The Book of Magic

From Antiquity to the Enlightenment

By: Brian Copenhaver

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Paperback | 28 November 2016 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

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704 Pages

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13.2 x 19.8 x 3.1

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Brian Copenhaver's wonderful anthology will be welcomed by everyone from those with the most casual interest in the magical tradition to anyone drawn to the Renaissance and the tangled, arcane roots of the scientific tradition.

'As when iron is drawn to a magnet, camphor is sucked into hot air, crystal lights up in the Sun, sulphur and a volatile liquid are kindled by flame, an empty eggshell filled with dew is raised towards the Sun . . . '

This rich, fascinating anthology of the western magical tradition stretches from its roots in the wizardry of the Old Testament and the rituals of the ancient world, through writers such as Thomas Aquinas, John Milton, John Dee and Matthew Hopkins, and up to the tangled, arcane beginnings of the scientific revolution. Arranged historically, with commentary, this book includes incantations, charms, curses, Golems, demons and witches, as well as astrology, divination and alchemy, with some ancient and medieval works which were once viewed as too dangerous even to open.

Selected and translated with an introduction and notes by Brian Copenhaver

About the Author

Brian Copenhaver is Professor of Philosophy and History at the University of California, Los Angeles and is one of the world's foremost scholars on Renaissance magic and mysticism. This book is in many ways a summa of the interests and writers with which he has been preoccupied throughout his career.

Industry Reviews

This illuminating book should dispel the notion that magic was just superstition and secure its place in the history of ideas... for anyone wanting a more informed view of the uses of enchantment, Copenhaver's volume is a peerless resource -- Philip Ball * Prospect *

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