The Secret History of the HellFire C..., Geoffrey Ashe
The Secret History of the HellFire C..., Geoffrey Ashe
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The Secret History of the Hell-Fire Clubs
From Rabelais and John Dee to Anton LaVey and Timothy Leary

Author: Geoffrey Ashe

Narrator: Nick McDougal

Unabridged: 10 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/29/2019


Synopsis

An exploration of the origins, influences, and legacy of the scandalous Hell-Fire Clubs of the 18th century and beyond

• Reveals the club’s origins in the work of Rabelais and the magical practices of John Dee and how their motto, “Do What You Will,” deeply influenced Aleister Crowley

• Explores the cross-fertilization of liberty and libertinage within these clubs that influenced both U.S. and French Revolutions

• Examines the debaucherous activities and famous members of many Hell-Fire Clubs, including Sir Francis Dashwood’s Monks of Medmenham

Mention the Hell-Fire Clubs and you conjure up an image of aristocratic rakes cutting a swath through the village maidens. Which is true, but not the whole truth. The activities of these clubs of upper-class Englishmen revolved around not only debauchery but also blasphemy, ritual, quasi-magical pursuits, and political intrigue.

Providing a history of these infamous clubs, Geoffrey Ashe reveals their origins in the work of François Rabelais and the activities of John Dee. He shows how the Hell-Fire Clubs’ anything-goes philosophy of “Do what you will”--also Aleister Crowley’s famous motto--and community template were drawn directly from Rabelais. The author looks at the very first Hell-Fire Club, founded by Philip, Duke of Wharton, in 1720 and then at the Society of the Dilettanti, a fraternity formed in 1732. Ashe examines the life, travels, and influences of Sir Francis Dashwood, founding member of the Society of the Dilettanti and the scandalous Permissive Society at Medmenham, also known as the Monks of Medmenham. He also explores other Hell-Fire clubs the movement inspired throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland, including the violence-prone Mohocks and the Appalling Club. He shows how many illustrious figures of the day were members of these societies, such as Lord Byron. He also examines the rumors that Benjamin Franklin was a member, an allegation that can be neither confirmed nor denied.

Exploring the political and magical ideas that fueled this movement, the author shows how the cross-fertilization of liberty and libertinage within the Hell-Fire Clubs went on to influence both the U.S. and French revolutions, as well as the hippie movement of the 1960s, the Church of Satan founded by Anton LaVey, and the motorcycle club known as the Hells Angels. The legacy of the Hell-Fire Clubs continues to impact society, beckoning both elite and outsider to cast aside social norms and “do what you will.”

About Geoffrey Ashe

Geoffrey Ashe (1923–2022) wrote several books, including King Arthur’s Avalon and The Discovery of King Arthur. Widely regarded as one of the leading Arthurian specialists in the world, Ashe became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1963 and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2012.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sarah on March 13, 2011

Not nearly as useful for research purposes as I'd hoped...and I'm a bit flabbergasted by how a book on a topic that lends itself to scandal and salaciousness can be so...well...unsalacious.......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on July 22, 2008

In Rabelais' work Gargantua (which sadly, I have not yet read, but just ordered after reading this) , there is a section in which the author imagines a Utopian "abbey," named Theleme; the only rule of living there is "Do what you will." Ashe looks at this rule, and asks the question of what happened......more

Goodreads review by Charlie on September 06, 2012

It gives more history, politics and information besides just the Hell-Fire Clubs. A good general resource for Hell-Fire. A great source for politics involved during that time and surrounding the Hell-Fire members.......more

Goodreads review by Wendy on December 06, 2019

I have a reissue of this book titled "The Secret History of the Hell-Fire Clubs" which states of the cover "From Rabelais and John Dee to Anton LaVey and Timothy Leary" & this statement is entirely misleading. In this book of 269 pages, LaVey is mentioned on 2 pages, Leary on 1 page, & Dee on 9 page......more

Goodreads review by Rowena on February 19, 2024

This book is quite dry, and the absence of concrete information on the 17th and 18th century is a major problem. I think it is mis titled and should be something more like 'a history of libertarian philosophy'. Not as catchy , though.......more


Quotes

“Geoffrey Ashe, one of Britain’s most outstanding historians, paints a vivid picture of Francis Dashwood’s Hell-Fire Club and other similar secret societies in this page-turning review of one of England’s most audacious periods of history.”

“A sweeping history of libertinism seen through the lens of the English ‘clubs’ of the eighteenth century. Precise and cogent, it also freely wanders the halls of infamy, painting portraits of some of the subject’s most notorious figures. The motto ‘do what thou will’ defines a stance through this history, one that pulls at the Gordian knots of pain and pleasure, freedom and destiny.”