Zachary J. Adam reviewed The Forge and the Crucible by Mircea Eliade
Perhaps not the best primer
2 stars
Eliade's primer on the interplay between metalurgical and blacksmithing mythology and various disciplines of Alchemy is interesting, but riddled with poor scholarship. In particular, circular references to their own work and other references to documents that never existed (i.e., citing earlier authors' own errant citations).
Ultimately the information is better available from other sources. See in particular Burkhardt's "Alchemy: Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul" which covers almost all the same material.
Eliade's primer on the interplay between metalurgical and blacksmithing mythology and various disciplines of Alchemy is interesting, but riddled with poor scholarship. In particular, circular references to their own work and other references to documents that never existed (i.e., citing earlier authors' own errant citations).
Ultimately the information is better available from other sources. See in particular Burkhardt's "Alchemy: Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul" which covers almost all the same material.