The second edition of Charles G. Leland - The Man & the Myth is now available.
"Varner does a great job combining the words of a grand storyteller with facts to create a solid piece of work." --Ghostwriter Reviews
The first biography of the folklorist, adventurer and NeoPagan icon in over 100 years is now available once again. New material is presented in this illustrated second edition.
Leland was quite a man. Aquainted with many of the top writers of the 19th century literary world, Leland was also responsible for the creation of Industrial Arts programs in the United States and for his controversial books on Gypsies, Native Americans and reportedly secret witch cults.
Professional Reviews
Ghostwriter Review
Varner does a great job combining the words of a grand storyteller with facts to create a solid piece of work.
Patricia Della-Piana, author of Aradia Retold, reviews Charles G. Leland - The Man & the Myth
Gary Varner has done a service to all folklorists, as well as to witches who base much of their worship on Charles G. Leland's original work, Aradia: Gospel of the Witches. Questions have risen from the moment this work was published in 1899, and much of the present quandary results from the fact that the reading public of today knows next-to-nothing about the expatriot author. Who was this man, and was he truly a respected folklorist and author, even in his own time? How did he assemble the information he used to base his theories on? Did he follow scientific principles in the gathering of this information? Hints of his personality have long been available within most of his published work, but here the curtain is drawn aside and there is no longer any doubt as to this personage.
This book finally gives us a look at the real man, warts and all, and his methodology that allowed him to produce the several books he published over his lifetime. And with this look, we are now able to determine the validity of Leland's work. No reader of any Leland work should be without a copy of this book, in the interest of maintaining one's focus. Thank you, Gary, for a terrific book.
A Note from Gypsy Scholar Ian Hancock
Dear Gary
I enjoyed very much your book on Charles G. Leland. A book of my own essays is now out (http://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/our-structure/subsidiary-companies/uh-press/romani-studies/danger-educated-gypsy.cfm) and contains the attached two essays that make some references to Leland --- you might find them of interest.
With best wishes
Ian Hancock
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