Magic: A History: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present

Product Description

An Oxford professor of archaeology explores the unique history of magic―the oldest and most neglected strand of human behavior and its resurgence today Three great strands of belief run through human history: Religion is the relationship with one god or many gods, masters of our lives and destinies. Science distances us from the world, turning us into observers and collectors of knowledge. And magic is direct human participation in the universe: we have influence on the world around us, and the world has influence on us.Over the last few centuries, magic has developed a bad reputation―thanks to the unsavory tactics of shady practitioners, and to a successful propaganda campaign on the part of religion and science, which denigrated magic as backward, irrational, and “primitive.” In Magic, however, the Oxford professor of archaeology Chris Gosden restores magic to its essential place in the history of the world―revealing it to be an enduring element of human behavior that plays an important role for individuals and cultures. From the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman, and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America, and Africa; from the alchemy of the Renaissance to the condemnation of magic in the colonial period and the mysteries of modern quantum physics―Gosden’s startling, fun, and colorful history supplies a missing chapter of the story of our civilization. Drawing on decades of research around the world―touching on the first known horoscope, a statue ordered into exile, and the mystical power of tattoos―Gosden shows what magic can offer us today, and how we might use it to rethink our relationship with the world. Magic is an original, singular, and sweeping work of scholarship, and its revelations will leave a spell on the reader.

Review

Longlisted for the Non-Obvious Book Award “Eye-opening . . . Gosden persuasively argues that just because something is scientifically questionable does not mean it is not magically successful. If a magical ritual can imbue in us an understanding and sensitivity to the world around us, has it failed? Indeed, what could be better suited to affecting change in our age of ecological devastation than a philosophy that forces us to see the world as an extension of ourselves?” ―George Pendle, Air Mail”Enlightening . . . Gosden persuasively argues that magic, religion, and science have always existed in tandem, forming a ‘triple helix’ of understanding running through the course of human history up to the present day. In light of the current climate crisis, and inspired by the discoveries of quantum physics, Gosden furthermore makes a compelling case for a return to the kind of interconnected perspective central to most magical traditions . . . A fascinating exploration of magic’s hold on the human imagination.” ―Sara Shreve, Library Journal (starred review)”Magic: A History is never less than fascinating.” ―Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Monthly”Sophisticated and wide-ranging . . . Gosden’s meticulous account offers many intriguing glimpses of early human societies. Readers with a deep interest in human belief systems will be captivated.” ―Publishers Weekly“Vast and transformational . . . We need, Gosden argues with the wisdom of a sage on a mountain-top, a ‘new magic’ for the 21st century in order to deal with the calamity of climate change.” ―Frances Wilson, The Daily Mail (UK)“[Magic] is erudite, accessible and expansive . . . Without an unfascinating page . . . [A] remarkable and endlessly interesting volume.” ―Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman (UK)”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 colorful characters, shamans, witches and ki