The History of Magic and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more



or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Start reading The History of Magic on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

The History of Magic [Paperback]

Eliphas Levi
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

List Price: $24.95
Price: $19.55 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.40 (22%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it tomorrow, June 21? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Image
Save on Popular Books This Summer
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more.

Book Description

April 1, 1999
First published in 1913, this classic text is an invaluable source book on the history and practice of magic and occultism. The contents include: Magic of the Magi, Magic in Ancient Greece, the Kabalah, Primitive Symbolism, Mysticism, Oracles, Magical Monuments, Magic and Christianity, Pagan Magic, Kabalistic Paintings and Sacred Emblems, Sorcerers, Magic and Freemasonry, the Illuminati, and more. Illustrated.

Frequently Bought Together

The History of Magic + The Key of the Mysteries + Transcendental Magic
Price for all three: $56.92

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

  • Paperback: 392 pages
  • Publisher: Red Wheel / Weiser (April 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0877289298
  • ISBN-13: 978-0877289296
  • Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 5.8 x 8.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #675,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

3.3 out of 5 stars
(10)
3.3 out of 5 stars
Share your thoughts with other customers
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars the Bane of Scholars is the Occultist's Reward! July 14, 2001
Format:Paperback
Eliphas Levi's "History of Magic" is probably the most singularly beautiful, profoundly romantic and Personal rendering of the history of Magic ever penned. It is as much a sourcebook for the Symbolist/Decadent fin-de-siecle generation as is Baudelaire's Flowers of Evil & Paris Spleen, and ironically, Levi collaborated with Baudelaire on the work entitled:"Les Mysteres Galants".(webb. Occult Underground,266) It is essential to grasp when involved in such a historical treatise as this, that in Occultism, as in religious thought: EXPERIENCE TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER DOCTRINE. If one is seeking verifiable facts given in chronological order that is simple to digest and retain, look elsewhere. For Levi is speaking of history in relation to his own private researches, to which he had dedicated his life since entering the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church at the age of twelve. His is also a history of magic with literary antecedents; to the likes of Aurthur Rimbaud for instance, this work of Levi/Constant's was a veritable bible, whose symbolism permeates works such as "A Season In Hell" to a deliriant degree. There is perhaps not one writer or Artist regardless of medium between the years 1860-1930 who was not at least familiar with Levi/Constant; this fact extends from his own friends, such as Balzac, de Nerval, Victor Hugo, Dumas- to Breton, Crowley, Bataille, Meyrink, Henry Miller and innumerable others! The names cover from Western to Eastern Europe, as well as North America; and it is Levi who established what we define, in its cultural sense, as "Occultism" today.... Read more ›
Was this review helpful to you?
24 of 28 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent exposition of the existence of Magick! December 28, 1999
Format:Paperback
This is the single greatest book on the history of the Spiritual Art and Science of Magick. My only two complaints about the book are that it's written in a rather biased view, from a purely Christian perspective (not that any other religion's perspective would be any better!) and the translator/editor, Arthur Edward Waite, once again sees fit to make some useless and innacurate remarks here and there. But still read his footnotes! He makes some legitimate points in this book!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Occultism You Need June 27, 2009
Format:Paperback
I have read everything in the history of occultism, from the The Book of Splendors to the Picatrix, from Hermes Trimegustus to Madam Blavatsky, Agrippa to Albert Pike. This is the only book on occultism you will ever need. Levi knows more about the history of the magi than any writer anywhere. Those who believe he is inaccurate have only an outer knowledge of the inner tradition. If you have gotten to the point where you know of this book, buy it.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A True Work of Magic September 17, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am going to keep my review brief, and I probably would not be contributing it except to counter the negative reviews, which I consider to be quite unfairly and overly negative. First and foremost, Levi is not a profesional historian, he is an occultist, and one of the greatest who ever lifted the veil. To dismiss this beautifully written and informative book as ignorant, obsolete and lacking in citations, would be an extreme case of 'throwing the baby out with the bath water'. Whatever complaints may be made about it's historical accuracies seem trite and petty considering the wealth of immensely inspired material Levi provides. Highly recommended.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Format:Paperback
The book is GREAT, but I recommended it to my friend and he got the EXACT same book for a cheaper price, I paid double what he did. It made a good read turn in to a resentment lol

The History of Magic. Eliphas Levi (Wooden Books Gift Book)

The layout is also a little bit better too.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
3.0 out of 5 stars entertaining? yes; credible? not much May 1, 2012
By seneca
Format:Paperback
A major part of this book contains lively narration of events and esoteric aspects of the development and evolution of magic. For the most part, The History of Magic is a pleasure-read. However, the book has several shortcomings in the form of factual errors and biased observations. Especially, with his discussion on the tradition of magic in eastern countries, Levi shows his incompetence as a historian and a good narrator. His vicious and prejudiced depiction of Indians as the descendants of Cain, and his contemptuous description of Indian system of yoga and mantras further proclaims that Levi has no place among great authors.
Was this review helpful to you?
22 of 38 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars For experts on the subject only January 25, 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A.E. Waite could have spend his time better than translating this "French masterpiece". As always Eliphas Levi is ill-informed and doesn't care much about facts. The book is full of factual errors and Alphonse Louis Constant shapes history as it suits him. This doubtful "History of Magic" is therefore only interesting for uncritical followers of the master, reseachers who specialize in the history of occultism in the nineteenth century or for experts on the history of magic in general who can make distinctions between facts and non-sense. It is more or less misleading to rate this book five stars.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
22 of 51 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Weakly steeped in 19th century ignorance. December 25, 2002
Format:Paperback
We are all intruigued by the mysteries of magic. But this book makes the most preposterous claims about magic, ritual, history and god knows what else, that I have ever seen. Far from the claim (in a review below) of his "empiricism," Levi does not seem to have been in the least informed by the sciences of his day. The real mystery is why the great esotericsit A.E. Waite bothered to translate it from the French at all. Need an example? India is described as "the Mother of all heresies" [laughable, were it not so pathetic an example of judeochristian resentiment]. And he seriously believes that the the books of the Old Testament describe the literal anthropology & history of the peoples of the Mideast, Ishmael=Islam and all the rest [fundamentalism so naive it would make a Trent Lott blush!]. The book's organization reflects the author's romance with Quaballah, but the chapters themselves are random collections of "ideas" on topics unrelated to the chapter titles [a stream-of-consciousness style the anticipated the great Joyce by half a century, albeit to no effect, aesthetic or otherwise]. The single high point of the book is Levi's description of spiritual love: "The true man elevates himself not by trying to possess the object of his desire but by raising himself to Her through devotion" [its a pity he didn't know anything about Sufism or the key difference between magic and devotion]. Try Israel Regardie instead, who is at least steeped in Renaissance memory training, neo-Platonism and other worthies. Remember that it is but a small (backwards) step that separates dog from god.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?




What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Forums

There are no discussions about this product yet.
Be the first to discuss this product with the community.
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 





Look for Similar Items by Category