The Way of Wizards [Hardcover]

Tom Cross (Author)

Book Description

Those who believe wizards began with Merlin and ended with Oz will be astounded and delighted by the journey that lies before them. In The Way of Wizards, author/illustrator Tom Cross throws open the portal to a land of enchantment that we mere mortals have scarcely glimpsed. Cross's incomparable illustrations, aided by the narrative of his inimitable wizard guide, Penelo, transport readers back to the Crossroad of the Realms-the moment of creation itself-and forward into eternity, revealing the presence throughout time of wizardly magic and might. Who are these beings? Where are they? How and why do they work their wonders? This brilliantly conceived and lavishly illustrated book seeks the answers to these questions in history, myth, lore, and legend, and in the process illuminates the traces of wizardry to be found in the sparkle of yesterday's frost and the green-gold of tomorrow's sunset. Cross's recreation of the world of wizards is an act of singular imaginative power. His breathtaking images and rich text will transport and captivate readers young and old-especially those already devoted to the SciFi/Fanatasy genre. The Way of Wizards is spellbinding from cover to cover

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Cross, artist, author, and designer, creates "nature folklore" that allow his audiences a way to "rediscover the magic of nature trapped just within our reach." A nationally honored coastal specialist and environmentalist, Cross also wrote and illustrated Fairy Garden (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1998).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; 1st edition (August 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740719653
• ISBN-13: 978-0740719653
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,297,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In the tradition of Gnomes & Faeries, June 24, 2001

By 

"tjcwiz" (FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of Wizards (Hardcover)

Just to get the buzz about this book off on the right foot, or with the proper enchanted staff as the case may be, I just would like to say that this is indeed a lavishly illustrated book about wizards suited for all ages. I've been chipping away at this project for some 15 years and am thrilled that this year's popularity of things wondrous and wizardly (namely anything to do with Harry Potter and Tolkien) has helped to bring this book to press. Containing over 200 color images, it is meant to be both informative and fun and is not a venture into the darkness of wizardly magic but conversely an enlightening foray into wizards (both male and female) and their age old association with the ancient-and current-magic of the natural world. So enjoy one and all.

And much like the politician being the first one into the voting booth, of course I am obliged to rate it 5 stars!

Many thanks to all those who have enjoyed my work.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The enchanted world of wizards, November 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Way of Wizards (Hardcover)

BookPage Review:

The enchanted world of wizards

Wizards are typically portrayed as mysterious and secretive beings, but readers now have a chance to enter their enchanted world. With Tom Cross' The Way of Wizards, the curious can embark on a magical journey led by the author's alter ego, an apprentice mage named Penelo.

Lavishly illustrated, The Way of Wizards is a full-color, large-format book that uses more than 200 illustrations to depict the fantastical world of wizards. Penelo, as narrator, describes everything from a wizard's garb to elemental sources of power to the enchanted places that are a wizard's realm. At times, the book resembles a tome from a wizard's library.

Wizards is a project Cross began nearly 20 years ago, at a time when books on otherworldly creatures like gnomes and fairies were wildly popular. "We had pursued the idea of doing a wizards book, and then as things go, they said the market 'went soft,'" he explains. Cross, a noted ecologist and artist whose work has been exhibited in galleries from Florida to Japan, continued to produce magically themed art until wizardry caught the public's imagination again, in part due to the phenomenal popularity of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Cross believes that other factors also led to the resurgence of interest in magic. "Fantasy seems to be an outlet during good times and a safe harbor during poor times," he says, noting that Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien wrote much of his Middle Earth saga during the 1930s and '40s - times of worldwide turbulence.

As he researched wizards and mages for his book, Cross noted a recurring theme of harmony with nature that resonated with his background as a coastal ecologist. "A lot of what's in this book is researched folklore," he explains, "and every culture has its take on nature's phenomenon that couldn't be explained, and they almost always point their finger at a gnome or a fairy or a shaman or a witch doctor or a medicine man. If you think about it, every culture has wizards, whatever they call them. It's usually been the guy or the woman who was most in tune with nature."

In striving to synthesize magical legends from many cultures, Cross accessed material through the Internet, which jibed with his vision of the magical tome. "I had a very wild hair about the book basically being the material version of the real thing, a two-dimensional version of what's real," he said. What would a real wizard's book consist of? "It'd be hypertext, interactive, click here, click there, every word takes you somewhere, every image takes you somewhere. The Web is probably the best manifestation we have of what wizardly communication really would be."

Just as a wizard combines elements for a spell or potion, Cross blended ancient technique and modern technology to produce the images in his book. "The book is a very interesting evolution of technique," he explains. "The early stuff and particularly the things that are on the old book pages are handwritten or pencil and watercolor, and the major art pieces are all digitally done. So I pretty much have evolved as technology has allowed me to."

Cross wrote some of the text in a page layout program that let him combine words with images and manipulate their appearance."It was neat. The page, the spread, became my palette," he said. "It was a bit of wizardry in that sense."

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tom Cross's work is full of magic., March 18, 2003

By 

Carri Davis "carri faery" (Kernersville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Wizards (Hardcover)

I have actually met the artist and viewed his original works at a gallery in Germanton, NC. Although the book cannot possibly convey the beauty and artistry of his magical vision that is captured on canvas, it is still a feast for the eyes. And, since his original pieces cost a good bit more than my average monthly salary, this is one great way to enjoy his imaginitive pieces without having to fork out a lot of cash. I also reccommend his other books, especially the Fairy Garden.

Although this book is worth owning just for the beautiful pictures, I have enjoyed the writing as well. As a student of magick, myself, I can appreciate the story of the Wizard's training and details about the elemental magic he practices. Good for young and old alike, it will inspire you to seek out all the bits of magic in your own life.