to the identity of Shakespeare, Colin Wilson''s ENCYCLOPEDIA OF UNSOLVED MYSTERIES is a comprehensive examination of the most baffling mysteries of our time.

The renowned criminologist and author of The Outsider delivers a penetrating study of serial killers as a uniquely modern phenomenon. In this fascinating study, Colin Wilson explores the roots of the serial killer mindset, and the origins of this terrifying modern personality. The term "serial killer" is still relatively new, coined by the FBI to describe those who murder repeatedly and obsessively, usually with a sexual motive. Who are these killers? What social and psychological pressures drive them to their crimes? Can we understand and learn to predict their behavior? Wilson offers revealing profiles of some of the most infamous killers in modern history: from Jack the Ripper to Jeffrey Dahmer, the monster of Milwaukee; Reginald Christie to Dennis Nilsen, who killed for company; the Boston Strangler to Donald Gaskins, who murdered more than 100 victims; as well as Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker and many more.

Extraordinary accounts of forensic crime detection—from poisoners in ancient Rome to modern day serial killers—by the bestselling author of The Outsider. In 44 BC, a Roman doctor named Antistius performed the first autopsy recorded in history—on the corpse of murder victim Julius Caesar. However, not until the nineteenth century did the systematic application of scientific knowledge to crime detection seriously begin, so that the tiniest scrap of evidence might yield astonishing results—like the single horsehair that betrayed the murderer in New York’s 1936 puzzling and sensational Nancy Titterton case. Many such dramatic tales appear in this updated edition of the most gripping catalog of crimes by acclaimed criminologist Colin Wilson. The book follows the progress of forensic science from the first cases of suspected arsenic poisoning right up to investigations using an impressive armory of high-tech methods: ballistic analysis, blood typing, voice printing, textile analysis, psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting. “Colin Wilson has made himself the Philosopher-King of forensic speculation, the Diderot of the path labs.” —The Times Literary Supplement “Will enthrall connoisseurs of violent crime.” —The Glasgow Herald

The acclaimed author of The Occult presents a groundbreaking theory of unexplained phenomena from ghosts and magic to the power of the unconscious. A renowned expert on the subject of occultism, Colin Wilson’s sequel to his masterwork, The Occult, is “a major work” in its own right. In The Mysteries, Wilson continues his the investigation into magic, the paranormal, and the supernatural through extensive research as well as his own extraordinary first-hand experiences. The result is “an extraordinary tour de force” of scholarship (New Science). Through a personal mystical experience, Wilson discovered that human beings consist of a ladder—or hierarchy—of selves, whose upper members may be called upon at will for personal transformation and deep knowledge. This experience inspired him to apply this insight to all paranormal phenomena, from precognition to Uri Geller''s spoon bending. Wilson presents detailed studies of hauntings, possession and demonic hypnosis, as well as magic, the Kabbalah, and astrology. At the heart of his work is a fascinating discussion of the Great Secret of the alchemists, which he sees as the key to the mystery of the ladder of selves.

A brilliant German-Jewish philosopher, in London, is suspected of being a master criminal.

Author Colin Wilson opens this illuminating psychological discussion with the development of the 1977 Behavioral Science Unit, which was set up in order to answer the many questions surrounding serial killers: How does someone become a serial killer? How do they choose their victims, and why do they not feel remorse? How are they caught? Wilson interviews FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler, coiner of the term “serial killer” and one of the pioneers of criminal profiling, as well as Ted Bundy and Charles Manson in order to figure out the motives behind their grisly actions. In Manhunters, by tracking the BSU’s development of psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting, Wilson reveals the forensic investigations that caused the seizure and arrest of some of the most vile and villainous people in the world, including Jeffrey Dahmer, William Heirens, Peter Sutcliffe, John Duffy, Jerry Brudos, Wayne Williams, and many more. As he divulges the details of each case, the murderers’ fantasy worlds, sadistic motives, and monstrous psychological tendencies emerge.

