Annie Besant An Autobiography

The autobiography has a philosophical tinge and is worth reading

British lady and her experience with Indian philosophy is more awesome

must read

Hard to fathom

Written so long ago and unfortunately so relevant now. We still have domestic violence, social injustice, political divisions between capitalism and labour and the underated ability and pay of women. Annie Besant might have been only 5 feet tall but there was more courage and commitment in every inch than you might think was even possible. Her contribution to the struggling ordinary people in Britain, Ireland, Europe, India and other colonies can't be over emphasised. It almost brought me to tears at times. Yes it is about having the courage of your convictions too, even as they changed in her remarkable personal spiritual journey towards theosophy.

This autobiography disturbed and intrigued me in equal measures. For my sins, I knew Annie Besant as a leading figure in the Bryant and May match girl strike. I, therefore, approached this book as the story of a political leader: this was only partially true. Besant was a good Christian girl who after marrying a parson, started to doubt her faith. Sadly, she did not meet with sympathetic help but with scorn from a nineteenth century English society which, thought that, anything other than complete orthodoxy was so heinous a crime, that the perpetrator must be crushed. Annie was too strong a lady to crush, but she did lose her faith altogether. I cannot think of a greater crime than taking a person's faith from them. With that strange quirk that is apt to happen, I was reading this book at the time of the trial and committal of the Russian punk band, Pussy Riot. It is depressing to see that the same bigotry still exists today; does nothing really change?Besant clearly held her fight with the moral bigots as the most important issue in her life because she devotes far more of her biography to the story of this loss and her eventual adoption of the curious Theosophy, at the hands of H. P. Blavatsky, than she does to her sterling work for the poor and downtrodden in society. When she does speak about these people, it is amazing that a well brought up lady of the 1880's should be able to speak with such care and lack of condescension.I have long respect Annie Besant, in an age when it was not just acceptable, but the norm, to treat women as a sub-species, Annie effectively showed us chaps how to fight against oppression: not only did she fight for the match girls, she set up what was, effectively, the first trade union. Typical of the lady, this was not a movement to drive a wedge between 'us and them', but a union that brought benefits to both the workers and the factory owners.It says something of our reluctance, even today, to admit that a woman could have achieved so much in the birth of the Labour movement, that Annie Besant is not a more widely revered figure. This autobiography is one of many excellent books available free, gratis and for nothing on the excellent Amazon Kindle. If you own such a device and do not download a copy of this book, then shame on you and, if you do not have a Kindle, then buy it in book form!

Annie Besant, a female disciple who puts Theosophical theory to work, a way to practice, after receiving teachings from "Master" H.P. Blavatsky, wrote about her life, and her life-changing events; from a girl overly protected by her mother, struggling through hardened life after loss of her child and divorce, somewhat ironically, from a clergy spouse, to the first-hand experience of the poor through atheist devotion to socialistic cause and continuous struggle in court trials, defending freedom of belief and speech, to final conviction in Theosophy, a system of philosophy that God is universal and one in Being. Theosophist is, thus, "one who claims to have a knowledge of God, or of the laws of nature by means of internal illumination." And Mrs. Besant further explains, "An Atheist certainly cannot be a Theosophist. A Deist might be a Theosophist. A Monist cannot be a Theosophist. Theosophy must at least involve Dualism."There are not many touches on Theosophy per se in the book as one would have expected or look for internal explanations from Mrs. Besant, which would have required reflections of complicated contemplations anyway, other than the first meeting with HP Blavatsky in her residence in London in the very last chapter. Rather, the socialistic struggle along with her Atheist and political partner Charles Bradlaugh receives a lot of coverage in several chapters. This might be a let down and a bit boring to some readers but then perhaps Theosophy can't be told in passages at length enough in a book such as Mrs. Besant's own autobiography.Mrs. Besant wanted, as she claimed, to throw light on some of the typical problems that are vesting the souls of man's contemporaries in troublous times, stretch out a helping hand to some brother who is struggling in the darkness, and so bring him cheer when despair has him in its grip. This, if you observe, is a matter of humility to mankind, of wisdom sinking into vortex of universe, of service to humanity, that is still needed today as much as in the past. A must to anyone who is interested in Theosophy and who likes to investigate further about its key persons and development.

This book won't be everyone's cup of tea as a Biography: as it is more of an insight into debates of personality issues of Theosophy and Spiritualism of the 19th Century. However, Annie Besant does provide some interesting comments about the Masters and presents knowledgeable ideas of the Eastern aspects of this subject from the view of Theosophy. One can pick and choose or ignore some chapters of the book, or come back to those things not properly understood at first reading. Not really a book for beginning Students in some places, though it can provide a stepping-stone into Theosophy itself from her viewpoint. Some may feel it is a little dated, however, but that doesn't mean you need to throw it out. Quite readable, but it won't take you by the hand in the subject matter.

This edition is extremely difficult to read and disappointing. The font size is absolutely tiny. The pages are not numbered. There are no page breaks between chapters -- simply a tiny "Chapter II, III," (etc) in middle of page (on left), no illustrations (though 9 indicated in front). This is a schlock publishing job, tossed off on a press, with as few pages as possible. It shouldn't even be offered for sale. It's not readable. There's no way I could give a review based on the book itself -- it's not readable. Shame on Amazon for even selling it. You may as well sell a bike with one wheel, for all the good it is.