The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky

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Summary: The Best One Volume Overview of Mme. Blavatsky's Life
Review: Here for the first time is the story of H. P. Blavatsky's life in the words of her contemporaries. Although not a biography per se, this collection tells the story of Madame Blavatsky's eventful career with a special look at the "Esoteric World" in which she lived. These reminiscences by her relatives, acquaintances, friends, co-workers, critics and enemies allow the reader to enter into the historical milieu of HPB's time and give a vivid portrayal of Madame Blavatsky's personality. The narratives are arranged in chronological order and include (1) striking word portraits of HPB; (2) reminiscences giving insight into HPB's enigmatic character; (3) incidents that are sometimes humorous and witty; (4) accounts of psychic phenomena performed by Madame Blavatsky; and (5) descriptions of encounters with HPB's Masters. These personal reminiscences of HPB by more than seventy of her contemporaries give a vivid portrayal of one of the most extraordinary and controversial figures of modern times. Here is a sourcebook of rare original material on HPB illustrated with forty-four photographs and drawings.

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Summary: A wealth of biographical information
Review: In The Esoteric World Of Madame Blavatsky: Insights Into The Life Of A Modern Sphinx, Daniel Caldwell has collected a wealth of biographical information on one of the most influential metaphysical thinkers and writers of her day. Arranged in chronological order, we are treated to Madame Blavatsky's travels beginning in Russia and spanning the entire world including her years in New York, and sojourns to London, Bombay, Allahabad, Sri Lanka, Lahore, Adyar, France, Germany, and Italy. A "must" for students of Madame Blavatsky's writings and metaphysics, Caldwell's informative text is wonderfully enhanced with a number of illustrations and photographs.