Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician [Hardcover]

Leo Ruickbie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0750950900 | ISBN-13: 978-0750950909

Around the world there are hundreds of nightly performances of Goethe’s Faust as well as actual attempts at soul-selling on eBay. Faustus has rightly been described as an icon of modern culture. But in 500 years no one has written his biography—until now. Faustus is the real story behind the legend. It is the story of a 16th-century scandal, who claimed mastery of the forbidden magical arts and dared rival all of the miracles attributed to Jesus. He evoked uproar and was accused of the worst crimes. But Faustus was not a charlatan, nor was he in league with the devil. To find the real Faustus is to find the real history of his age, and to take a tour from alchemical labs in princely dungeons to war-torn Italy, Martin Luther’s Reformation Wittenberg, and the magnificence of Charles V’s court. The life of the legend becomes as real as any living person.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leo Ruickbie is an historian and sociologist of magic, witchcraft, and Wicca; and the author of Witchcraft Out of the Shadows.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750950900
• ISBN-13: 978-0750950909
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,739,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Witchcraft, Wicca, paganism, magic, the occult and the paranormal, these are the things that keep me up at night, discussing them, writing about them and sometimes experiencing them."

Dr Leo Ruickbie holds a doctorate from King's College, London, for his thesis 'The Re-Enchanters: Theorising Re-Enchantment and Testing for its Presence in Modern Witchcraft' and was awarded a master's from Lancaster University with distinction for his work on the theory of re-enchantment. He is the author of several books including Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A complete History (Robert Hale, 2004) and Faustus: The Life and Times of a Renaissance Magician (The History Press, 2009). His articles have appeared in Pagan Dawn, Watkins Review and other publications. He is a peer reviewer for JASANAS, the Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, and has advised the International Society for Human Rights on witchcraft persecution in West Africa. He has also publicly exhibited on the subject of 'La Sorcellerie en France' ('Witchcraft in France') in several towns in France, and runs an educational website based around his published works.