The Death and Resurrection Show

Ex-library. Some library stamps, labels and markings. Rebound in green cloth boards with most of original cloth spine laid down. Endpapers replaced. Some foxing to endpapers. 40mm blank corner clipped from rear flap of dust-jacket. Red circle printed on dust-jacket spine has faded. Some occult doodles in blue ink on reverse side of dust-jacket. Dust-jacket has some adhesive tape stains and abrasions on reverse side. A couple of 45mm tears to rear flap of dust-jacket, one with tape repair on reverse side. Dust-jacket protected in archival mylar cover.; 224 pages. Rebound in green cloth boards. Page dimensions: 242 x 185mm. Illustrated. "In 'The Death and Resurrection Show' Rogan Taylor traces the evolution of western show biz from its origins in the bizarre and spectacular performances of shamans - the medicine men and women of nomadic tribes. [. . .] The author finds that every single trick and stunt, song and dance, so familiar to us on the popular stage has its taproots in the shaman's re-enactment of these strange adventures. [. . .] He concludes that show business still operates therapeutically in a way very similar to that of the shaman's ritual magic. Modern show biz, it appears, is anchored in Underworld experience - in Hell itself." - from dust-jacket blurb. Contents: The Magic of Showbusiness: An Introduction; Shamanisn: The Old Religion; The Shaman's Initiation; The Shaman's Story; The Shaman's Demonstrations of Power; The Shaman's Healing Rite; How Did Shamanism Become Showbusiness?; The Making of the Modern Entertainer; The Shamanism of Clowns and Fools; Showbusiness, Heresy and Hell; Pantomime and the Fantasmagoria; The Circus; Magical Mysteries and Harry Houdini; Shaman Superstars; Rock 'n' Roll: The Magic Puberty Show; Afterword; Appendix - an Evenk Shaman's SÃ ance; Bibliography. [Provenance: Formerly a public library copy (Dunedin Public Library), and latterly from the collection of musician Martin Phillipps. Without any ownership markings of Martin Phillipps.].…