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The History of Magic

From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present

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Brought to you by Penguin.

Three great strands of practice and belief run through human history - science, religion and magic. Over the last few centuries, magic - the idea that we have a connection with the universe, and that the universe responds to us - has developed a bad reputation. But it is still with us, as it has been for millennia, as Professor Chris Gosden shows in this extraordinarily bold and unprecedented history.

As Gosden argues, magic preceded religion and science, and it has been with us from the curses and charms of ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish magic, to the shamanistic traditions of Eurasia, indigenous America and Africa, the alchemy of the Renaissance, colonial dismissals of magic as backward, and quantum physics today, where magic and science converge. Today 75 per cent of the adult population of the Western world hold some belief in magic, whether we believe that the mind of a patient influences recovery, or find it hard to stab a photo of a loved one.

Drawing on his decades of research around the world, with incredible breadth and authority, and stunning detail - from the first known horoscope to the power of tattoos - Gosden reveals magic's positive qualities and how we might use it to rethink our relationship with the world. This timely history of human thought across thousands of years rightly shows the role that magic has played in shaping civilization.

© Chris Gosden 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Anthropology History History & Philosophy Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts Science World Magic Astrology Ancient History Funny Middle Ages Witchcraft Africa Middle East Magic Users Tradition

Critic reviews

With his own magic touch, Chris Gosden brilliantly reveals the place of magic in human societies from the Ice Age to the present day in all inhabited continents, and shows how the exercise of magic was an everyday practice that joined the world of the dead to that of the living (Professor David Abulafia, author of The Boundless Sea)
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 colourful characters, shaman, witches and kings, esoteric rites and revelatory research. An important and essential read that also happens to be a highly entertaining historical treasure-trove (Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem and The Romanovs)
This is an extraordinary work of learning, written with an exhilarating lightness of touch. And it's flexible: you can read it from cover-to-cover, or just dip in - or both. Chris Gosden has traced the story of magical beliefs from the Old Stone Age to modern times, across all the continents of the world. But it isn't just a work of archaeology and history: it has increasing relevance for our own times, as we witness the growth of extreme cults and the seditious myths of the post-truth era. It is essential reading (Francis Pryor, author of Britain BC, Britain AD and The Fens)
The History of Magic is a major contribution to an important but neglected subject. It should be read not only by archaeologists and anthropologists but by everyone interested in the human condition (Barry Cunliffe, author of The Scythians)
"To be human is to be connected." 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. A magisterial account of the central place of magic in many cultures both ancient and modern (Professor John Barton, author of A History of The Bible)
An impressive and much-needed book, Gosden masterfully presents the history of magic from a global perspective, enabling the reader to make fascinating connections between traditions in different places and eras (Violet Moller, author of the Map of Knowledge)
Breathtaking in scope... For many readers its pages will be full of fascinating discoveries (John Carey)
Comprehensive and remarkable . . . his book subverts essentially everything we are meant to believe (Clement Knox)
Bold, gripping and arrestingly readable ... a path-breaking study of a pervasive and strangely neglected phenomenon (John Gray)
All stars
Most relevant
Archaeology Professor Chris Gosden has written a book about the History of Magic. Much of the first third of this book is focused on the ancient worlds of Mesopotamia, Egypt and China and discusses customs and traditions regarding ceremonies and relationships between the living and the dead. We then hear of the animism of the Russian Steppes and learn how Shamanism influenced other cultures and is still alive today.

According to the author the death of magic started with the Greek philosophers who changed popular opinion from myth to logic. Over the course of the next 2000 years, we hear that although religion and science have replaced people's belief in the power of magic, some elements have remained, most prominently through astrology and superstitions that have deep roots in history. There is undoubtedly a fine distinction between magic and the miracles that form our religious beliefs. The author is a bit sniffy about the existence of ley lines and new age culture and considers that every generation "gets the Stonehenge it deserves" as magic is invented and reinvented.

Whilst much of this book is dry and academic, in the final chapters, which, in my view are the most interesting for a casual reader, we hear how magical traditions have adapted and survived on different continents and how the practices of placebo medication, Feng shui and I Ching are, ultimately rooted in magic.

It's a kind of magic

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This is my first audiobook, so it has been quite a challenge to get over the weird feeling of someone reading it to me. I liked the performance, although the topic renders itself to monotonous reading. I would have liked a better, more clear transitions from section to section. I had read the book already, so I knew the content was worth the few setbacks of getting used to the audiobook format. This was an excellent way to get some steps while still working. If you are interested in the deep history of magic, this book is good. The only problem with the content is that it does not flow well, and feels more like disconnected paragraphs with a slight repetitive topics. But all in all, good food for thought while walking.

Good food for thought

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This broad study provides an insightful overview of magical relationships between peoples, their environments and the universe across the world, based on archeological, anthropological, and scholarly research. The pre/historical focus is uneven, which is perhaps unsurprising given the ambitious range and breath of this sweeping overview, written from a British perspective. Yet it shows the deep importance of a magical mindset to humanity, whether understood as religion, superstition or science.

Broad Overview

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Good narration, and a very informative and comprehensive piece of work. I enjoyed listening to it and would recommend it to everyone who likes to learn about religions.

Very informative

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In places this is painful to listen to and given other reviews I don't think I'm being too harsh.

Reading the physical book while listening to the audiobook simultaneously simply to get through this quicker. It is highlighting many errors. A number of times the text has not been followed word for word. The worst examples so far, are on page 63 where the paperback says 'intimate relationship' while the audiobook recording says 'inanimate relationship', while on page 66 the book text says 'contaminants in flour', while the audio says 'contaminants in yeast'.

Reference to figures that are numerous in the text of the book but are not referred to in the audio recording. If there isn't a supporting pdf for the numerous figures in this book, it really needs one as these are a very useful compliment to the text which the author no doubt felt necessary to include for good reason.

Overall, I'm glad I have the paperback to fall back on, and I think it would be worth revisiting the audio in order to address the issues with it in its current form.

Narration is errornous and needs a revisit.

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