The Tiger's Fang Book

This, to me, is the most unique book that Paul Twitchell ever wrote. I've seen all sorts of conflicting reports about it lately--from news that it's out of print (which doesn't seem to be the case), to a reader on this very site claiming that a chapter was plagiarized from another source (which I plan to look into). But from my perspective, this is a book that has consistently impressed me--from the sheer imaginative power that it projects to the bold way in which the author claims that the entire narrative came from his own direct experience. He promises that if you read it with an open mind, you'll never be the same again, and I have to confess that it changed me just as he said it would.

P.S. Since I wrote this, I read The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy, and indeed there is a chapter in The Tiger's Fang (Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch) in which Paul Twitchell does heavily plagiarize from Talbot Mundy. It's not the whole chapter, but there are some significant passages. Here are some of the main ones that I found:

From The Tiger's Fang, Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch

"Death pursues life. Is there anything without its opposite? Or any cause without its consequence? Or any light that casts no shadow?
"So it's known that your very innermost thoughts awaken hosts that had slept, as sound awakens echoes. Therefore it is neither miracle nor mystery that there is not escape from the spires [sic] nor safety other than as [sic] upright zeal, leaving these hosts forever behind.
"This is the so-called mystery of leadership."

From The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy

Death pursues life. Is there anything without its opposite?Or any cause without its consequence? Or any light that casts no shadow?
So, I tell you that your very inmost thoughts awaken hosts that otherwise had slept, as sound awakens echoes. Therefore it is neither miracle nor mystery that there is no escape from spies nor any safety other than an upright zeal that makes haste, leaving the spies forever a march behind.
This is the so-called mystery of leadership.

From The Tiger's Fang, Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch

"It makes no difference what decision you make, nor the course taken, you will not meet with universal favor. Though you turn to the right, or to the left, or go ahead, or turn back, there will always be a critic to advise you to the contrary.

From The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy

You may be sure of this, my son: that no decision you may take, nor any course, will meet with universal favor. Though you turn to the right or to the left, or go ahead, or turn back, or attempt to stand still, there will come to you some critic to advise the contrary.

From The Tiger's Fang, Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch

"When you come to a decision between right and wrong, then act, do not wait on approval. If you do right, it will add no virtue to the right that friends gave their assent beforehand; rather it will give a false friend an opportunity to strengthen his attachments, so that ultimately you may listen to him to your own sorrow and undoing.
"If you do wrong it will harm you not at all for your enemies will rejoice, since proper motives will protect and preserve you in the end, and it is well to have your enemies uncovered. Be your own judge, but commit no trespass, watchfully remembering that where another's liberty begins your own inevitably meets at its borderlines.

From The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy

My son, when you have come to a decision between right and wrong, then act, not waiting on approval. If you do right it will add no virtue to the right that friends gave their assent beforehand; rather it will give a false friend the opportunity to strengthen his attaghment, so that ultimately you may listen to him to your own undoing.
If you do wrong it will harm you not at all that enemies rejoice, since proper motive will preserve you in the end and it is well to have our enemies uncovered.
Be your own judge. But commit no trespass, watchfully remembering that where another's liberty begins your own inevitably meets its boundary.

From The Tiger's Fang, Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch

"I tell you nothing matters to you except what you think and what you do to others. If you expect to win praise for what you do and adulation in return for what you think, you may as well give up doing and thinking, because the world will only praise what pleases it, and will only tolerate what does not cause it the necessity to think. It stifles thought with ostracism and with bayonets and then flatters itself how wise it is.

From The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy

"'So you think it matters what is said of you, or what is done to you. But I tell you, nothing matters to you except what you think, and what you do to other people. If you expect praise for what you do and adulation in return for what you think, you may just as well give up thinking, because the world will only praise what pleases it and will only tolerate what does not cause it the necessity to think. It stifles thought with ostracism and with bayonets, and then flatters itself how wise it is. How wise are you?"

From The Tiger's Fang, Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch

"Who are the saints?" I asked curiously.
"Great souls," he said. "Wisdom avoids vanity. Was Lao-Tse vain? Or Bacon? Or Mozart?"
"The saints to themselves are ordinary men, too fallible, beset by their own perplexities. Our problems are simple to the saints, because they mastered such elementary conditions as ours in former lives; which is why they are called saints. They have advanced to the greater problems."

From The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy

"Who are these Mahatmas'men?" Grim asked.
"Very plain men," Lhaten answered. "Wisdom avoids vanity. Was Newton vain? Or Mazart? Or Lao Tse?"
"Who taught them what they know?" Grim asked.
"Who taught the years to roll onward? Or the earth to move around the sun? They are greater than they, whom they know from afar off, dimly, even as you have heard of them and seek them. The Mahatmas, to themselves, are ordinary men, to fallible, beset by their own perplexities. Our problems are very simple to them, because they mastered such elementary conditions as ours'in former lives; which is why they are called Masters. They have advanced to higher problems…

From The Tiger's Fang, Chapter 11: The Worship of Moloch

"The proof of a man's authority is in its consequence. There is no authority from without. All comes from within. But they are rare who recognize authority, and they are still more rare who have the courage to obey the call from God.
"Truth once released can never be suppressed, although it can be limited and misused. In this case, look at Galileo who had only the inner authority for his discovery of the earth movement, and the dishonest officials forbade this. They forced him to recant which he did for he was too sensible to become a martyr and flatter his ego. But his truth had already been released and could never be withdrawn."

From The Devil's Guard, by Talbot Mundy

"Who gives these their authority?"
Lhaten laughed. "Who gave Galileo his authority to find out that the earth moves? The authorities forbade him, didn't they? They forced him to recant, and he was much too sensible to make a martyr of himself and flatter his own vanity by being burned alive. He had let the truth out; and the same authority within himself that gave him leave to do that also warned him to protect himself by letting fools believe they had suppressed truth. But truth, once out, can never be suppressed, although it can be imitated and misused. There is no authority from outside. All comes from within. But they are rare who recognize authority; and they are still more rare who have the courage to obey it…

Still, despite these borrowings, The Tiger's Fang is a book that continues to impress.