The manuscript of "The Third Eye" had been turned down by several leading British publishers before being accepted by Secker and Warburg for an advance of £800 (£ today). Fredric Warburg of Secker and Warburg had met the book's author, who at the time appeared in the guise of "Doctor Carl Kuon Suo". Intrigued by the writer's personality, Warburg sent the manuscript to a number of scholars, several of whom expressed doubts about its authenticity. Nevertheless, the book was published in November 1956 and soon became a global bestseller. The "Times Literary Supplement" said of the book: "It came near to being a work of art."