Harry Potter - A Journey Through A History of Magic PDF Download

Author: British Library
Publisher: Pottermore Publishing
ISBN: 1781109508
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
The official companion book to the British Library exhibition and the ultimate gift for Harry Potter fans! As the British Library unveils a very special new exhibition in the UK, Harry Potter: A History of Magic, readers everywhere are invited on an enchanting journey through the Hogwarts curriculum, from Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology to Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and more in this eBook uncovering thousands of years of magical history.Prepare to be amazed by artifacts released from the archives of the British Library, unseen sketches and manuscript pages from J.K. Rowling, and incredible illustrations from artist Jim Kay. Discover the truth behind the origins of the Philosopher's Stone, monstrous dragons, and troublesome trolls; examine real-life wands and find out what actually makes a mandrake scream; pore over remarkable pages from da Vinci's notebook; and discover the oldest atlas of the night sky. Carefully curated by the British Library and full of extraordinary treasures from all over the world, this is an unforgettable journey exploring the history of the magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories.

Author: David Copperfield
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982112913
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
In this personal journey through a unique performing art, David Copperfield profiles some of the world's most groundbreaking magicians. From the sixteenth-century magistrate who wrote an early book on conjuring, to the roaring twenties and the man who fooled Houdini, to the woman who levitated, vanished, and caught bullets in her bare hands, David Copperfield's History of Magic takes you on a wild journey through the remarkable feats of some of the greatest magicians in history. The result is a sweeping tale that reveals how these astonishing performers were outsiders who used magic to escape class, challenge conventions, transform popular culture, explore the innermost workings of the human mind, and inspire scientific discovery. Their incredible stories are complemented by more than 100 never-before-seen photographs of artifacts from Copperfield's exclusive Museum of Magic, including a sixteenth-century manual on sleight-of-hand; Houdini's straitjackets, handcuffs, and water torture chamber; Dante's famous sawing-in-half apparatus; Alexander's high-tech turban that allowed him to read people's minds; and even some coins that may have magically passed through the hands of Abraham Lincoln. By the end of the book, you'll be sure to share Copperfield's passion for the power of magic. --

Author: Chris Gosden
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 024197965X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 512

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Book Description
A Telegraph Book of the Year A remarkable, unprecedented account of the role of magic in cultures both ancient and modern -- from the first known horoscope to the power of tattoos. 'Fascinating, original, excellent' Simon Sebag Montefiore ______________________ Three great strands of practice and belief run through human history: science, religion and magic. But magic - the idea that we have a connection with the universe - has developed a bad reputation. It has been with us for millennia - from the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America and Africa, and even today in the West when snapping wishbones or buying lottery tickets. Drawing on his decades of research, Professor Chris Gosden provides a history of human thought and how magic may help us rethink our understanding of the world. ______________________ 'This is an extraordinary work of learning, written with an exhilarating lightness of touch . . . It is essential reading.' Francis Pryor, author of Britain BC, Britain AD and The Fens 'Without an unfascinating page' Scotsman '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' Professor John Barton, author of A History of The Bible

Author: Frank Klaassen
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 0271056266
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
"Explores two principal genres of illicit learned magic in late Medieval manuscripts: image magic, which could be interpreted and justified in scholastic terms, and ritual magic, which could not"--Provided by publisher.

Author: Paul Christian
Publisher: Literary Licensing, LLC
ISBN: 9781498125062
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 642

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Book Description
This Is A New Release Of The Original 1870 Edition.

Author: David J. Collins, S. J.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316239497
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 897

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Book Description
This book presents twenty chapters by experts in their fields, providing a thorough and interdisciplinary overview of the theory and practice of magic in the West. Its chronological scope extends from the Ancient Near East to twenty-first-century North America; its objects of analysis range from Persian curse tablets to US neo-paganism. For comparative purposes, the volume includes chapters on developments in the Jewish and Muslim worlds, evaluated not simply for what they contributed at various points to European notions of magic, but also as models of alternative development in ancient Mediterranean legacy. Similarly, the volume highlights the transformative and challenging encounters of Europeans with non-Europeans, regarding the practice of magic in both early modern colonization and more recent decolonization.

Author: Milbourne Christopher
Publisher: Running PressBook Pub
ISBN: 9780786716883
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 514

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Book Description
Follow the fascinating stories of the world's greatest necromancers, from sorcerer-priests in ancient Egypt to such modern miracle workers as Houdini and David Copperfield.

Author: Owen Davies
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191509248
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 553

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Book Description
What is a grimoire? The word has a familiar ring to many people, particularly as a consequence of such popular television dramas as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. But few people are sure exactly what it means. Put simply, grimoires are books of spells that were first recorded in the Ancient Middle East and which have developed and spread across much of the Western Hemisphere and beyond over the ensuing millennia. At their most benign, they contain charms and remedies for natural and supernatural ailments and advice on contacting spirits to help find treasures and protect from evil. But at their most sinister they provide instructions on how to manipulate people for corrupt purposes and, worst of all, to call up and make a pact with the Devil. Both types have proven remarkably resilient and adaptable and retain much of their relevance and fascination to this day. But the grimoire represents much more than just magic. To understand the history of grimoires is to understand the spread of Christianity, the development of early science, the cultural influence of the print revolution, the growth of literacy, the impact of colonialism, and the expansion of western cultures across the oceans. As this book richly demonstrates, the history of grimoires illuminates many of the most important developments in European history over the last two thousand years.

Author: Éliphas Lévi
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
"The History of Magic" by Éliphas Lévi (translated by Arthur Edward Waite). Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Author: Peter Lamont
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1524704458
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
Pull back the curtain on the real history of magic – and discover why magic really matters If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt, with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic. It is a history of people from humble roots, who made and lost fortunes, and who deceived kings and queens. In order to survive, they concealed many secrets, yet they revealed some and they stole others. They engaged in deception, exposure, and betrayal, in a quest to make the impossible happen. They managed to survive in a world in which a series of technological wonders appeared, which previous generations would have considered magical. Even today, when we now take the most sophisticated technology for granted, we can still be astonished by tricks that were performed hundreds of years ago. The Secret History of Magic reveals how this was done. It is about why magic matters in a world that no longer seems to have a place for it, but which desperately needs a sense of wonder.