Ogni mese torna il meglio dei fumetti legati a Star Wars! In questo numero: con Zayne prigioniero della Repubblica, è la volta di scoprire di più sul passato di Jarael e Camper e del mondo in cui sono nati. E poi sarà battaglia nello spazio fra l’armata Yuuzhan Vong, la Nuova Repubblica e persino l’Impero. Boba Fett è morto. Chi è che sta eliminando uno a uno i membri della squadra che l’ha ucciso?

Ogni mese torna il meglio dei fumetti legati a Star Wars! In questo numero: Zayne deve avvertire la Repubblica di un pericolo che ancora non è manifesto e che lo porterà tra le braccia dei suoi nemici. Kaye Galfridian scopre un terribile segreto su sua madre e... su se stessa! In più, la conclusione della vicenda di Darth Maul in uno scontro con gli Jedi.

What were the achievements of the ’angry’ writers who emerged in the fifties? Historically, they gave birth to the satire movement of the 1960s-Beyond the Fringe, That Was the Week that Was and Private Eye. Their satire and irreverence aroused enthusiasm in man, and a new ‘anti-Establishment’ mood developed from Look Back in Anger and The Outsider. All literary movements acquire enemies, but the Angry Young Men of the 1950s accumulated more than most. Why? Wilson takes us on a journey back to this era, and reveals fascinating and sometimes disturbing stories from the Greats, including John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, Kenneth Tynan and John Braine-to name but a few. At all events, the story of that period makes a marvellously lively tale which, most importantly, was recorded by someone who was actually there.

Wilson has blended H.P. Lovecraft''s dark vision with his own revolutionary philosophy and unique narrative powers to produce a stunning, high-tension story of vaulting imagination. A professor makes a horrifying discovery while excavating a sinister archaeological site. For over 200 years, mind parasites have been lurking in the deepest layers of human consciousness, feeding on human life force and steadily gaining a foothold on the planet. Now they threaten humanity''s extinction. They can be fought with one weapon only: the mind, pushed to--and beyond--its limits. Pushed so far that humans can read each other''s thoughts, that the moon can be shifted from its orbit by thought alone. Pushed so that man can at last join battle with the loathsome parasites on equal terms.

''What an unforgettable, really great evocation. Terrible and tragic insight ... An important book.'' - Sunday Times ''Not since Dickens has a British fiction writer dealt with murder in a book of such size and seriousness.'' - Sunday Express ''Brilliant ... Magnificent! Murder mystery raised to major art!'' - Chicago Sun-Times ''[A] powerful metaphysical thriller.... It is fascinating to think about; but it is no less fascinating to read and re-read.'' - Nicolas Tredell Gerard Sorme is a lonely young Londoner at work on his first novel, in which he intends to express his belief in the meaninglessness of life. His life changes suddenly in unexpected ways when he befriends Austin Nunne, a wealthy and charming gay man with violent sexual desires, and meets Austin''s circle of friends: Gertrude, his well-meaning but naive Jehovah''s Witness aunt, the ugly but kindly Father Carruthers, and a strange and fanatical artist named Oliver Glasp. Meanwhile, someone else is busy exposing life''s meaninglessness in a different way: a serial killer is brutally murdering women in Whitechapel in a manner reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper slayings. The police suspect a crazed sex maniac, but Gerard has his own theory of the killer''s motives. As the killings continue and the investigation proceeds, Gerard suddenly finds himself haunted by a terrible suspicion: could his new friend Austin Nunne have anything to do with the crimes? Colin Wilson''s classic first novel, Ritual in the Dark (1960), remains a chilling page-turner, a brilliant fusion of murder mystery and existential philosophy. This edition is newly typeset from the first London edition and includes the author''s introduction to the 1993 edition and a new foreword by Wilson scholar and bibliographer Colin Stanley.

