<DIV><p>Aleister Crowley is best known today as a founding father of modern occultism. His wide, hypnotic eyes peer at us from the cover of The Beatles&rsquo; <i>Sgt. Pepper&rsquo;s Lonely Hearts Club Band</i>, and his influence can be found everywhere in popular culture.</p><p>Crowley, also known as the Great Beast, has been the subject of several biographies, some painting him as a misunderstood genius, others as a manipulative charlatan. None of them have looked seriously at his career as an agent of British Intelligence.</p><p>Using documents gleaned from British, American, French, and Italian archives, <i>Secret Agent 666</i> sensationally reveals that Crowley played a major role in the sinking of the Lusitania, a plot to overthrow the government of Spain, the thwarting of Irish and Indian nationalist conspiracies, and the 1941 flight of Rudolf Hess.</p><p>Author Richard B. Spence argues that Crowley&mdash;in his own unconventional way&mdash;was a patriotic Englishman who endured years of public vilification in part to mask his role as a secret agent.</p><p>The verification of the Great Beast&rsquo;s participation in the twentieth century&rsquo;s most astounding government plots will likely blow the minds of history buff s and occult aficionados alike.</p><p>Author <b>Richard B. Spence</b> can be seen on various documentaries on the History Channel and is a consultant for Washington, DC&rsquo;s International Spy Museum. He is also the author of <i>Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly</i> (Feral House).</p></DIV>