The History of Magic

From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present

The History of Magic
Chris Gosden
RRP:
NZ$ 30.00
Our Price:
NZ$ 24.00
Paperback
h198 x 129mm - 512pg
20 May 2021 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9780241979662
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Three great strands of practice and belief run through human history. In religion, the primary human relationship is with one god or many gods. Science distances people from the world. Magic is human beings participating in the universe directly, and the universe influencing and shaping us. Magic preceded religion and science. And 75% of the adult population of the western world hold some belief in it- we might swear at the printer, believe that the mind of a patient influences recovery, or find it hard to stab a photo of a loved one. But over the last few centuries, magic has developed a bad reputation; Western prejudices have made its study seem only something the bold scholar would attempt. Professor Chris Gosden restores it to its place in the history of the world, exploring its positive qualities and asking what it can offer the world today. From the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America and Africa, the alchemy of the Renaissance, colonial dismissals of magic as backward, and quantum physics today, his colourful history provides the missing part of the story of civilisation. Drawing on decades of research around the world, with incredible breadth and authority, and stunning detail - from the first known horoscope, through the statue ordered into exile, to the power of tattoos - Gosden shows what magic can offer and how we might use it to rethink our relationship with the world.
Fascinating, original and excellent, written with both narrative flair and deep scholarship, this is a world history, from the steppes of Mongolia to the palaces of London and Paris from prehistory to today, told through the lens of magic, that has always existed alongside and within religion itself, a gripping ride of astonishing span, filled with colourful characters, shaman, witches and kings, esoteric rites and revelatory research. An important and essential read that also happens to be a highly entertaining historical treasure-trove -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem and The Romanovs With his own magic touch, Chris Gosden brilliantly reveals the place of magic in human societies from the Ice Age to the present day in all inhabited continents, and shows how the exercise of magic was an everyday practice that joined the world of the dead to that of the living -- Professor David Abulafia, author of The Boundless Sea This is an extraordinary work of learning, written with an exhilarating lightness of touch. And it' s flexible: you can read it from cover-to-cover, or just dip in - or both. Chris Gosden has traced the story of magical beliefs from the Old Stone Age to modern times, across all the continents of the world. But it isn' t just a work of archaeology and history: it has increasing relevance for our own times, as we witness the growth of extreme cults and the seditious myths of the post-truth era. It is essential reading -- Francis Pryor, author of Britain BC, Britain AD and The Fens The History of Magic is a major contribution to an important but neglected subject. It should be read not only by archaeologists and anthropologists but by everyone interested in the human condition -- Barry Cunliffe, author of The Scythians "To be human is to be connected. " Chris Gosden shows how magic explores the connections between human beings and the universe in ways different from religion or science, yet deserving of respect. A magisterial account of the central place of magic in many cultures both ancient and modern -- Professor John Barton, author of A History of The Bible An impressive and much-needed book, Gosden masterfully presents the history of magic from a global perspective, enabling the reader to make fascinating connections between traditions in different places and eras -- Violet Moller, author of the Map of Knowledge
Chris Gosden is Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Previously he was curator and lecturer at the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, where he encountered many magical objects displayed in a scientific manner. Chris is a Fellow of the British Academy and the Society of Antiquaries, as well as a trustee of the Art Fund and the chair of trustees for Oxford Archaeology. He has written or edited eighteen academic books. This is his first trade book.
Status: Indent title, imported to order
ISBN-13: 9780241979662
Published: 20 May 2021
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Books
Publisher: Penguin Books
Format: Paperback
Height: 198mm
Width: 129mm
Spine: 31mm
Weight: 405g
Pages: 512

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