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Pre-order. Available Sep 18 2025
$550.00

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Description

What role has magic played in society through the ages? How has it been practiced and, at times, controlled? How has magic been understood and represented? And how has this understanding differed according to time and place?

In a work that spans 2,500 years these ambitious questions are addressed by 57 experts, each contributing their overview of a theme applied to a period in history. With the help of a broad range of case material they illustrate broad trends and nuances of the culture of magic across the world from antiquity to the present, albeit with an emphasis on western traditions. Individual volume editors ensure the cohesion of the whole, and to make it as easy as possible to use, chapter titles are identical across each of the volumes. This gives the choice of reading about a specific period in one of the volumes, or following a theme across history by reading the relevant chapter in each of the six.

The six volumes cover: 1. Antiquity (500 BCE to 800 CE); 2. Medieval Age (800 to 1450); 3. The Renaissance (1450 to 1650); 4. Age of Enlightenment (1650 to 1800); 5. Age of Empire (1800 to 1920); 6. Modern Age (1920 to the present).

Themes (and chapter titles) are: defining magic; magic, religion, and belief; practices and practitioners; authorities and control; geographies of magic; magic and material culture; magic and gender; imagining magic.

The page extent for the pack is approximately 1630pp. Each volume opens with notes on contributors and an introduction and concludes with notes, bibliography, and an index.

The Cultural Histories Series
A Cultural History of Magic is part of The Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully-searchable digital library available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com).

Table of Contents

Volume 1: A Cultural History of Magic in Antiquity

Edited by Esther Eidinow, University of Bristol, UK and Richard Gordon, University of Erfurt, Germany
List of Illustrations
Series Preface
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: Esther Eidinow (University of Bristol, UK) and Richard Gordon (University of Erfurt, Germany)
1. Magic, Religion, and Belief: Nicola Denzey Lewis (Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, USA)
2. Magic as Cultural Crossroads: Korshi Dosoo (Julius-Maximilians-University, Würzburg, Germany)
3. Practices and Practitioners: Kyle Fraser (University of King's College (Nova Scotia), Canada)
4. Magic and Gender: Miriam Blanco Cesteros (University Complutense of Madrid, Spain)
5. Authorities and Control: Antón Alvar Nuño (University of Málaga, Spain)
6. Magic and Material Culture: Ortal-Paz Saar (Utrecht University, Netherlands)
7. Magic, Plants, and Animals: Richard Gordon (University of Erfurt, Germany)
8. Imagining Magic: Esther Eidinow (University of Bristol, UK)
Glossary
Notes
References
List of Contributors
Index

Volume 2: A Cultural History of Magic in the Medieval Age
Edited by Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State University, USA and Claire Fanger, Rice University, USA
List of Illustrations
Series Preface
Introduction: Michael D. Bailey (Iowa State University, USA) and Claire Fanger (Rice University, USA)
1. Magic, Religion, and Belief: David J. Collins (Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA)
2. Magic as Cultural Crossroads: Jean-Patrice Boudet (University of Orléans, USA)
3. Practices and Practitioners: Julien Véronèse (University of Orléans, USA)
4. Magic and Gender: Frank Klaassen (University of Saskatchewan, Canada)
5. Authorities and Control: Nicolas Weill-Parot (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France)
6. Magic and Material Culture: Allegra Iafrate (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy and Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels, Belgium)
7. Magic, Animals, and Plants: Sophie Page (University College London, UK)
8. Imagining Magic: Claire Fanger (Rice University, USA)
Notes
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index

Volume 3: A Cultural History of Magic in the Renaissance
Edited by Charlotte-Rose Millar, University of Queensland, Australia
List of Illustrations
Series Preface
Introduction: Charlotte-Rose Millar (University of Queensland, Australia)
1. Magic, Religion, Belief: James Sharpe (Late of University of York, UK)
2. Magic as Cultural Crossroads: Iris Gareis (Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany)
3. Practices and Practitioners: Laura Kounine (University of Sussex, UK)
4. Gender and Magic: Valerie A. Kivelson (University of Michigan, USA)
5. Authorities and Control: Julian Goodare (University of Edinburgh, UK)
6. Magic and Material Culture: Brian Hoggard (Independent Researcher and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries)
7. Magic, Animals, and Plants: Kathleen Walker-Meikle (University of Basel, Switzerland)
8. Imagining Magic: Charles Zika (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Notes
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index

Volume 4: A Cultural History of Magic in the Age of Enlightenment
Edited by Andrew Sneddon, Ulster University, UK
List of Illustrations
Series Preface
Introduction: Andrew Sneddon (Ulster University, UK)
1. Magic, Religion, and Belief: Paul Monod (Middlebury College, USA)
2. Magic as Cultural Crossroads: Peter Maxwell-Stuart (University of St. Andrews, UK)
3. Practices and Practitioners: Thomas Waters (Imperial College London, UK)
4. Magic and Gender: Diane Purkiss (University of Oxford, UK)
5. Authorities and Control: Francis Young (Independent Scholar)
6. Magic and Material Culture: Lisa Tallis (Cardiff University's Special Collections and Archives, UK)
7. Magic and Animals: Lizanne Henderson (University of Glasgow, UK)
8. Imagining Magic: Andrew Sneddon (Ulster University UK)
Notes
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index

Volume 5: A Cultural History of Magic in the Age of Empire
Edited by Owen Davies, University of Hertfordshire, UK
List of Illustrations
Series Preface
Introduction: Owen Davies (University of Hertfordshire, UK)
1. Magic, Religion, and Belief: Lisa Tallis (Cardiff University's Special Collections and Archives, UK)
2. Magic as Cultural Crossroads: Yseult de Blécourt (Independent Researcher)
3. Practices and Practitioners: Helen Cornish (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK) and Owen Davies (University of Hertfordshire, UK)
4. Magic and Gender: Owen Davies (University of Hertfordshire, UK)
5. Authorities and Control: William G. Pooley (University of Bristol, UK)
6. Magic and Material Culture: Owen Davies (University of Hertfordshire, UK)
7. Magic, Animals, and Plants: Debora Moretti (University of Hertfordshire, UK)
8. Imagining Magic: Karl Bell (University of Portsmouth, UK)
Notes
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index

Volume 6: A Cultural History of Magic in the Modern World
Edited by Jane Parish, Keele University, UK
List of Illustrations
Series Preface
Introduction: Jane Parish (Keele University, UK)
1. Magic, Religion, and Belief: Theodoros Kyriakides (University of Cyprus, Cyprus)
2. Magic as Cultural Crossroads: Michael Saler (University of California, Davis, USA)
3. Practices and Practitioners: Diana Espírito Santo (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile)
4. Magic and Gender: Shai Feraro (University of Haifa, Israel)
5. Authorities and Control: Ana Dols Garcia (Independent Scholar)
6. Magic and Material Culture: Natalie Armitage (Independent Scholar)
7. Magic, Animals, and Plants: Jonathan Thomas Lowell (University of Texas at Austin, USA) and Jane Parish (Keele University, UK)
8. Imagining Magic: Kevin Talmer Whiteneir Jr (Artist & Art Historian)
Notes
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Sep 18 2025
Format Hardback - Pack
Edition 1st
ISBN 9781350124073
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 240 bw illus
Dimensions 10 x 7 inches
Series The Cultural Histories Series
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

Louise Nyholm Kallestrup

Louise Nyholm Kallestrup is Professor of History a…

Anthology Editor

Stephen A. Mitchell

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