The Occult, Witchcraft & Magic: An Illustrated History

This is a strikingly beautifully illustrated and heavy book. I should have known what size it was when I ordered it, but obviously never checked. Every page is illustrated. The only criticism I have so far is that many of the illustrations are from classical paintings but the painting title and painter name seem to be missing, which is a shame as it is not possible to find the original artwork or date it accurately. The paper is good quality, heavy and slightly glossy. The colour illustrations are excellent. The illustrations are the primary material of this book. The text is almost just to fill in some background to help with the understanding. The format is roughly a subject to a spread with illustrations and a little text. The text is brief, and goes into little depth, but covers a great many aspects. This format is not imposed rigidly and some subjects cover multiple spreads. There is not enough detail to become bored with it, and it might initiate research into areas of interest in more detailed works. For an introductory text on arcane teachings of many peoples I have not seen a better one. I think anyone would be happy to own this book. I have been interested by some of these teachings for many years (currently reading the White Goddess), but this book will remain a pleasure to own and to refer back to. This is a gem of a book.

Beautifully illustrated. Topics explored quite concisely (each topic about 2 to 4 pages, including illustration), so if you are looking for a deepdive into these topics, it may not be the best book for you. I did enjoy the book though, I learned a bit more than I already knew, and the illustrations are really interesting and beautiful. I enjoyed it enough to have already purchased the author's other title on mythology, and am excited to receive it.

Hefty book. Full of all sorts. Probably best used for reference, rather than to try and read outright. Still learning a lot form it -- useful for when I write. Not too much depth, but it gives a strong outline of most practices, with some deeper info on the larger areas it focuses on.

I've always been interested in the occult as well as history, so this book was a match made in heaven. The high quality images and well-researched material are presented beautifully. I'd give it more stars if I could.

As an overview of the history of magic, occultism and witchcraft, this is an excellent book with page after page of illustrations and detailed information about places, people, beliefs, and history, BUT….and it's a big but.... there's not one mention of Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, or Samhain in the entire book, (I know, I tried looking for these things in the index). You'd think a book on the Occult and Witchcraft would at least give a passing reference to it, but nothing, that's why I'm knocking off a star.

Very informative if you like witches, you might learn something

Brilliant book. Full of illustrations.

Amazing book! Great knowledge, great research. Amazing quality.

genial

This lushly illustrated volume is a must have for anyone with even a passing interest in the occult, magic, or witchcraft. Christopher Dell provides an unbiased look at magic through the ages, starting with the earliest cave paintings and moving up through modern day. Every page is in full colour, with pictures, paintings, woodblock prints, diagrams, etc. that complement the text. The book is worth the price for the pictures alone. The book is definitely very fact based. Dell doesn't present himself as either a believer or non-believer. He just presents the facts and leaves the reader to make their own decisions. Each section is short, providing a good overview of the topic under discussion. This isn't a deep scholarly book like, for example, something from Ronald Hutton, but it is still a very interesting and informative read. Despite its rather large side, it made for great bedtime reading for me, and I absolutely devoured it.

Splendide immagini per quantità e qualità

Dad Buch ist wunderschön gestaltet und sehr informativ. Es schneidet viele Themen an und bietet eine tolle Grundlage. Ich habe es für eine Ausarbeitung gekauft und bin begeistert!

Great !