This
rich, fantastic, devilishly romantic book about one of the great flim-flam
men of history is quite brilliant - utterly absorbing, bewilderingly clever
and, like the man himself, a charming puzzle from beginning to end. "
Simon Winchester, author of The Surgeon of Crowthorne
"The second half of the 18th Century is usually served up
as The Age of Reason, with a heavy menu of philosophers like Rousseau,
Hume and Adam Smith. McCalman's Cagliostro shows that it was no less the
age of magic, mystery and mayhem, peopled - apart from THE LAST ALCHEMIST
- by Papageno, Dick Turpin and the Count de Sade. There is no doubt which
version is more fun to read about, especially presented with wit and elegance."
Norman Davies, author of Europe: A History
"In the long, illustrious history of swindlers and mountebanks,
Cagliostro occupies a special place of honor. No one had more names and
schemes than he, and he had his wife, the divine Serafina, as a willing,
highly seductive accomplice. We can truly say that in his life, truth
was stranger than fiction, but inevitably it has been the fiction that
has been paramount. In this fascinating life, he finally gets the historian
he has long needed and fully deserves. Smoothly written, deeply researched,and
persuasively argued, THE LAST ALCHEMIST does Cagliostro justice. Iain
McCalman has some strong competition from his subject, but he makes his
text eminently readable, and a pure pleasure."
Peter Gay, author of Freud: A Life for Our Time
"Iain McCalman writes history which has the teasing, exciting
psychological ambiguity of the best fiction. Cagliostro may have been
the last alchemist; he is also, in this startling account, the first celebrity--a
self-invented monster, famous for his vices, with a genius for recovery
from disgrace and cheating retribution. Orson Welles once played the role
of this inspired faker. I'm already mentally casting the film of McCalman's
book!"
Peter Conrad, author of MODERN TIMES, MODERN
PLACES: How Life and Art Were Transformed in a Century of Revolution,
Innovation, and Radical Change
Reviews
In seven
chapters, McCalman (Humanities Research Ctr., Australian National Univ.;
editor, An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age) explores the seven lives
of Count Allesandro di Cagliostro —either "the greatest enchanter
of the eighteenth century" or " the worst scoundrel of his age."
In more or less chronological order, McCalman presents Cagliostro in the
seven roles he assumed during his remarkable career, imaginatively re-creating
his protagonist's encounters with both patrons and adversaries.Thus, "Freemanson"
is enlivened by the contest between Cagliostro and Casanova; "Necromancer"
recounts Cagliostro's prowess as a spiritualist in the duchy of Courland-Zemgale;
"Shaman" finds the count in conflict with Russia's Catherine
the Great; "Copt" reveals that Cagliostro nearly ended his career
in the Bastille after involving Marie Antoinette in a diamond necklace
swindle; and "Prophet" is an account of his unsuccessful attempts
to gain power and influence in England. In Cagliostro's two final roles,
the ability to "enchant" that had hitherto preserved him has
begun to weaken.Ê After he is brought
to trial in "Rejuvenator" and found guilty of 21 years of heretical
beliefs and actions, he is sentenced to life imprisonment in the fortress
of San Leo; in "Heretic," we find him dead at age 52 and buried
in an unmarked pit. This entertaining work is recommended for larger public
libraries with an interest in the 18th century.
Library Journal (United States)
This book is almost pure picaresque, worthy of Fielding. Setting out to determine if Balsamo/Cagliostro was saint or sinner, mystic or quack, McCalman has mapped this extraordinary life with a loving hand, digging up the deceptions and polishing up the jewels of a life that, love him or loathe him, rises from the 18th century like a phoenix from the ashes...
This book is something of a homage to Balsamo, and goes a long
way to liberating his great talents story from the cheap magic box to
which history has seemingly consigned them. If I could find a fault, it
would be the lack of an index, since I found myself wanting to trace over
the myriad suckers, great and humble, Balsamo beguiled or enraged along
the way. A truly great read.Ian Brown Something out of the (magic) box, The
Courier-Mail, Saturday May 17 2003
"Cultural historian McCalman (editor, An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age) presents an enlightening account of the career of one of the most famous charlatans of the 18th century, Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. ... McCalman's account is adeptly researched and written with a light, charming touch; as the author makes abundantly clear, the Age of Reason was also an age of mysticism and downright quackery." Publishers Weekly, April 14, 2003 v250 i15 p55(2)
Kirkus Review, April 15, 2003