Magic and superstition in Europe A concise history from antiquity to the present

Magic, witchcraft, and superstition have inspired writers and readers for centuries. Much of the literature on these phenomena has been sensational or biased, but a growing body of quality scholarly work has quietly accumulated over the past decades. Bailey (history, Iowa State Univ., Ames; Historical Dictionary of Witchcraft) provides a breathtaking yet meticulous synthesis of scholarship covering two millennia, from antiquity to the present day. Though its focus is Europe, the book embraces the United States, classical Greece and Rome, and the Near East as well. It concentrates especially on how the concepts, beliefs, and practices of magic and witchcraft--and their practitioners--have transformed one another over this vast period. This work, which supersedes all previous works on the topic, includes few endnotes in the interest of readability, but the bibliography for each section will be of some assistance to those wishing to read further on particular topics. Recommended for all public and academic collections.--Dan Harms, SUNY at Cortland Memorial Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.