Richard Heygate

Through experiments to try and places to visit, as well as a historical exploration of magic and interviews with leading magicians, Philip Carr-Gomm and Richard Heygate's The Book of English Magic will introduce you to the extraordinary world that lies beneath the surface. Magic runs through the veins of English history, part of daily life from the earliest Arthurian legends to Aleister Crowley to the novels of Tolkien and Philip Pullman, and from the Druids to Freemasonry and beyond. Richly illustrated and deeply knowledgeable, this book is an invaluable source for anyone curious about magic and wizardry or for sophisticated practitioners wanting to learn more. "This book is never less than gripping . . . the otherworld beckons." --Daily Mail

Of all the countries in the world, England has the richest history of magical lore and practice. English authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, and J. K. Rowling, dominate the world of magic in fiction, but from the earliest times, England has also acted as home to generations of eccentrics and scholars who have researched and explored every conceivable kind of occult art. Most people are torn between a fascination with magic and an almost instinctive fear of the occult, of a world redolent with superstition and illusion. And yet more people now practice magic in England than at any time in history. The Book of English Magic explores this hidden story, from its first stirrings to our present-day fascination with all things magical.