Now available in one tremendous volume is a compelling and remarkable history spanning over two thousand years of the greatest unsolved mysteries known to mankind, including: Atlantis the Bermuda Triangle Bigfoot crop circles crystal skulls the Holy Shroud of Turin the Hope Diamond and other cursed jewels the mystery of the Mary Celeste mummies and their curses poltergeists sea monsters spontaneous human combustion Tunguska and other falling meteors vampires zombies Includes a mystery never examined before - the missing maps of Atlantis Colin Wilson is an acknowledged expert in the field of the unexplained and is in constant demand by the media Colin has a track record of proven successes with the Mammoth series, including, most recently, The Mammoth Book of Murder

Is the near-death experience a defense mechanism of the brain or have people actually been on the threshold of another world? Colin Wilson assesses the evidence that includies mediumship, paranormal activity, spirit sightings, and spirit communications. Above all, he includes the striking case histories of people who claim to have "died, " and reported their experiences of the afterlife.

This audio recording, which accompanies the Luath Scots Language Learner book, conveys the authentic pronunciation, especially important to readers from outside Scotland. It is suitable as an introductory course or for those interested in reacquainting themselves with the language of childhood and grandparents. There are dictionaries and grammar books but this is the first-ever language course. The book assumes no prior knowledge on the reader''s part. Starting from the most basic vocabulary and constructions, the reader is guided step-by-step through Scots vocabulary and the subtleties of grammar and idiom that distinguish Scots from English.

As the number of serial killers worldwide has risen steadily - from the emergence of Jack the Ripper in 1888 to Harold Shipman and Ivan Milat, the backpacker killer of the Australian outback - the need to understand mass murder is becoming more urgent. Using privileged access to the world''s first National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Colin Wilson and Donald Seaman bring you this incisive study of the psychology of serial killers and the motives behind their crimes. From childhood traumas to issues of frustration, fear and fantasy, discover what turns an ordinary human being into a compulsive killer.

What makes a good scandal? Money, politics and power, and a huge dose of media interest. Scandal reigns in the world of politics, celebrity, business, religion, royalty and art, and this book covers it all - from Watergate to Michael Jackson, Diana to Oscar Wilde. Distinguished writer Colin Wilson delves into the murky intrigues of British and American life to bring the most scandalous secrets to light. Containing brand new chapters on Michael Jackson, ENRON, the death of David Kelly, the Catholic Church sex scandals and the cash-for-honours scandal, and an updated chapter on OJ Simpson, here are the embarrassing true stories the rich and famous tried but failed to hide.

Harry Preston says goodbye to the provinces and comes to London looking for live and adventure. It is the mid 50s and he soon finds himself in the improverished and slightly seedy world of the emergin Beat Generation. As he progresses through the ranks of world-be artists and deluded romantics of Soho and Notting Hill, he bergins to make sense of the world and his role in it.

Crashing noises and disembodied voices, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. Invisible tormentors slapping and pinching and pulling hair. Fires starting spontaneously, pools of water materializing out of thin air, pots and pans and knives and knick-knacks flying through the room. These are the hallmarks of the poltergeist phenomenon. In this classic book on destructive hauntings, Colin Wilson, renowned authority on the paranormal, examines the evidence and develops a definitive theory of the poltergeist phenomenon. Countless true-life cases of poltergeist infestations have been recorded since the days of ancient Greece and Rome to the present. But what are poltergeists? Where do they come from? And why do they appear in our world? From the case of a black-robed monk that terrorized a family for years, to the investigation of a talking mongoose, to true stories of gnomes, sorcerers, witches, and demons, this guide explores a bone-chilling gallery of the mysterious entities known as poltergeists.

In this classic book on UFOs, bestselling author Colin Wilson, a renowned authority on the paranormal, examines the evidence and develops a definitive theory of the alien contact phenomenon. Alien Dawn covers Wilson''s investigation into documented evidence of strange and unexplained phenomena, including UFOs, poltergeists, ancient folklore, time slips, out-of-body experiences, mystical awareness, and psychic travel to other worlds. The result: a fascinating and encyclopedic study of the complex nature of reality. This is one of the most comprehensive explorations of the subject undertaken, with conclusions sure to shock the reader, whether believer or skeptic. Features a new introduction by the author.

Throughout history there have been references and examples in literature, art and philosophy of an increased awareness of life while under the influence of extreme emotions - these have become known as Peak Experiences. Here, Colin Wilson investigates the effects and history of the phenomenon.