George Hunt Williamson, contactee

Found on the endpapers of Secret Places of the Lion by George Hunt Williamson (Neville Spearman, London 1963)- a  handwritten  note by  the publisher Neville Armstrong (1914- 2008). He was one of the last of the gentlemen publishers, producing books mirroring his own whims and tastes - such subjects as flying saucers, the occult, wrestling, reincarnation, spiritualism, spies, sex, cooking, chess and Spain. In 1955 he began his own imprint, 'Neville Spearman Publishers'. George Hunt Williamson has a good Wikipedia entry. He is described there as a flying saucer contactee, channel, and metaphysical author who came to prominence in the 1950s. His dates were 1926-1986 and  he was also known as Michael d'Obrenovic and Brother Philip. 'Contactees'  are people who claim to have experienced contact with extraterrestrials.

Nevile Armstrong/ Spearman writes:-

George Hunt Williamson('Ric')  was one of the original witnesses to the desert sighting of a UFO by George Adamski 'Flying Saucers Have Landed.' A world bestseller and years ahead of the phoney Erich von Daniken.

 Ric was a personal friend. Many strange things happened when in his company. I recall a wine bottle in my cottage in Upper Hartfield which refused to empty!  After an evening's talk which included my wife, the bottle was still half full. This was a minor happening.

 He also wrote a very strange book, Saint of the Andes. It was a monastery inhabited by  strange people – monks, I think – to which many people& expeditions set out to find. All were unsuccessful.

He was one of my most extraordinary authors but entirely sincere. 

Neville Armstrong 28th March 2004