The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy [Paperback]

Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Author), Donald Michael Kraig (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—This user-friendly, comprehensive, and informative resource traces the history of Western magic and alchemy, from their origins in ancient Egypt to the 20th century. It emphasizes rituals, materials, literature, practitioners, and the presence of magic as an undercurrent in everyday life. Alphabetically arranged, absorbing entries cover a plethora of subjects such as curses, divination, Tarot, kabbalah, Harry Potter (complete with a glossary of Potter magic), Grigori Rasputin, J. R. R. Tolkien, and sorcery and witchcraft. A well-assembled series of instructive black-and-white photos and illustrations enhance the usefulness of this work. A thorough bibliography and accurate index are appended.—Hillary Jan Donitz-Goldstein, formerly at New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Magic and the dream of turning base metals into gold have always fascinated people, and this work provides a wide spectrum of information for the curious reader. To appreciate the book, it is best to start with the introduction, which states that "magic is a real and powerful resource." Once one understands the point of view of the author, this encyclopedia is easier to comprehend.

Arranged in alphabetical order, more than 400 entries range in size from a short paragraph to several pages. Most end with a list of further readings. Black-and-white illustrations, mostly from the author's own collection, are used liberally throughout the work. All the expected terms--Grimoires, Rituals, Runes, etc.--are explained. The volume ends with a comprehensive bibliography and an index with main entries in bold.

Among the best parts of the work are the biographies of such figures as John Dee, Florence Farr, and Nostradamus. Devotees of Harry Potter will find that one of the characters from the first book, Nicholas Flamel, was a real person. Especially strong are the articles on The Da Vinci Code, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings. The work is marred by a few typos, such as a wrong date in the entry for Count Alessandro Cagliostro. Not having an entry on cats while including one on the horse is curious, and readers will have a hard time finding the reference to cats in the short article entry Familiars since the index has no cats entry.

The best approach to using this work is to realize it is written from the point of view of a true believer. Skeptics will find the lack of critical examinations annoying. This work will have the strongest appeal to users who already believe but want additional information. Recommended for public and academic libraries that have a high demand for this type of information. Abbie Vestal Landry
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Checkmark Books; 1 edition (October 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816060495
• ISBN-13: 978-0816060498
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I work fulltime investigating and writing about all things paranormal, which means I lead a most unusual and highly adventurous life. I have written more than 45 books, including single-volume encyclopedias, on a variety of topics, A-Z, angels to zombies and everything in between. I'm interested in the entire spectrum of the paranormal, for everything fits together. I go off in the field to investigate reports of ghosts, UFOs, aliens, ultraterrestrials, Shadow People, Bigfoot, mysterious creatures, Djinn, demons, angels, fairies and more. I am frequently out on the road, and I've had plenty of first-hand experiences of many of the things I document in my books. My work is part of my spiritual journey; probing into the Unknown, the Other Side, and other dimensions is my search for Truth.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for the magical library!, February 19, 2010

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Daniel E. Cureton "Daniel the book scholar" (Salt Lake City, Ut) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy (Paperback)

Length:: 1:30 Mins

A standard for every magic library

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Guileyopedia!, April 5, 2011

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M Blankenship "Ian B" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy (Paperback)

This is the fifth "Guileyopedia" as I started calling them due to how many she has written and how wonderful they all are. This Encylopedia goes into everything you want to know about new and old, black and white, famous and infomous, and whatever else your mind desires about the subject. I also enjoyed the little section on the Tarot. Two Thumbs up!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic revealed, April 20, 2009

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C. Watson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy (Paperback)

This was a very informative book for anyone who is interested in the history of magic especially the alchemy section. This form of magic has been largely overlooked for many years. I have all of Ms. Guileys books and have been a fan from the first one as she has a true insight into the subject she is writing about. I recomend this book to anyone who is interested in learning something new or learning more about this subject.