Magic and Superstition in Europe: A Concise History from Antiquity to the Present (Critical Issues in World and International History)

The only comprehensive, singlevolume survey of magic available, this compelling book traces the history of magic and superstition in Europe from antiquity to the present. Focusing mainly on the medieval and early modern era, Michael Bailey also explores the ancient Near East, classical Greece and Rome, and the spread of magical systems_particularly modern witchcraft or Wicca_from Europe to the United States. He explains how magic was understood, constructed, and frequently condemned and how magical beliefs and practices have changed over time yet also remain vital even today.

Michael D. Bailey is Professor of History at Iowa State University, USA. He is the founding co-editor of the journal Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft and is the author of several books, including Magic: The Basics (2017), Magic and Superstition in Europe: A Concise History from Antiquity to the Present (2006) and Fearful Spirits, Reasoned Follies: The Boundaries of Superstition in Late Medieval Europe (2017). He is also the editor of the multi-volume collection, Magic and Witchcraft: Critical Concepts in Historical Studies (2014).