John Dee: Scientist, Geographer, Astrologer and Secret Agent to Elizabeth I

First edition, first impression. x, 310pp, with some black and white plate illustrations.  Deep blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titles on spine.  8vo.  Cloth a little rubbed and bumped at spine tips.  Traces of dustiness to upper text block edge.  Internally neat, clean, bright and tight.  In its original matte dust jacket, hot price clipped, rubbed and bumped at edges and folds, chipped at head of spine, and a little toned all over especially on spine.  

Richard Deacon was the pen name of Donald McCormick.  Deacon’s 1968 biography of John Dee, the Renaissance polymath and advisor to Elizabeth I, remains controversial.  One of the earliest works to moved away from the perception that Dee was delusional and insane and to focus instead on his credible contributions in the fields of science, navigation, astronomy, cartography etc. But Deacon also fully plays out  allegations that Dee was a secret agent for the state, leading a vast spy network.  Deacon popularised the claim that Dee signed correspondence with Elizabeth I with a 007 symbol, suggesting his eyes and the mystical number seven.  McCormick was a wartime colleague of Ian Fleming, leading many to connect John Dee with Fleming’s creation, James Bond aka 007 as a 20th century spy.  And although some later historians have questioned the accuracy of some of Deacon/McCormick’s conclusion regarding Dee’s latter years, Deacon himself makes much of Dee turning heavily toward the supernatural and occultism – born perhaps out of a frustration at a lack of recognition – and his employment of the equally controversial medium Edward Kelly to conduct crustal-gazing sessions during which they conversed with angels.  Along the way Dee amassed what was likely the largest library of books in the western world, only to see it pillaged during his travels on the continent.